NEWS AND EVENTS

Mainstreaming Hate: How the Right Exploits the Crisis to Divide US

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:00 - 20:00 BST

Are you interested in understanding what lies behind the current social polarisation we’re witnessing in our societies? Are you looking to understand how extremist ideas have now passed into the mainstream, and are directly affecting our communities?

2024 has been called ‘the election year’. It is a record year for elections around the world: more voters than ever in history will head to the polls, in at least 64 countries. More than 2 billion people. In this context, social polarisation is more present than ever. Climate change, conflict across the world, racism is rising. It seems we’re living in the era of hostility. Political campaigns across the world have fueled disinformation, racism and intolerance, instrumentalising vulnerable and minoritised communities. Messages of intolerance and hatred are being publicly broadcasted with no fear of repercussion: is this the new normal?

Our partners at Civil Society Consulting recognise how loneliness and disconnection fuels social division: they are currently rolling out 32 Steps to Togetherness, a project based on a manual of 32 Steps practical actions you can take to build relationships with others. Our project aims to create a community of grassroots leaders, through free support and connection, to bridge the gaps between and within communities!

Despite the current situation, people are resisting, through mass mobilisation and establishing worldwide networks of solidarity. They believe it is pressing to understand how extremist ideas have been normalised, mainstreamed into our day to day lives. There is a clear call for action and for change, requests to decolonise and to call out injustices. That is why they are hosting an eye-opening conversation with the Institute of Race Relations, to present their latest findings and the subsequent briefing paper: Mainstreaming Hate: how the Right exploits the crisis to divide us, chaired by ENORB’s President Dr. Abdullah Faliq. This report provides a detailed but easily accessible account of how far-right ideas have already passed into the mainstream and what we can do to push back against them.

For this important conversation, we will have experts on hate crime, antiracism and peacebuilding:

• Dr. Abdullah Faliq, President at the European Network on Religion and Belief, Managing Director at The Cordoba Foundation and social justice expert, will chair the conversation

• Mark Ereira-Guyer, Director at ENORB and Civil Society Consulting CIC, will explain what our 32 Steps to Togetherness is, and how they are working to build bridges between and within communities

• You will hear two key speakers from The Institute of Race Relations: Liz Fekete, Director, and Sophia Siddiqui, Deputy Editor of Race & Class, who will present their latest report and discuss hate crime

• Dr. Amina Easat-Daas, Senior Lecturer in Politics, will discuss islamophobia across Europe

Join our important conversation to understand how mainstreamed hate narratives are impacting minoritised communities, and how can we unlock solutions to this.