Danish Report: Work Stream 3: Fokus Group Interviews: Militants from the other Side: Anti-bodies to Hate-Speech in Denmark

Executive Summary
The purpose of this national report is to analyze the role of social movements/organizations/initiatives in the struggle against racism, discrimination, hate speech and behavior from the Danish context. The first part briefly presents the Danish political landscape focusing on the participatory model of democracy, the shift towards a restrictive citizenship model in 2001 and the long tradition for social movements and voluntary associations. The political institutions and political culture form the context for the potentials and barriers for democratic antibodies and grass root initiatives to combat hate speech hate crimes. The mapping of voluntary movements/groups/organizations presents an overview of the diverse policies and strategies towards racism, discrimination and hates speech and hate behavior. It looks at the kind of activities, campaigns and demonstrations the organizations have been engaged in demonstrating the close collaborations and negotiations/networking between the democratic anti-bodies as well as the struggles between antibodies and groups practicing hate speech and hate behavior. This identified important gaps in our knowledge about what is going on – not only at the national level but especially beyond and below the nation state – at the transnational and local levels. It shows that some of the groups, for example Sabaah, offering counselling to homosexual youths with a Muslim background, work mainly on the local municipality level in Copenhagen. Other groups, such as SOS against Racism, are national organizations that are part of European wide or EU sponsored networks. The second and main part of the report provides an in depth analysis of selected organizations and groups engaged in the combat of racism, discrimination, hate speech and hate behaviour. The following five organizations were selected for in depth individual and focus group interviews: Sabaah, the Trampoline House, SOS against Racism, Refugees Welcome and LGBT Asylum. The main issues addressed were: Migration/refugees; Racism/discrimination; LGBT equality. The conclusion illustrate that in the Danish context collaboration between the multiple groups working on similar issues, such as LGBT organizations, anti-racist or advocates of refugee groups is the rule rather than the exception. The selected organizations do not understand themselves as democratic ‘anti-bodies’ who work against the system. They pursue a dual aim as ‘advocates for’ and ‘activists’ working with the target groups. The organizations experience political consensus around integration issues, such as LGBT, and conflicts around refugee and asylum issues. This influences the political support they receive as well as their abilities to support specific target groups.