Tolerance and Non-discrimination OSCE Conference on “Combating Discrimination and Promoting Mutual Respect and Understanding” in Bucharest. More than 200 representatives from civil society attended the preparatory meeting, where they had an opportunity to exchange information and best practices, raise issues, inform their governments of the results of their activities, and formulate recommendations that were presented at the main conference. In 2007, ODIHR provided financial grants and technical support to NGOs working in the field of tolerance and non-discrimination. As a result, more than 60 NGOs were able to attend OSCE events, while a number of them used their grants to carry out projects aimed at monitoring and reporting on hate-motivated violence. ODIHR and a board of experts from throughout the OSCE region developed a training curriculum and resource guide for NGOs on how to prevent and respond to hate crimes and hatemotivated incidents. Since the training curriculum is intended to serve as a resource for NGOs throughout the OSCE region, efforts were made to ensure that the content reflects the diversity of manifestations of intolerance, as well as the range of possible responses. The resource guide is divided into two parts: the first part provides background information and concepts on hate crimes throughout the OSCE region, while the second part presents strategies for civil society on how to address hate-motivated violence. V. Promoting freedom of religion or belief ODIHR’s 61-member Advisory Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which serves as an advisory and consultative body to OSCE states in their efforts to advance religious freedom, provides legislative assistance to individual states and other legal assistance. Using the Guidelines for Review of Legislation Pertaining to Freedom of Religion or Belief as a basis, the Panel’s Advisory Council provided legislative reviews and offered expert opinions and technical assistance to participating States in 2007. For example, the Advisory Council met with Kazakh authorities to discuss the situation regarding the Hare Krishna community in the Karasai District of Kazakhstan, where several homes had been destroyed in a state-sponsored action in 2006. At the request of government authorities and representatives of the Hare Krishna community, the Council extended its good offices to assist in finding a resolution. The Advisory Council, in conjunction with a group of international experts, produced a publication called Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about Religions and Beliefs in Public Schools. The primary purpose of the Toledo Guiding Principles is to assist OSCE participating States whenever they choose to promote the study of religion and belief in schools, particularly as a tool to enhance religious freedom. The Principles focus solely on the educational approach to teaching about different religions and beliefs, as distinguished from instruction in a specific religion or belief. They also offer criteria that should be considered whenever and wherever teaching about religion and belief takes place. The Guiding Principles offer practical guidance for preparing curricula for teaching about religion, preferred procedures for assuring fairness in the structuring of curricula, and standards for the implementation of such procedures. The Advisory Council also participated in a number of OSCE conferences and events and at other international meetings related to freedom of religion or belief. ODIHR completed its development of training materials on issues pertaining to standards of international law on freedom of religion or belief for government officials and civil society in 2007. Consultations also got under way with interested participating States for the delivery of the training in 2008. Annual Report 2007 59