Submission Report Action Plan 2002-2003
Submission Report
The document entitled “Second Progress Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan for the Prevention of All Forms of Discrimination, Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Semitism and Other Expressions of Intolerance in the 2002 – 2003 Period“ (the “Report” hereinafter“) is submitted on the basis of Resolution No. 207/2002 whereby the Government of the Slovak Republic (“Slovak Government” hereinafter) approved an Action Plan for the Prevention of All Forms of Discrimination, Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Semitism and Other Expressions of Intolerance in the 2002 – 2003 Period (“Action Plan” hereinafter).
The document has the objective of reporting on actions carried out under the Action Plan in the second semester of its implementation (i.e. September 2002 – February 2003). The aim of the Action Plan is to increase tolerance in the society and prevent all forms of discrimination by targeted actions of the sectors concerned, non-governmental organisations and of other entities active in this field. Actions are broken down by individual fields such as education, culture, enhancement of Roma communities, combating extremism and similar phenomena, prevention of discrimination, racism, xenophobia and similar intolerance in various areas. The Report was compiled on the basis of source documents provided by the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health, the Corps of Prison and Court Guard, the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Police Force.
Information on the Second Progress Report concerning Implementation of Action Plan for the Prevention of All Forms of Discrimination, Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Semitism and Other Expressions of Intolerance in the 2002 – 2003 Period.
On 6 March 2002, the Government of the Slovak Republic (“Slovak Government” hereinafter) passed Resolution No. 207/2002 approving an Action Plan for the Prevention of All Forms of Discrimination, Racism, Xenophobia, Anti–Semitism and Other Expressions of Intolerance in the 2002 – 2003 Period (“Action Plan“ hereinafter).
The Action Plan has the aim of increasing tolerance in the society and preventing all forms of discrimination through various activities of sectors concerned, non-governmental organisations and other entities active in this field. Actions are broken down by individual fields such as education, culture, enhancement of Roma communities, combating extremism and similar phenomena, prevention of discrimination, racism, xenophobia and similar intolerance in different areas. The Action Plan is evaluated in six-month intervals. The First Progress Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan was adopted by Government Resolution No. 136 of 26 February 2003. This document, i.e. the Second Progress Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan, presents an overview of activities carried out under the Action Plan in the period of September 2002 to February 2003.
The Report draws on source documents provided by the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health, the Corps of Prison and Court Guard, the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Police Force.
The structure of the document reflects the breakdown of tasks in the Action Plan.
1. Continuation in the work of inter-ministerial group for implementing the Action Plan on the Prevention of All Forms of Discrimination, Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Semitism and Other Expressions of Intolerance in the 2002- 2003 Period.
Members of the inter-ministerial group on implementing the Action Plan for the Prevention of All Forms of Discrimination, Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Semitism and Other Expressions of Intolerance in the 2002-2003 Period include representatives of the Office of the Slovak Government, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Interior, the Corps of Prison and Court Guard, the Secretariat of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Police Force and representatives of non-governmental organisations – InfoRoma Foundation and citizens’ initiative People against Racism. The Slovak Red Cross which showed interest in joining the inter-ministerial group also appointed its representative.
Members of the group were invited to participate in the drafting of this document and inputs provided by many of them were incorporated into its text.
2. Intensifying systematic training for members of professional groups who can have an impact on the prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance in the discharge of their professional duties.
2.1 Systematic training of members of the Police Force in the prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance.
Task:
The Ministry of Interior will continue providing systematic training to police officers in the area of the prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance and manifestations of neo-Nazism in the context of education and training of police officers in human rights, in particular by including these issues into the curricula of specialised secondary schools of the Police Force.
Implemeipliers and train other teachers of similar courses in their region, thus improving the quality of instruction in this field.
The Ministry of Education will ensure the publication of methodology manuals for primary and secondary school teachers, produced by teaching methodology centres and the National Institute of Education in cooperation with relevant NGOs, concerning prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance.
Implementation:
Topics of individual teacher research and final papers – many final papers submitted for the 1st qualification test contain proposals of methods and procedures to be used in educating pupils to human rights, respect for the rights of the child, and prevention of intolerant behaviour.
Teaching Methodology Centres (TMC) carried out the following educational actions in the first semester of the 2002/03 school year on such topics as discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance:
TMC Banská Bystrica:
1. Pro-social education in kindergartens
- Building interpersonal competencies for social interaction and pro-social education in kindergartens (number of prights issues are incorporated into the curricula of optional common basic courses for all students of European Studies in Political Science, Adult Education and Social Work. These issues constitute an integral part of the Social Work programme. Several research projects are ongoing, including the VEGA project on interethnic communication. Publications in this field include, e.g., K niektorým zdrojom prejavov intolerancie (On Some Sources of Manifestations of Intolerance).
At the Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, education to human rights is included in the study programme for Teaching General Education Subjects – specialisation in civics and ethical education – and is conceived as being of cross-sectional nature. It is not offered in the form of a separate course, but is included in the syllabi for individual courses.
