A/HRC/22/51
which can best be achieved through direct consultation with representatives of the
relevant communities.
81.
States should support the development of community media which may help
improve communication between members of a religious or belief minority within the
country and/or across State borders. Such media can also enhance the prospects for
minorities to effectively participate in general public debates within the society at
large.
82.
Public media should open up for persons belonging to religious or belief
minorities, who should be able to take an active role within media catering for the
society at large. Depending on the situation, this may require structural reforms
within public media and outreach activities towards religious or belief minorities.
Furthermore, a public policy framework for pluralism and equality should ensure an
equitable allocation of resources, including broadcasting frequencies, among public
service, commercial and community media, so that together they represent the full
range of cultures, communities and opinions in society. In this context, the Special
Rapporteur recommends the implementation of the Camden Principles on Freedom of
Expression and Equality.48
83.
Public and private media should provide fair and accurate information about
religious or belief minorities and their members, with a view to overcoming negative
stereotypes and prejudices. Self-regulation mechanisms within the media can play an
important role in this regard.
84.
Whenever appropriate, States should establish truth and reconciliation
commissions which can play an important role in the attempt to better come to terms
with a complicated history, to overcome historical traumas and to dispel national
myths that may have negative effects on the situation of religious or belief minorities.
85.
States should develop awareness-raising programmes to inform the population
at large about the situation of members of religious or belief minorities as well as their
human rights. Such programmes could be established in cooperation with civil society
actors and representatives of various communities.
86.
International human rights organizations should raise awareness about the
complicated situation of persons belonging to religious or belief minorities in different
parts of the world. This should also be a part of their regular monitoring activities.
87.
In consultation with religious and belief communities, States should encourage,
promote and facilitate interreligious communication. When taking place under
appropriate conditions of equal footing and sustainability, interreligious communication,
including at the grassroots level, is one of the most important means to enhance mutual
understanding and dispel negative stereotypes which are the root causes of hatred,
discrimination and violence. State initiatives in this regard should generally be open to
minorities, including small groups which are often ignored in such projects.
88.
States should establish a policy of public symbolic actions by which to send a
clear message that religious or belief minorities are part of the larger society. An
example of such symbolic presence is the participation of political representatives in
ceremonies held by minorities, for instance funerals when victims of violence are
publicly mourned.
48
www.article19.org/resources.php/resource/1214/en/camden-principles-on-freedom-of-expressionand-equality.
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