| 
4.2.3 Monitoring of Hate Crimes by NGOs
In contrast to our Polish colleagues, we applied a much narrower definition of monitoring and did not include informal practices of tracking incidents if the tracking was not publically disclosed. This approach was referred to in the Polish part of the study as »in-community monitoring« (see Chapter 4.1.3.2.1). Not all organizations in this section were interviewed, but the information is available on their websites or in publications. In addition, we are well aware of the fact that, similar to Poland, there might be a large number of untapped sources in Germany with regard to cases of bias-motivated violence. These may comprise various informal networks, welfare or anti-Fascist organizations; or particular ethnic, religious, refugee and other local communities with general knowledge of such incidents. In some interviews conducted in West Germany, NGO representatives pointed out that existing organizations and formal networks against right-wing extremism and racism often work in isolation from these local communities, welfare organizations and grassroots groups, either because these organizations and networks do not recognize the latter as important partners or because there is a lack of resources limiting regular contact.
Other interviewees emphasized further obstacles that prevent closer cooperation. The president of the Regional Confederation of German Sinti and Roma Berlin and Brandenburg (Landesverband Deutscher Sinti und Roma Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.), for one, stated that her organization is very cautious when it comes to publishing information on hate crimes and discrimination due to »a general feeling of mistrust within the Roma community towards German institutions and media, including NGOs, because of their bad experiences in the past [German National Socialism] and daily experiences with harassment.« (1) A few years ago, the association even removed the organization’s title from the door-bell because of frequent threats contained in anonymous hate mail. (2) Similar accounts of mistrust and caution came from Jewish interview partners, who described the »enormous aversion of Jewish people [in Germany] to define themselves through [acts] of persecution and anti- Semitism or being thus defined by others. One wants to lead a normal life and is afraid of being singled out again.« (3) Therefore, it is highly likely that a large number of anti-Semitic incidents or experiences with harassment never become public knowledge and are only talked about within the sheltered environment of informal
or family networks and Jewish community organizations.
Taking into account that there are various definitions of the term »monitoring,« we decided to summarize in the following sub-chapter all NGO activities that try to raise awareness about various kinds of hate crimes by publicizing information that would otherwise not be available in a consolidated form. As a result, we were able to distinguish three different approaches to monitoring activities:
- Victimization surveys carried out by organizations representing minority or victim groups
- Documentation based mainly on media analysis
- Monitoring by specialized victim support organizations
1. Interviews with Regional Confederation of German Sinti and Roma Berlin-Brandenburg.
2. Open Society Institute 2002. The Situation of Roma in Germany, Brussels, p. 198.
3. Interview with Moses Mendelssohn Zentrum (Gideon Botsch). Anetta Kahane of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation expressed a similar opinion.
(OPP)