Constantine the Philosopher University (UKF) in Nitra
The Faculty of Education of UKF Nitra gives great attention to human rights in all teacher-training programmes. This area is conceived as being of cross-sectional nature, and as such is covered by a number of courses in both educational and non-educational study programmes. It is considered of special relevance for the teaching disciplines, but is also included in the philosophical disciplines.
The Faculty of Philosophy of UKF participated in an international ERASMUS project aimed at creating a European multimedia knowledge bank with a view to enhancing mutual understanding of different cultures by means of the Internet, and organised a scientific conference whose participants agreed to publish a series of Culturological Notes, and an international conference on Anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe.
In order to enhance awareness of human rights and strengthen communication skills of police officers, the Ministry of Interior and the Police Force Presidium, working in close cooperation with sectoral training establishments (Bratislava Police Force Academy, specialised secondary schools of the Police Force in Košice and Bratislava, Institute of Further Education of the Police Force), introduced a cycle of targeted human rights education in the curricula of these establishments from the 2001/2002 school year onwards.
A faculty member and researcher at the Department of Police Sciences and the Police Force, who is an external collaborator of the Roma Culture Department at the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, participated in three events with Dutch lecturers devoted to the training of police officers for working in the Roma environment.
Teachers-researchers at the Criminology Department of the Bratislava Police Force Academy participated in a seminar organised under the MATRA II project on “Improving the Relationships between Police – Public in the Slovak Republic – Minorities.” They also took part in a training course offered under the project in the Netherlands on 30 September – 12 October 2002. The objective of these events was to develop a trainers’ training project for building psychological and other necessary skills for police work among problem minorities. This endeavour resulted in the development of specific regional training courses for police officers coming into contact with problem groups of the Roma and the launching of extensive training and re-training of officers in this area.
Seminars were held in 2002 on police work among minorities whose participants included specialised Police Force investigators falling under the jurisdiction of the Bratislava, Banská Bystrica and Prešov Regional Offices of Judicial Police.
Matej Bel University
At the Faculty of Education of Matej Bel University (UMB), human rights are taught in the framework of common basic courses Political Science, General Pedagogics, and Theory of Education in teacher training programmes at all levels. This area is given special attention in the study programme of pedagogics and its specialised fields, namely in the courses on Philosophy of Education, Psychosocial Training, and Pedagogical Communication. The UMB Faculty of Education offers specialised innovation study on “Education against Prejudice and Education to Tolerance towards National Minorities” as optional course.
This area is also covered in other courses, especially at the humanities faculties.
Task:
The Ministry of Economy will continue implementing the “Programme of Training Educational Workers in Human Rights, Education to Tolerance, Prevention of Discrimination, Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Semitism and Other Expressions of Intolerance” through the Institute for Foreign Trade and Education in Bratislava. The Programme includes bachelor-level trai by the Ministry of Education in cooperation with and the Institute of Judaistic Studies at Comenius University in Bratislava for the teachers of Slovak language, history, civics, foreign languages:
* Holocaust in education, in the form of lectures and workshops (number of participants: 64)
6. Specialised qualification studies of instructors of vocational training at secondary vocational schools, lectures on the following topics (155 participants):
* Road to Emotional Maturity
* Prevention of Racism in the Context of Secondary Vocational Schools
* Training of Tolerance and Elimination of Prejudice in the Context of Educational Groups in Secondary Vocational Schools.
* Group Dynamics and Its Use in Anti-social Groups – Preventing Xenophobia
* Use of Social Psychology Methods in Multicultural Education
2,025 hours of lectures and problem-solving sessions for 2,260 participants.
TMC of the City of Bratislava
actions in the abovementioned fields were carried out in the form of lectures and subsequent discussions on the use of methods in such areas as:
1. Special pedagogics
Issues in question are taught in the framework of specialised qualification study – special pedagogics for educators – and specialisr further training on human rights with focus on the prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance are presented in the new concept of specialised training of members of the Corps at its Secondary School in Nitra. This year, human rights are taught within the curricula for basic specialised training in the Basic Law course consisting of 5 teaching units, 3 teaching units being devoted to issues related to the Roma national minority. In higher specialised training, human rights issues are covered by the “Basic Law” course of the same duration, with an added course on the Prison Systems and Prison Institutions Abroad (2 teaching units). Specialised training for prison guard covers human rights in the course on Specialised Training – the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (2 teaching units). Specialised training for commanders also includes such courses as Selected Legal Issues – Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (2 teaching units) and Romology (4 teaching units). Some of the topics related to the Roma community are taught by an external teacher from the Roma Culture Department of UKF in Nitra.
The General Directorate of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard, in cooperation with the Open Society Foundation and the Citizen and Democracy foundation, continued in 2002 to implement the “Weekend Training Programme for Members of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard“ which also includes instruction on the prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia and other expressions of intolerance in the prison context. The General Directorate issues relevant methodological materials under the title of “Pro-social Programmes”. A programme entitled “Multicultural and Anti-prejudice Education – Education to Tolerance and against Racism“ was published in June 2002.
