HUMAN FORUM has taken place for the seventh time in Banska Bystrica. This year’s topic has been the equality

The international discussion forum on human rights HUMAN FORUM – Democracy in danger? will take place for the seventh consecutive years on 25th and 26th November 2020. The event will take place under the patronage of the Slovak president Zuzana Čaputová, the public defender of rights Mária Patakyová, the president of the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region Ján Lunter, city mayor of Banská Bystrica Ján Nosko.

The initiator of the conference is the civic organization NIE V NAŠOM MESTE with the cooperation of the Ekopolis Foundation and with the cooperation of  Centre for community organizations.

The topic of the year 2020 will be dedicated to the equality as universal human right. This topic will be dealt with from many points of view. „We will primarily deal with the gender equality and  with the women´s rights. Women are a part of each society. Moreover a  statement, which declares that if the position of women improves so the rights of all groups including the rights of minority improves, is valid. If we talk about equality, we should not consider just gender equality but also the rights of LGBTI people, the rights of defenders of conservative part (group) of people and the defenders of liberal part (group)  of people. We should also contemplate the life conditions of our biggest national minority – the Romany minority; the rights and life conditions of people with disability, and the people´s right to have a dignified retirement. It is well-known that abiding human rights reaches such a level as the human rights of the less respected group are respected,”  says Alexandra Bitušíková from Matej Bel University.

The acknowledged sociologist Michal Vašečka, Mrs Zora Bútorová or Mrs Janette Motlová, the director of Children´s Centre for Education and Research of Psychology and Pathopsychology of the Child will be our guests. The aim of the international discussion forum will be creating opportunities for intersectional communication and for collaboration. Since the discussion forum Human Forum has been successfully connecting academic, politics and civil public for seven years, the international discussion forum Human Forum is an ideal place for networking.

„We take an interest in how particular countries of V4 deal primarily with gender equality and with abiding human rights of each minority groups. And how we consider these countries in an international context. And what is the approach of the governments and state authorities like; and what is the stance of public, academic and non-governmental sector,” asks Csilla Droppová, the coordinator of organizational team Human Forum. An ecumenical service is a part of an event. The church service will be replaced by a speech of Benjamin Uhrin, the director of Rada Bratskej jednoty baptistov due to pandemic this year. The international discussion forum will be online due to pandemic this year and it will publicly broadcasted via facebook pages of NIE V NASOM MESTE and Human Forum. The complete program is published on the web page www.humanforum.sk.

The partners of the event are: The city of Banská Bystrica, Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Záhrada – CNK, Nadácia Zastavme Korupciu, Komunitná rada Zdravé mesto.