Human rights are not a privilege, but the foundation of the functional democracy and a prerequisite for a secure future. The absence of their clear, consistent and politically responsible defense leads to a society in which fearreplaces the rule of law. This was assessed during the matinée discussion “Bridges or Walls?”, organized today by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) within the 16th FAST FORWARD Human Rights Film Festival Montenegro 2025.
The discussion was moderated by Marlena Ivanović, Programme Associate at CCE, and featured Vesna Rajković Nenadić from the Montenegrin Media Institute, Alek Barović, political scientist, and Ali Erdogan, a lawyer, who spoke from the perspective of the Turkish community in Montenegro.
Ali Erdogan expressed concern about the way certain events have been treated in the public sphere, particularly from the standpoint of the rule of law and the prohibition of discrimination. “Very quickly, we moved from an individual criminal investigation to a form of collective suspicion. I live here, and this has strongly affected my sense of personal safety,” Erdogan emphasized. He noted that although he was not in Montenegro during the days marked by outbursts of hate speech and attacks against Turkish citizens, upon his return he took precautionary measures. “For several days, I changed my routes, avoided crowds in the evening, and spent a lot of time calming family members in Turkey, who had seen only the worst images in the media,” he said. “The worst thing in situations like this is silence, because it can be interpreted as approval. That is why we need fewer ‘neutral’ statements and more principled, rights-based messages that clearly reject collective guilt and protect every resident as an equal holder of rights,” Erdogan concluded.
Vesna Rajković Nenadić pointed out that our society is patriarchal and xenophobic, and that violence has taken a strong hold, not only in the online sphere but spilling over into all other segments of society as well. “The state must seriously address this problem, and the role of the media and the NGO sector is extremely important. The media must not succumb to problematic narratives, and we must not allow ourselves to be driven by passions,” she said. Speaking about the specific incident, she assessed that the narrative had been prepared in advance and spread very quickly, generating additional violence. According to her, such a narrative came from high-ranking representatives of the ruling coalition and was further amplified through right-wing media and social networks. “After an incident that could have set Montenegro ablaze in a second, in order to protect citizens, it crucial that all those who participated in the incident are prosecuted and punished,” Rajković Nenadić stated.
Alek Barović emphasized that it is highly commendable that CCE organizes such and similar events, and that he was encouraged by the large number of young people attending the panel. “Unfortunately, we we must first and foremost confront ourselves,” he said, noting that “our society must learn how to be inclusive and accept that there are people who think differently, behave differently, have different religions, belong to other nations, have different skin colors and sexual orientations.” He stressed that citizens must learn that nothing is resolved through violence, but that everything is allowed as long as it does not harm others, and that this is precisely the essence of respect for human rights that we constantly talk about. “Where the freedom of one ends, the freedom of another begins,” Barović concluded.
The event is part of the project “Shared Imprints of Diversity”, implemented by CCE with the support of the Fund for the Protection and Realisation of Minority Rights.
Jovana Radulović, Project Assistant