In a publication signed by Ordo Iuris Foundation and dealing with the program conducted by Stefan Batory Foundation Citizens for Democracy, financed from the funds of the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009-2014 (the so called EOG Funds), false charges are contained regarding the Foundation. Association against Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia Open Republic was one of the grant recipients of the so called Norwegian funds.

Since we have been mentioned by the authors of the report, who described our activity as struggling against the so called “hate speech” and “hate acts”, we would like to add that phenomena put by them in the converted comas are not the phenomena of minor importance. Hate speech and acts are increasing in Poland. Every day we see and hear the information on the cases of the physical and verbal attack on the persons with a different skin color, ethnic or national origin, religion or sexual orientation.

The Open Republic has one superior goal in its activities: we want to live in the community free from prejudice, respecting another man and caring about their dignity. We defend all those who need this defense. Cases dealt with by our Association have related to both, representatives of religious, national, ethnic minorities but also – which the authors of Ordo Iuris report cannot understand – to representatives of the religious majority in Poland , i.e. Catholics.

We would like to stress that phenomena which we face every day threaten peace and public order. Developing the open, tolerant society is the task for all of us. We want, as doctor Zofia Kuratowska said, everybody who lives in Poland to feel good here. And this is the purpose of our portal “Zgłoś nienawiść” which is run thanks to Batory Foundation, and thanks to which we monitor and intervene in the cases of hate speech and acts.