In the framework of methodology instruction, the Section for Remand and Sentenced Prisoners runs a training course for lecturers in the human rights field in cooperation with the NGO sector, currently attended by 25 officers. A Methodology Manual was compiled on the use of specific forms and methods for dealing with prisoners belonging to the Roma national minority.
In 2003, the Corps of Prison and Court Guard continues delivering training programmes based on the offer of the NGO sector and on the curricula of its Secondary School in Nitra. It was not possible to conduct other activities because the Corps did not receive allocations it was to be disbursed under the Finance Ministry’s binding indicators of the 2002 state budget and, in particular, the Finance Ministry’s Notice No. 07/2001-44 of 9 January 2001.
Prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance is covered in individual courses taught by internalning of educational staff of secondary vocational schools and of practical training centres.
Implementation:
The Life-long Education Department at the Institute for Foreign Trade and Education (IZOV) Bratislava offers two types of studies for educational staff.
A training programme entitled “Minority Tolerance Programme” was organised in June and October 2002 by the Police Force Presidium in cooperation with Louisville University and U.S. Embassy in Bratislava for police departments falling under the jurisdiction of the Košice Regional Police Force Directorate.
2.2 Systematic training of teachers and teachers-to-be in the prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance.
Tasks:
The Ministry of Education will continue providing systematic training to teachers and teachers-to-be in the area of the prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance, in cooperation with relevant non-governmental organisations.
The Ministry of Education will continue to provide training in 2002 to secondary school teachers of history, civics and social sciences on the Holocaust under the draft “Liaison Project“. Its aim is to train selected secondary schools teachers who teach history and other subjects involving Holocaust-related topics. These teachers will act as multe
1. Supplementary pedagogical studies, 2-year duration, designed for instructors of vocational training and educators. This type of study is currently opened for instructors of vocational trainings to enable them to acquire pedagogical skills.
2. Bachelor study, 3-year duration, certificate – Bachelor of Vocational Training. This line of study is no longer opened (the 2nd and the 3rd years are still running).
Both forms of study are organised in cooperation with the Comenius University’s Faculty of Education, Technical University and Material and Technology Faculty in Trnava.
In both of them, the first year’s study includes a course on “ethical education” of 10 hours per semester; focusing on a “model of pro-social behaviour” with the subtopic of “human rights.”
With the entry into effect of Act No. 131/2002 Coll. on Higher Education amending and supplementing certain other laws as amended, the Institute was taken away the competence to open new bachelor-level courses with effect from 1 April 2002; it can only complete the running of courses that are already in progress. In view of the above, we consider the task set for the Ministry of Economy to be fulfilled.
2.3 Systematic training of judges, judicial candidates and members of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard in the prevention oational documents on prison institutions with regard to the treatment of prisoners (4 teaching units)
- Moral qualities of police officers in professional and private life. UN GA Resolution No. 34/169 “Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials“
- Organised crime, corruption (2 teaching units)
Penology:
- Situation of national minorities in Slovakia (2 teaching units)
- History and specific characteristics of Roma national minority (2 teaching units)
- Organised crime, corruption (2 teaching units)
Penology:
- Situation of national minorities in Slovakia (2 teaching units)
- Characteristics of the current political and cultural situation of Roma community in Slovakia (2 teaching units)
- Specific aspects of the treatment of sentenced persons belonging to the Roma national minority (2 teaching units)
be organised this year for prosecutor trainees. These seminars also include the protection of human rights with special focus on the punishment for racially motivated criminal offences. A seminar for prosecutors to be held in May will also cover protection from racial and other discrimination in the execution of sentences.
A seminar will be held in the fourth quarter of 2003 for prosecutors from district and regional prosecution offices responsible for supervising the prosecution of racially motivated criminal offences, with the participation of representatives of courts, the Police Force and NGOs. The seminar will deal with the application of criminal law instruments in the protection of human rights, with special focus on the punishment for acts of racism and other forms of discrimination, and on the protection of children.
Systematic training of prosecutors in the human rights area, and methodical guidance in the supervision of criminal proceedings involving racially motivated criminal offences, has resulted in an improved quality of supervision. In contrast to the past, legal qualification of racially motivated criminal offences is determined on the basis of all the provisions of the Criminal Code that cover the elements of the offence committed. Cooperation between prosecutors and NGOs, as well as police authorities specialised in this area of crime, has also intensified.
2.5 Systematic training of members of armed forces in the prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance.
Task:
To prevent discrimination, attention should be paid also to guaranteeing equal treatment to patients without difference of gender, race, colour, language, belief and religion, political or other affiliation, national or social origin, belonging to a nationality or ethnic group, property, family or any other status.
Implementation:
The Ministry of Health introduced the codes of ethics through the legislation concerning individual categories of healthcare workers, namely the laws on medical profession, pharmaceutical profession, and on the profession of nurses and midwives. In general, the codes lay down the moral obligation of healthcare workers to provide medical care based on the principle of equality without difference of gender, ethnic group, race, religion, culture, social status or political conviction. The laws on medical profession and on pharmaceutical profession took effect as from 1 May 2002 and the law on the profession of nurses and midwives as from 1 August 2002.
