Announcing Hate Crime Data of 2018, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) urges countries to implement hate crime legislation that has existed on their law books for many years. “Legislation that remains without any practical application is of no more value than the paper it’s printed on,” said ODIHR Director Ingibjörg Sólrún…
Article 2.20 part 1 of the Civil Code of Lithuania establishes that every person has the right to a name. Also, it includes the right to have a surname, first name (s) and a pseudonym. However, the existing legal framework is not sufficient to meet the rights and needs of the individuals. This conclusion was…
European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR) has launched a new youth programme “Better Together: Increasing the Social Inclusion of Lithuanian Youth through Human Rights Education”. The project is funded by the Vilnius City Municipality and is implemented in cooperation with two partner organisations – International Youth Cooperation Agency (JTBA) and Youth For Understanding (YFU) Lithuania.…
On 10th November 2019, representatives of the European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR) met with students of the University of the Third Age. The meeting was carried out as a part of the activities of the House of Polish Culture in Vilnius. The meeting with seniors was visited by Evelina Dobrovolska – a distinguished lawyer…
On 30th October, Marta Bednarczyk, who joined European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR) under the Erasmus + program, and Ágnes Kárpáti, Michela Plavan, who came to Lithuania to volunteer under the European Solidarity Corps program, visited the MO Museum‘s exhibition “The Origin of Species: 1990s DNA“. Girls joked that for some the exhibition was a…
How can football be a tool in a fight against discrimination, intolerance of prejudice? How can art be a mean of portraying it? What is FARE and who are Football People? Join us during the award ceremony of ‘The Art of Football’ to find out! Our art competition for school pupils is coming to an…
The site of Vilnius Jewish Šnipiškės Old Cemetery, located on Rinktinės Street, is included in the Lithuanian Register of Cultural Heritage. It has also been declared (since 2014) by the Minister of Culture a protected site that is to be used for raising awareness and encouraging understanding and respect. The Cultural Heritage Register indicates that…
On 14th October 2019, Vilnius Regional Court dismissed E. Lukašavičius’ appeal in a case of violence against an Ecuadorian national, Fabian Sanchez. Earlier this year, E. Lukašavičius and J. Malinovski were found guilty of causing public nuisance and inciting hatred towards a person of other nationality after they physically attacked Mr Sanchez. During the act…
Although football is not the most popular sport in Lithuania, it undoubtedly raises many positive emotions among both players and supporters. We believe that sport and art have the power to unite people, regardless of race, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Therefore, we invite you to take part in the art competition entitled…
On 3rd September, the European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR) marked its presence at the International Fair during Orientation Week Autumn 2019 held by the European Student Network (ESN) at the Vilnius University. In a full hall of students, the vivid international community shared snacks and drinks from their countries to introduce their cultures to…
The discussion festival “Būtent” (English: “Exactly”) held in Vytautas Park, Birštonas on 6th-7th September 2019 is a free discussion event for people who seek not only entertainment but also content. This year, the festival will hold over 100 different events with more than 300 presenters from business, academic, political, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and cultural sectors.…
On 24th of August, the 4th edition of Kaunas’ festival of ideas Freedom Picnic (Lithuanian: Laisvės piknikas) invited many known Lithuanian politicians, leaders, journalists, economists and celebrities to participate in an open debate, answer the public’s most pressing questions, and encourage visitors to generate ideas through inspiring workshops. Participants of the Freedom Picnic had an…
Originally from Brazil, Thays has recently found her new place in Portugal, where she’s pursuing an undergraduate degree in International Relations. As a child, she always liked to read books about other countries, and she has been curious to explore the world ever since. Having volunteered at the Portuguese Platform for Women’s Rights and passionate…
Last week, the Seimas registered a draft law that would allow for the abolition of fines imposed on persons that have acquired foreign citizenship but failed to notify the Lithuanian State. According to Aušrinė Armonaitė, the author of the project, such fines are an excessive measure and do not encourage Lithuania to have a wide…
On 24th August, the biggest summer festival of ideas “Laisvės piknikas” (English: “Freedom picnic”) will take place for the fourth time. The organisers claim that everyone will find something they like: there will be a place for discussions, entertainment and sports zones, game areas, appearances and presentations of businesses and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well…
On 25th July, the European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR) visited the Centre for Civil Education in Vilnius. Two trainees – Aiden Tamasauskas from Canada, and Marta Bednarczyk from Poland – were accompanied and guided through the centre by the EFHR Lawyer and Project Coordinator, Monika Guliakaitė. As a part of its apprentice programme, EFHR…
Aisen was born in the coldest region of Siberia, Russia. He is a journalist and a lawyer. He is currently pursuing a PhD at The University of Gdańsk in Poland. So far, his work has been in media and human rights. From 13 years of age Aisen started to write articles in local newspapers in…
Karolina Antos is a 4th year student at the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy of Moscow State Institute of International Relations with a specialization in international relations and energy diplomacy. Karolina is originally from Cracow but has spent the last 3 years in Moscow, where she gained an interest in political science, human rights and…
At the initiative of the “Būtent!” (“Makes sense!”) discussion festival we are meeting on July 4 in Kaunas, where the European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR) is organising a discussion “Polish people in Lithuania: language-ignorant Polacks?”. According to the population census of 2011, there were only 0.36 % of Poles in Kaunas. Nevertheless, they are…
Marta is a Polish-born youth worker, facilitator, and trainer. She moved to Vilnius from Riga, where she initially began to explore life in the Baltic states. Marta has recently graduated from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań obtaining a master’s degree in security studies. Additionally, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Finno-Ugric philology. Combining these two…