"A wall of prejudice can be so high that it prevents us from seeing that, in reality, there is no abyss separating us”
Reasons for exclusion multiply. Poverty, disability, sexual diversity, migration, mental health, or simple ideological dissent continue to forge invisible barriers. In times of digital hyperconnection, paradoxically, social judgment is amplified: a click is enough to stigmatize, and another to spread contempt on a global scale.
However, there is also a growing collective awareness that diversity is not an obstacle, but a source of learning. Societies that dare to listen to different voices are the ones that advance the most in innovation, empathy, and justice
Combating stigma requires more than tolerance: it demands recognition. It is a profound step, a cultural and emotional shift. Education plays a decisive role: teaching us to look without labeling, to understand without condescension, to coexist without fear.
But public discourse also matters. A recent article on violence, prejudice, and hoaxes on social media reveals a worrying panorama, with vulnerable groups as the main victims of hate speech and disinformation. Reports from various organizations highlight that these phenomena have serious consequences for the mental health and safety of those affected, especially young people, women, and migrants.
The media, social networks, and institutions must review their language, because words create reality. Media campaigns can challenge stereotypes and promote values such as respect and tolerance. The use of respectful, person-centered language is crucial to avoid unintentional stigmatization. Listing with respect is already a form of justice.
The stigmatization of the different is, at its core, a renunciation of shared humanity. In doing so, we impoverish the human landscape we inhabit. Overcoming this tendency does not mean dissolving differences, but coexisting with them from a position of equal dignity. We need to make positive role models visible in different areas to dismantle stereotypes and stigmasPerhaps the most urgent challenge of this modern society is not just technological or ecological, but ethical: learning to coexist with plurality without feeling it as a threat. Because, "being different" is not so far away: we all are (or have felt that way) in some context, at some point in life.
Social integration is not just a matter of human rights, but an imperative for building more resilient and just societies. Beyond the implementation of policies that ensure equal opportunities and the elimination of barriers (social, technological, architectural), it is vital to involve people who have experienced rejection in the design of community solutions.
The fight against the rejection and isolation of those who are different is not a passive task. It requires decisive and concerted action that addresses both particular attitudes and social structures, emphasizing the act of promoting the "capacity to understand each other."
We must aspire to a shared understanding of common realities and challenges, forge spaces for intercultural dialogue, and commit to a culture of conflict prevention and regulation.