The issues in question were also addressed at the international conference organised by the Ministry in cooperation with the Healthcare Management School in
The above-referred topic was part of the required essays and model situations at the national round of the Human Rights Olympiad. (There were 15 of them, all dealing with this topic.)
A discussion on refugees with the UNHCR spokesperson, Mrs. Maria Cerna, took place within the national round of the Olympiad. The issues of refugees are also incorporated in the Action Plan.
3.2 Preparing and implementing the "Tolerance, Attitudes and Prejudices – Analogies and Differences” project designed for primary and secondary school pupils.
Task:
The Ministry of Education shall provide for the elaboration of this project. The project is expected to be drawn up by 31 December 2003.
· Within the framework of the subjects of civic, ethic and societal education more intensive attention is to be paid to the issues of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance as part of education in the spirit of the UN Decade for Human Rights Education. It is also recommended to deal with these issues within other subjects of study such as native language, foreign languages, history, geography, biology, etc. In their plans for cooperation with non-governmental organisations, schools and school facilities are to incorporate events dealing with the prevention of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance and consider the involvement of law enforcing agencies in such events, if possible. The processes of education, prevention and counselling are also to touch upon the issues of peace, tolerance and humanity within the framework of human rights. Preparing for the teaching process, teachers may also rely upon a teaching methodological document with the title “Tolerance – the Cornerstone of Peace” and “Human Rights”, “Tolerance” and “Experience-Based Education” publications.
· With regard to human rights education, primary and secondary schools are to participate in the UNESCO Associated School Project (ASP) aiming at networking and sharing information, experiences and knowledgo-tab-count: 1"> Coordinator: Slovak Ministry of Culture – Cultural Heritage Section
Deadline: 26 March 2002
Implementation:
Over the period of September 2002 to February 2003 the Ministry of Culture carried out the following cultural events:
1. The Second Roma Festival Ternipen, which took place in the town of Snina, on 5-7 September 2002, also known as the Festival of Tolerance. On that occasion the town of Snina was proclaimed the first town of tolerance.
2. The Fabry Days – an international symposium and conference on co-existence, which took place in the city of Košice, on 24-27 October 2002. The event was hosted by the local committee of Csemadok in Košice.
3. The 12th Festival of Spiritual Song in the town of Snina on 10 November 2002 attended by local and foreign choirs of various religions.
4. The 30th Festival of Folk Song Performers – Makovicka Struna (The Makovice String) – in the town of Bardejov on 30 November 2002 was hosted by the Union of the Ruthenians - Ukrainians in Slovakia.
The evaluation of the National Exhibition in the Auschwitz concentration camp (open in the first half of 2002| and preparations for the Holocaust Museum in the city of Nitra:
1. The Slovak National Uprising Museum collected, preserved, scientifically and technically processed, used and made available by various means of presentation material objects and documents relating to the history of the Slovak society over the period of 1938 to 1945 focusing on the documentation of anti-fascist national liberation movement and the Slovak national uprising as part of the European anti-fascist resistance during the WWII. In addition, the Museum continues to make efforts to document the post-war court trials, rehabilitation of those who were involved in the uprising as well as the current manifestations of neo-facism and racial intolerance.
The permanent Slovak National Exhibition in the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (Oswiecim, Poland) was open to public on 8 May 2002 and visited by almost 47 visitors by the end of the year. The Museum has plans to establish a documentation centre for the permanent exhibition.
The second, reviewed edition of a non-periodical proceedings with the title “Tragédia slovenských Židov” (“The Tragedy of the Slovak Jews”) was prepared in the second half of 2002 and the English language version was in cooperation with the Auschwitz –Birkenau State Museum.
Issues related to the prevention of discrimination and, in particular, of racism are taken up in a number of training projects for teachers, such as the School Management Training, Specialised Professional Study, Specialised Innovation Study, Practical Introduction to Teaching for Beginning Teachers, etc. The tasks aimed at combating racial discrimination and crime are carried out, in terms of quantity and quality, at different levels by organisations centrally managed by the Ministry of Education, providing systematic training to teachers in the following forms:
1. Further training of teachers of civics and ethical education the topics of further training include, inter alia:
- Tolerance
- Danger presented by any kind of intolerance
- Respect for otherness (methodology training)
Marking the 60th anniversary of the beginning of deportations of the Slovak Jews to the concentration camps based in the occupied Poland, the Museum prepared a series of documentary films dealing with this topic, including speeches and discussions with the historians of the SNP Museum, the former prisoners of concentration camps, etc. The Holocaust and Religion art exhibition was another interesting event commemorating the 60th anniversary of the completion of the first wave of deportations of the Slovak Jews to the Nazi concentration camp. The contemporary painting and visual expressions of the teachers of the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica were complemented by portraits by Yuri Dojc and presented a counterweight to the artistic manifestation of Jozef Berger, a concentration camp survivor.
