Freedom of speech versus Human dignity

June  2010

Policy Center for Roma and Minorities organized a meeting with Csaba Asztalos, President of the National Council Against Discrimination. The topic of the debate was freedom of speech versus human dignity and to what extent can the media use this freedom as an argument for using words that affect a persons’ dignity.

Several ideas such as the quality speech of certain public figures, their right to private life and their influence in society, but also discriminatory and stereotypic language promoted by the media, were debated. Most of the discussion started from concrete examples of popular articles and declarations. The meeting helped the participants to understand to what extent are the vulnerable categories like Roma, women or disabled persons are discriminated against in our society.