Pathways to Inclusion and Resilience

Inclusive and resilient societies do not emerge by chance.

They depend on people being able to engage across differences, learn from one another and feel safe in their communities.

Dialogue helps build understanding across differences. Education equips people with the knowledge and skills to live together respectfully. Effective responses to hate crime help protect individuals and communities while strengthening trust in public institutions.

This is the purpose of Pathways to Inclusion and Resilience.

Strengthening social cohesion through community dialogue

Dialogue can help reduce prejudice, challenge stereotypes and create opportunities for meaningful engagement across communities.

The project supports young people in leading safe-space dialogues on diversity, identity and inclusion. Through training, mentoring and networking opportunities, participants gain the skills and confidence to facilitate dialogue activities in their own communities.

Particular attention is given to engaging young people from communities directly affected by rising tensions and polarization, including Jewish and Muslim communities.

By empowering young people as dialogue facilitators and community leaders, the project seeks to strengthen mutual respect, understanding and peaceful coexistence.

Strengthening education systems to address intolerance and discrimination

Education plays a critical role in shaping attitudes, promoting inclusion and preventing prejudice.

Through this pathway, ODIHR works with policymakers, educational experts, teachers, civil society organizations and community representatives to strengthen responses to intolerance and discrimination in and through education.

Activities include the development of practical guidance and recommendations on:

• addressing intolerance against Muslims in and through education;
• addressing prejudice against Roma and Sinti in and through education;
• supporting efforts to address anti-Semitism in and through education.

The project also promotes exchange among educational stakeholders and supports efforts to create more inclusive educational environments based on mutual respect and understanding.

Strengthening responses to hate crime and supporting community security

Hate crimes affect not only individual victims but also entire communities.

Through this pathway, ODIHR supports participating States in strengthening national responses to hate crime and improving support for victims. Activities focus on building the capacity of law enforcement officials, prosecutors, judges, civil society organizations and victim support providers.

The project also supports efforts to improve hate crime data collection, strengthen co-operation between institutions and enhance understanding of emerging challenges related to hate crime.

In parallel, ODIHR facilitates dialogue and co-operation between authorities and Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities to help identify and address community security needs.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is one of the key human rights bodies worldwide. 

Based in Warsaw, Poland, ODIHR works to assist the 57 participating States of the OSCE in strengthening their democratic institutions, upholding the rule of law and increasing respect for human rights throughout the diverse societies of the region. 

ODIHR was established in 1991 and now employs around 150 staff from approximately 35 countries. Maria Telalian from Greece became Director of ODIHR in December 2024.

For more information about the Pathways, please contact ODIHR project co-ordination unit at PCU@odihr.pl.