Skopje, 22 September 2022 (MIA) – I am deeply convinced that the cooperation and joint action of all social actors is key in the fight against discriminatory content on the internet, but also in public life in general. The prevention of discriminatory speech, which seriously threatens the basic foundations of any society striving for inclusivity, must become a national priority, said President Stevo Pendarovski at the “The Discriminatory Speech of Digital Media – Situation and Challenges” public discussion, on Thursday. It is key, according to the President, that all who hide behind the comfort of their keyboard be aware that they are responsible for the things they say or write. “Communication must not be reduced mainly to negative energy as it is now, frustrations, personal attack, discriminatory speech and hate speech. Prevention is key for this. We should not allow discriminatory speech to turn into hate speech and thereby undermine the foundations of a society which should be based on respectful communication and argumentative debate,” underscored the President. Pendarovski added that we have to bring back decency to our communication in the home, at the workplace, in public and on social media, i.e., to weigh our words. “I too, as a politician, have at times been exposed to discreditation attempts. It is necessary that the civil sector is involved as a representative of the wider public. The system of sanctions, laws and fines is not enough as long as we do not work towards the creation of a positive atmosphere in order to prevent these negative phenomena. I want to believe that we are still in a phase during which we can turn to prevention instead of a cure, so I appeal that we thoroughly tackle this complex issue, without delay,” said Pendarovski. Our joint goal, he said, is to decontaminate the digital space, but also the public space and our everyday life in general, from this discriminatory rhetoric. “With joint effort by all relevant social actors and by bringing together all our knowledge and experience we can contribute to that end,” concluded Pendarovski. The aim of the discussion is the exchange of thoughts and ideas in the direction of creating an initial platform and plan for activities on dealing with discriminatory speech or other negative phenomena on the internet. The public debate is backed by President Pendarovski and organized by the Commission on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination and the Institute for Good Governance and Euro Atlantic Perspective.