Description
The project addresses the issue of online hate speech targeted at religious and ethnic minorities and spread by and among young people via numerous websites. The project aims at promoting a new platform (Toler@nce Pl@tfom.bg) to fight hate speech and promote tolerance. First, Toler@nce Pl@tfom.bg will be set up to provide information and support to victims of hate speech via online counseling. Second, a methodology including interactive tools (photos, video contest, online games, forums and live chat) will be developed. Third, large-scale awareness-raising online and offline campaigns will be carried out at schools and universities in 10 cities. Finally, a community of online activists to fight hate speech will be created. The project will benefit about 1000 direct users of the platform, i.e. young people aged 15-29 and local communities in general. The project partner will help organize the campaign, make contacts with local NGOs and promote the initiative.
Summary of project results
Almost all religious and ethnic minorities in Bulgaria have been targeted by unfounded attacks, insults and hate speech. The internet is an environment particularly appropriate for such attacks as anonymity provokes users to post hate messages and the connectivity of information channels helps them be broadly disseminated. The project team aimed at countering hate speech by education and positive representation of the targeted groups. As a result, the project team reached approximately 2600 young people in Bulgaria at 109 regional events where they learned about the Movement to fight Hate Speech initiative, took part in training modules on anti-discrimination and tolerance, used the information services of the website, the online games (e.g. Tolerado) and the methodology. More than 150 people consulted a psychologist online for issues to do with discrimination, harassment, hate speech, personal problems; 146 are the registered subscribers of the Platform’s newsletter; 31 249 subpages/articles on the project website were visited. For more information, see:
www.ontolerance.eu и
https://www.facebook.com/platformazatolerantnost
Summary of bilateral results