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National Hate Crime Awareness Week will take place from 14 – 21 October 2023. This is our opportunity to showcase unity within our communities and combat stigma and hate. #WeStandTogether #NoPlaceForHate
What is a Hate Crime?
Hate crimes are acts of violence or hostility directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are. Hate crimes can take many different forms – for example someone may have damaged your property because of the colour of your skin, sent you offensive letters because of what you believe, or behaved violently towards you because of who you love. No hate crime is acceptable. We all have a right to live without fear, hostility and intimidation from others. - LetsEndHateCrime.com
No hate crime is acceptable, and we all have a right to live without fear, hostility and intimidation. Action Together supports organisations across Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside, and we would like to share the wonderful projects our member organisations have been involved with to help raise awareness.
OPAL Advocacy
Opal Advocacy took a stand against Hate Crime by decorating pebbles with heartfelt messages and trailing them around Oldham Town Centre. Spreading a message of positivity, patience and understanding.
"At OPAL we are passionate about this project because unfortunately hate crime is something so many people in the LD community have experienced. We look forward to sharing our stories and advice to help raise awareness of this serious issue."
OPAL also created two incredible videos to help raise awareness of the impact of a hate crime and where to find support, click the links below to watch:
Flowhesion
Mighty forces at Flowhesion joined together to have open discussions about hate crime and share their experiences. They channeled their emotions into the artwork below.
Future Directions: The Spice Group
The Spice Group have been getting creative and making posters to raise awareness about hate crime, whilst talking about the topic in a safe way.
"Thank you to Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council and Action Together for supporting us with this project. It's been a great day."
Oldham Play Action Group
Oldham Play Action Group shared the art work they have created in play sessions with children. They discussed in Child friendly ways the following topics:
What hate crime is:
Hate crime is all of these sorts of things. Violence, mean graffiti, damaging property, threatening, horrible letters, phone calls, texts, facebook slagging off, insults, name calling, bullying
about …
Gender, sex, race, colour, where you and your family come from your nationality, faith is what you believe and if you worship and have a religion, if you are in an alternative subculture like being a goth or a mosher, sexuality who you fancy, because you have any kind of disability.
What is bullying
When someone bullies or hurts someone because they don’t like what and who they are.
It’s hating the most important bits of what makes you YOU. It is an attack on the real you. It makes people frightened, scared, ill, angry, lonely and upset.Everyone may look different on the outside but we all experience the same emotions on the inside...
Hate crime leads people to these feelings: stress, anger, upset, sad lonely, helpless, hurt, scared, depressed
But being kind can lead to these feelings: happy, elated, excited, loved, cared for, helpful, relaxed, mindful, hopeful
What can we do about it
Anyone can be a victim of hate crime. Anyone can do a hate crime. Don’t be a hater.
Don’t put up with the hate, report it. Tell others what it is and why they should tell. Stand up, speak out tell someone.
Don’t put up with it. If they can do it to you, they will do the same or even worse to someone else.
Don’t think it’s just name calling I can handle that, you don’t have to put up with any hate. If haters get away with little things they’ll move on to bigger things.Celebrate all faiths, cultures and beliefs! Celebrate all communities!
How we can spread kindness
We have more in common than that divides us!
We can build bridges between people not walls
We have more in common than that divides us ! we really do
We play, we learn, we eat, we have families, we live in Oldham.
We cry, we love, we laugh, we hope for good things, we dream good dreams about the future, we live in Oldham.What we promise to do: Be kind, Celebrate everyone, Listen, Never judge anyone.
Find out more about hate crime at Let's End Hate Crime – We Stand Together
If you have been a victim of a hate crime, you can find support at Greater Manchester Victims' Services
Check out these funding opportunities focused on groups/organisations wishing to hold events or activities that work towards raising awareness and challenging the behaviours and perceptions of hate crime: