CoE in Georgia findings: 36% Think Diversity is Negative, Threatens Traditions
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, November 19
The Council of Europe in Georgia presented the findings of the study on Friday “Hate Crime, Hate Speech, and Discrimination in Georgia: Attitudes and Awareness,” which reveals that 56% of society think diversity is good for the country, while 36% don’t approve of it, saying it “threatens our culture and traditions”.
The study was released for the International Day of Tolerance.
“In general, attitudes are more positive towards people with disabilities than any other minority group.
“Attitudes towards religious minorities, migrants from countries outside Europe, and LGBT people are generally more negative,” the study says.
The study reports that every third person in Georgia thinks that hate crime is a problem, while every second person thinks hate speech is.
“People think LGBT people are the most common victims of hate crime and hate speech. The next most common group was the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and migrants from outside Europe,” the survey revealed.
CoE in Georgia says that in general, people are moderately informed about the Georgian legislation against discrimination, hate crime, and hate speech.
“23 percent of the population reported they were aware of the Law on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination. 23 percent think there are additional criminal penalties in Georgia for committing a crime that was motivated by the fact that the victim was a minority, while 41 percent think that there is no additional criminal penalty,” the study reports.
The study reflects data collected through a nationally representative survey, in-depth interviews and focus groups from June 2018 to September 2018.
The study was conducted by CRRC Georgia for the Cooperation Project “Fight against Discrimination, Hate Crimes and Hate Speech in Georgia”.
