See clearly!
It’s always easier to hate the members of one group or another, than to see through the complicated systems of society, politics and the economy. Scapegoats can always be found, but it’s not worth it. No society has ever evolved through attacking the weak and vulnerable. In order to see clearly, it’s important to have access to as many facts and data as possible, and to be able to point out the real obstacles and correlations through interpreting and analysing them.
If we want to live in a liveable society, it’s important for us to know what the taxes we pay are spent on and how the offices and authorities whose job is to serve us function. How do the police conduct certain cases, and how does the court work? Are there any proceedings where groups already faced with a lot of challenges – victims of domestic violence, sex workers, Roma people living in small villages – are put into even more unfair situations?
In order to see clearly, data and facts are needed – it’s not enough to build on opinions and rotund rhetoric. For this however, it’s inevitable that we ourselves voice any abuse we experience or if we become victims of hate crimes. Because democratic institutions are only able to function as long as citizens use and monitor them.
The recording and clear communication of facts and data are both essential for us to be able to form an objective image of the world we live in. We can only make effective steps agains hatred with the help of transparency and the public sphere.
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