Albania
Monthly Monitoring Highlights October: Ethnic division and sexism alongside unprofessional media reporting in the Western Balkans
During October, the RDN monitoring team detected a range of hateful narratives and discourse fuelled by ethnic discrimination, anti-LGBTIQ+ rhetoric, sexism and unprofessional media reporting. Sexism in Kosovo and Montenegro In Kosovo, a debate was held on TV7+ – a popular television channel in Albania and Kosovo – which focused on the topic of family …
Monthly Monitoring Highlights September: Ethnic and religious divisions alongside sexism in the Western Balkans
During September, the RDN monitoring team detected a range of hateful narratives and discourse fueled by religious and ethnic discrimination and sexism. Religious discrimination in Montenegro On the 4th of September, portal Borba published an article from the unregistered portal Srpska 24, titled ‘Concert for Nermin – Islamization of Podgorica’, in which ethnic and national …
TROLL OF THE MONTH: Prime Minister Edi Rama in Albania
The Balkan Troll of the Month is an individual, a group of individuals or a media outlet that spreads hate based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or other diversity categories. The Balkan Troll is selected based on hate speech incidents identified across the Western Balkans region. Prime Minister Edi Rama was questioned during a parliamentary session …
Monthly Monitoring Highlights August: Ethnic and religious divisions, attacks against the media, journalists, and activists
During August, the RDN monitoring team detected a range of hateful narratives and discourse. This month, we’ve witnessed hate fueled by ethnic and religious divisions, coupled with targeted attacks against the media, journalists, and activists. Ethnic hate in North Macedonia and Albania This month in North Macedonia, social media users called for the boycotting of …
Monthly Monitoring Highlights July: Relativisation of obstetric violence, sexism and ethnic tensions
Throughout July, the RDN monitoring team has detected a range of hateful narratives and discourse. This month, we have seen the dangerous revitalisation of obstetric violence alongside hatred based on ethnicity and gender as well as hatred against journalists. Revitalisation of obstetric violence in Serbia In the morning show on TV Prva the Minister for …
The Paris Olympics, Supreme Sportsmanship, or Hatred and Insults?
In a better world, Imane Khelif’s success would be celebrated. Throughout history, women have had a lot to prove. Today, they are put positions where they must prove that they are physiologically women. Some arenas would go as far as excluding them from public spaces, just as in the early days of the Olympics, when …
2024 Olympics: The Hijab Ban for French Athletes Tests the Host Nation’s Brand of Secularism
The French government’s decision to ban French athletes from wearing hijabs at the 2024 Olympics sparked months of criticism from rights groups. France has chosen to maintain the ban, adhering to a strict interpretation of “laïcité,” viewing French athletes as “public servants” subject to national secularism laws. On International Women’s Day, the International Olympic Committee …
Monthly Monitoring Highlights June: Telegram groups, sexism and homophobia
Throughout June, the RDN monitoring team has detected a range of hateful narratives and discourse. This month, we have seen hatred based on gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity as well as an incident of image based sexual abuse and genocide denial. Image based sexual abuse in Serbia In Serbia, the feminist organisation OsnaŽene (Empowered women) from …
ARE KOSOVO AND SERBIA IN A COLD WAR?
THE WAR-MONGERING AND VICTIM NARRATIVES LEAVE KOSOVO AND SERBIA BEHIND. The 25th anniversary of the end of NATO’s bombing campaign against Serbian military, police and paramilitary forces, which marked the end of the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo, is approaching. Today, it seems that the citizens of Kosovo are experiencing a cold war with Serbia. The …