2. The Slovak National Museum – the Jewish Culture Museum has contributed to the establishment of the Holocaust Museum in the Nitra synagogue. This museum will display theme-based exhibitions (discrimination, xenophobia, racism, Roma issue, anti-Semitism, the Holocaust, etc.). The Holocaust exhibition is the first comprehensive exhibition offering detailed documentation of this part of Slovak history. The extensive pool of objects and documents is to be processed in the electronic form and available for study. It will be made available to public in the documentation centre, which also includes a reading room and a video library. It is expected to be mainly used by schools. The National exhibition was prepared in time, as required.
5. Intensifying the fight against extremism and making criminal justice authorities more efficient in the fields of the detection, establishment of evidence and punishment of crimes motivated by racial or other intolerance.
5.1 Hosting a seminar with international participation focuses on the detection, discovery and explanation and documentation of crimes motivated by racial, ethnic or other form of intolerance, or committed by members or supporters of extremist groups.
Task:
In an effort to improve the situation in the area of the detection, clarification and documentation of crimes motivated by racial, ethnic and other forms of intolerance, or committed by members or supporters of extremist groups, the Police Force will continue to organise training seminars on these and other related issues.
Implementation:
Fighting against extremism, the Violent Crime Department reporting to the Criminal and Financial Police Administration of the Police Force Presidium has plans to organise an international seminar focusing on the detection, clarification and documentation of crimes motivated by racial, ethnic or other form of intolerance, or committed by members or supporters of extremist groups. Such three-day seminar is to take place in September or October 2003 and to be attended by Police Force specialists in the field of the fight against extremism, prosecution and judiciary as well as experts from the Czech Republic and Germany. The seminar is to take place in the recreational and training facility of the Slovak Prosecution based in the town of Krpacovo. It is expected to be attended by 80 participants.
5.2 Organising training seminars on the "Methodology for Detecting, Clarifying and Documenting Crimes Motivated by Racial and Other Intolerance, or Crimes Committed by Members or Supporters of Extremist Groups", developed and published by the Police Force in 2001 and distributed to the relevant Police Force units and departments.
Implementation
Training concerning the Methodology was provided by Police Force staff specialising in extremism at the regional level to policemen working in district units.
Task:
In the light of increasing racial violence in Slovakia and of the growth of movements leading to the suppression of the rights and freedoms of citizens, measures must be taken to eliminate such negative phenomena. It is necessary to make the monitoring and prosecution of such criminal offences and infractions with racial or other extremist motivation more efficient, adopt measures against abuses of the Internet for disseminating extremist materials, measures against the support for and propagation of movements leading to the suppression of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and other similar measures.
Implementation:
Over the period of September 2002 to February 2003 several grave crimes bearing extremist elements were documented and a series of active measures aimed to deal with movements suppressing human rights and fundamental freedoms were adopted. During the period of August-December 2002, each regional directorate of the Slovak Police Force carried out preventive operations designed to ensure public order and eliminate the manifestations of extremism.
The Police Force considers the following the most serious case bearing extremist elements, which occurred during the reported period:
Under the Order of the Police Force President No. 58/2002, a preventive-and-security operation was carried out in the municipality of Svrcinovec, the district of Cadca, on 2 November 2002 in order to secure public order and eliminate the manifestations of extremism during a gathering of skinheads and their supporters.
During the operation 101 persons were checked, of whom 28 were Czech nationals and 2 Polish nationals. In addition, 5 motor vehicles were checked. 24 persons were brought before the Police Force District Directorate in the town of Cadca. The Police Force made 10 charges for expressing support to fascism under Section 261 of the Criminal Act. These accused persons expressed their support for fascism which constitutes facts of the above-referred crime. An investigator of the Cadca Police Force unit commenced criminal prosecution of F.J. of Svrcinovec, who organised the gathering. F.J. was prosecuted for allegedly committing the crime of support for and promotion of a movement leading to the suppression of the rights and freedoms of citizens under Section 260, Subsections 1 and 2, Paragraph a of the Criminal Act with a sentencing rage of 3 to 8 years of imprisonment. The house of the accused F.J. was searched and a bigger quantity of various materials (T-shirts, printed materials, flags, CDs) promoting racial intolerance and an illegal small fire arm were found. During the operation, a PC used by F.J. to play music and moderate the gathering was seized at the venue of the gathering. The PC is being checked by police experts. F.J. is prosecuted in custody.
Task:
A Commission designed to deal with the problem of racially motivated violence was established under the Order of the Minister of the Interior No. 61 of 2001. It is vested with a range of responsibilities and deals with various issues such as the responses of the Police to hard-line racism, the Interior Ministry's policy on the suppression of extremism, the investigation of the existing cases, etc. The Commission, whose members include representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, Police Force, public prosecution, relevant NGOs, convenes quarterly.
Implementation:
Over the reported period the Commission met twice to address the issues of racially motivated violence. On 25-29 November 2002 the Commission (including its NGO representatives) travelled for the second time to the regions of Košice and Prešov to monitor the conditions in the field of racially motivated violence, intolerance and xenophobia. A corresponding report was drawn up and submitted to the Minister of the Interior.
The project is funded by UNICEF.
Implementation:
During the period of February – April 2002, the State Health Institute working with the InfoRoma Foundation and the Secretariat of the Plenipotentiary for Roma communities collected information on the health of children and women from low-income families. Information was gathered by means of a questionnaire applied to a representative sample of 2,961 households in all 79 districts in the country. The information collected was processed and presented through a report on the health of children and women living in poor communities in Slovakia published in autumn 2002.
6.1.3 Co-operating with the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR):
Task:
The purpose of this campaign is to influence general public opinion on Roma and use media to overcome stereotypes in the attitudes of both sides. The campaign was implemented during the period of October 2001 to April 2002.
Target groups: public, media, state administration and local governments.
The media campaign consists of:
1. Analysis of output materials, contribution to the review of such materials and production of new materials
Target groups: O Office of the Government, press departments of line ministries, National Council of the Slovak Republic, President's Chancellery, regional authorities, Association of Towns and Villages of Slovakia, Union of Towns of Slovakia
Partners: human rights NGOs, lawyers, terminology experts
Target group: media
Partners: monitoring institutions and organisations, human rights NGOs, lawyers, terminology experts
Activities: media analysis and meetings with managers
6. Workshops designed for journalists writing about Roma
Target groups: journalists dealing with Roma issues – from the national down to the local levels
Partners: monitoring institutions and organisations, human rights NGOs, lawyers, terminology experts
Activities: workshops
Funding: World Bank grant
Implementation:
The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family is vested with the above-referred responsibility under Section 66, paragraphs c) and h) of Social Assistance Act No. 195/1998 as amended. Implementation deadline: continuously.
Implementation:
According to the specified schedule, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family checked the activities and performance of the regional and district offices of state administration. The control exercise focused on the regions with a higher concentration of Roma population was carried out jointly with a state supervision exercise in social service institutions and facilities.
Bearing in mind the success of the Minority Tolerance Programme (see the above item 9.1), the Slovak Government decided to support the Minority Film Festival. The Festival aims to illustrate the life of minorities, their traditions and coexistence with the majority population. The Festival is to take place in summer 2003 and will be run by Barok Film company.
In addition to the adoption of the Anti-Discrimination Act, the Government is also aware of the need to run an information campaign to inform public about the purpose and scope of the law, using the means of abribus, spot broadcasting in Slovak Television and/or discussion programmes. The campaign is to be run during the discussion on the draft law in the Government and/or Parliament. Currently, preparations are being made to launch the campaign.
• Football against Racism
The „Football Against Racism“ match took place in the Pasienky hall in Bratislava in November 2002 as one of the events designed to enhance tolerance in the society. The match was organised by Pontis Foundation and the Slovak Football Federation. The event organised under the auspices of the Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs was moderated by Nikita Slovak.
The event included a match between the teams of celebrities, a fashion show of Angolan national costumes presented by Angolan students, a Jewish dance performance and performances by several popular music bands. The event was advertised in several programmes of the private TV Markiza, public Slovak TV, private radio stations O.K., Twist and Expres.
- Laws punishing racial discrimination (a lawyer)
In addition to presentations by specialists, teachers also learn to use various methods involving experiential forms of learning and games, so as to naturally lead the children towards the educational objective, i.e. understanding that otherness is enriching and is a source of learning.
2. Cooperation with non-governmental organisations
Teachers have and many of them actually use the opportunity to choose from an offer of non-governmental organisations and foundations. Thus, Methodology and Education Centres cooperate mainly with the Milan Šimečka Foundation, the Citizen and Democracy foundation, and others. Teachers particularly appreciate access to relevant literature and materials on methodology.
3. Active participation in conferences and publication of papers on relevant issues in volumes of proceedings
4. Seminars for district methodologists for civics and ethical education, which have a relevant agenda and provide methodology materials, including for teachers working with Roma pupils, for coordinators preventing addictions and other socio-pathological
phenomena at schools (education to tolerance, education against prejudice). Educational workers who take part in these seminars greatly appreciate their high professional level and the opportunity to obtain methodological materials they can subsequently use in their work with pupils.
5. Pedagogical creativity of teachers
6.2. Specificities of education of Roma pupils
· Suggestions and methods for providing learning support to Roma pupils (number of participants: 21)
3. Creating positive teacher-pupil relationship in education
· Building cooperation skills with a view to enhancing pupils’ activity, their freedom and responsibility in the process of learning (number of participants: 28)
4. Prevention of bullying children and young people at school.
· Improving the competence of the teachers of civics for the prevention of bullying at schools (number of participants: 82)
5. Pro-social action of teachers in dealing with stress situations in the school system
· Building pro-social skills for dealing with stress situations in the school environment (number of participants: 36)
6. Integration of children with special educational needs
· Building the competence for successful integration of children with different special educational needs to schools and educational establishments (number of participants: 40)
TMC Tomášikova 4, Bratislava:
1. In-service training:
* 1st level primary schools and school clubs – “Learning by Playing” for school clubs on the following topics: principles of tolerance, cooperation (20 participants)
* Pro-social education in school clubs on the following topics: acceptance of others, empathy, human dignity, positive attitude to others (75 participants)
* In the framework of in-service training of teachers of civics on the following topics: tolerance, combating intolerance, racism and xenophobia (60 participants)
* Human Rights Olympiad – human rights, rights of children (24 participants)
* Law for everyone, on the following topics: citizens and their rights, criminal law, civil law, family law, labour law, democracy for all (125 participants)
* In the framework of special pedagogics and pedagogical therapy, on the following topics: integration of handicapped children into elementary schools, prejudice and discrimination, tolerance (30 participants)
* In the framework of preschool education, a project of 60 hours: “I Like Me, I Like You” – for primary prevention of social pathology phenomena in the society (120 participants); Roma Health project – topics: prejudice and discrimination, specific characteristics of Roma ethnicity, getting to know the child’s personality, integration of opportunities and prerequisites, compensation education and stimulation programmes (80 participants)
2. Specialised innovation studies
· The following topics were dealt with at courses for drug addiction coordinators: Road to Emotional Maturity, Group Dynamics and its use in anti-social groups and subsequent workshops organised for working with children with behavioural disorders (120 participants)
3. Training of teachers of church schools, religious education and ethical education
* In the framework of specialised qualification studies in Ethical Education, topics: New Trends in Ethical Education, Building Social Empathy, Accepting Others, Human Dignity, Positive Attitude to Others (270 participants)
* In the framework of in-service training on Humanisation of Education (33 participants)
* In the framework of training school management staff, topics: School Management, Human Rights, Rights of the Child and Teacher’s Charter, humanisation of school, humanisation of education (185 participants)
* In the framework of specialised innovation studies: Educational Counsellor according to an in-service training project, humanisation of school (138 participants)
4. Training of school managers on School Management
* Module –Education in the Spirit of Humanity, Democracy and Human Rights
o humanisation of education,
o declaration of human rights, rights of the child, teacher’s charter,
o democratisation of the school system, autonomy of schools,
o style of education as a means of humanisation,
(389 participants )
* In the framework of training managerial staff of kindergartens in the districts of Hlohovec, Nové Zámky, Komárno, Nitra, social and psychological instruction is offered on such topics as empathy, tolerance (dealing with manifestations of intolerance, racism, anti-Semitism), communication, etc. (number of training participants in individual districts: Hlohovec – 32, Nové Zámky – 43, Komárno – 25, Nitra – 67)
5. The project on Training Secondary School Teachers for Teaching about Holocaust
organiseded qualification study for educators in school clubs, and in the criminal law unit of in-service training on “Law for Every Day”
2. 1st level – primary schools:
Lectures: Games for developing value potential
Education to tolerance – Human rights
In-service training on Ethical Education at the 1st level includes activities aimed at education to tolerance, including racial tolerance, and education on the rights of the child.
Specialised qualification study – Ethical education –
Lectures: Interpersonal and social empathy
Handling aggressive behaviour and conflict resolution
Pro-social behaviour
All lectures are followed by experiential learning activities, which are considered to be essential for effective teaching at all types of schools.
TMC Prešov
· Lectures and seminars were organised in the relevant period in five districts for primary school teachers; one seminar was held for teachers of grammar schools (gymnasia), secondary vocational schools and secondary specialised schools. One seminar was held in the framework of School Management Training for headmasters of primary schools in the Michalovce district.
· The methodologist for civic education cooperates with the Milan Šimečka Foundation, which presented its activities to teachers and methodologists from the region of Eastern Slovakia. The Foundation focuses on education towards respecting human rights and the rights of the child. TMC Prešov continues organising seminars on the rights of the child, using the material supplied by the Milan Šimečka Foundation, “The First Steps”.
· Another event was organised in September on the Holocaust for 50 teachers of primary and secondary schools. Teachers’ methodological knowledge was greatly enhanced by excellent presentations of Dr. Nižňanský and Dr. Kamenec and by the training in methodology. The training included taped testimonies of Holocaust victims. Mgr. Viera Hoffmanová, methodologist from TMC Prešov, brought teaching aids for history and civics from a training course in Israel (Yad Vashem). Holocaust was also dealt with at a seminar held on 11 February 2003, which included the sharing of experience by participants of a study stay at Yad Vashem.
· Seminar on displaced persons and refugees and relevant laws of the Slovak Republic for teachers from the region of Eastern Slovakia. The event was held in cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Slovakia.
· Close cooperation with teachers of civics and ethical education in the districts of Eastern Slovakia. A training seminar was held in each of these districts on the prevention of expressions of intolerance, the skinhead movement, the need to respect the law, and the protection of human rights and the rights of the child. To date, a total of 200 educational workers took part in these seminars.
The tasks set out for 2002 and 2003 in the plan of the National Institute for Education include prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance. The objective of these tasks is to implement, in the framework of multiethnic education, subprojects on education and training of minorities, Roma and migrants, including the testing of specialised education and training methods, testing of projects in further training of teachers, coordination and documentation activities, and cooperation with partners abroad under international projects and bilateral cooperation agreements.
They include, e.g., a project of the SOCRATES COMENIUS 2 programme – Training of and Support for Teachers in Culturally and Ethnically Diverse Areas – involving Spain, Portugal, France and Slovakia. The programme includes discussions about education and instruction of children from different ethnic communities, and about didactic and methodological innovations in teaching. The project was concluded by an international seminar held in Madrid on 15 – 16 November 2002; Slovakia was represented by 9 participants.
Outputs:
· Technical documentation focused on culturally differentiated approach (information about Roma culture, model teaching units, characteristics of socio-cultural situation, information about methodological strategies used in the differentiated approach, possibilities of school organisations, instruments, didactic materials and institutions supporting the teachers)
· Forms of curricula development
· Report from an international seminar
· Proceedings from the seminar
· Website of participating countries
Measures aimed at training future teachers in the prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance fall under the competence of relevant higher education institutions. The Ministry of Education – Higher Education Section – addressed a letter to teacher-training faculties and faculties with humanities orientation requesting information on the above issues. The supplied information indicates that these issues are included in the curricula of selected courses. This area is given particular attention at teacher-training faculties, where human rights and education to human rights are directly incorporated into the curricula of social science and humanity courses, and are included in the target profile of their graduates. This area is given special attention in the training of students who are likely to work in ethnically mixed regions and regions with increased proportions of pupils belonging to the Roma national minority, so as to teach them to cope with potential problems.
Moreover, institutions of higher education organised a variety of conferences, seminars, research projects, scientific and educational projects on relevant issues. These issues are also taken up as topics of various diploma theses.
Overview of selected actions carried out at individual faculties:
Comenius University in Bratislava
A UNESCO Centre for Education to Human Rights is working within the University since 1992. Common basic courses for all students include a lecture on the origin and significance of human rights. This lecture is one of those that are delivered at the university-wide level. Human rights are included into the study programme of political science students. These students may specialise in human rights starting from the 3rd year of their university studies. This course is also a part of state examination. Several university students wrote and successfully defended their diploma theses on human rights issues.
At its Faculty of Education, human rights issues are integrated into the curricula of all courses so as to ensure that future teachers be ready to tackle the related problems. The Faculty of Education also runs an international project on Intercultural Education; several publications were issued on this topic.
Several research projects carried out within the Faculty of Philosophy in the September 2002 – February 2003 period resulted in various outputs (diploma theses, dissertations, grant projects). A number of study materials were published, such as Education against Prejudice, designed for the students of the Faculty of Education, a paper on Multiculturalism, Interculturalism, Transculturalism, etc.
A research project on Intolerance was launched in 2003.
Prešov University
At the Faculty of Philosophy, human f all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance.
Tasks:
The Ministry of Justice will continue providing systematic training to judges and judicial candidates in the area of the prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance in keeping with the programme of training of judges and judicial candidates. The current situation makes it necessary to devote attention in the training of judicial candidates and judges also to the issue of the qualification of racially motivated crimes.
The Ministry of Justice, working in close conjunction with the Corps of Prison and Court Guard (the “Corps” hereinafter) will continue providing systematic training to the members of the Corps in the form of interactive training focusing on inter-cultural education, human rights and prevention of all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of intolerance, and on the implementation of pro-social programmes in the institutions for remand prisoners and those for sentenced prisoners.
Implementation:
In 2002 and 2003, its Sectoral Resources Development Department organised several training events in the area in question on such topics as: discrimination, racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism in the light of international and Slovak law, racially motivated criminal offences and relevant provisions of the Criminal Code, personal liberty and the possibility of its restriction in connection with combating the spreading of racism, xenophobia and intolerance, implementation of measures in the framework of the fight against extremism and activities of the Police Force in the field of detection of criminal activities motivated by racial and other intolerance, practical experience with handling the agenda of racially motivated criminal offences, etc. In view of the fact that between September 2002 and February 2003 it was necessary to organise training events for judges and judicial candidates concerning the adoption of amendments to key legislative instruments such as the Code of Civil Procedure, the Civil Code, the Commercial Code, the Criminal Code, the Execution (Distraint) Code, and due to time limitation and capacity constraints of the Justice Ministry’s Institute of Education, it was not possible to secure the fulfilment of tasks foreseen in the Action Plan for the relevant period. The Ministry of Justice plans to continue organising training events for the above target groups in the second half of 2003.
In the framework of in-progress evaluation of the Action Plan, the Corps of Prison and Court Guard has submitted the following information:
The provisions for systematic training of members of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard in the framework of thei and external instructors – JUDr. Gálik and, as regards the Roma, PhDr. René Lužica, assistant professor at the Department of Roma Culture of UKF in Nitra and at the Trnava University. He is also a member of the Presidium of the Helsinki Committee in the Slovak Republic and of the citizens’ association People in Peril.
A/ In the framework of individual courses:
Basic specialised training