Description
NO HATE SPEECH is a Polish contribution to a Council of Europe youth campaign which seeks to address a low level of understanding and awareness of the causes and effects of hate speech in the internet and a low level of engagement to fight this phenomenon. It encourages and trains to use multimedia tools against hate speech and to demonstrate solidarity with victims. The ever growing Campaign Coalition is made up of actively participating organisations and institutions (currently about 50), groups and activists (e.g. youth, teachers, educators, parents) from all over Poland, which adds to the diversity of content, form and outcomes of the Campaign. On-line activities are planned such as multimedia campaigns in social media, e-learning, as well as off-line (in schools, informal education establishments, in public space) with a variety of learning approaches to different age/social/professional groups and offering a holistic response to the problem. Outcomes: improved diagnosis of problem and types of response, learning resources and an active network of institutions, groups and individuals.
Summary of project results
"The Council of Europe has launched its No Hate Campaign based on research that suggests that over 40 per cent of young people have personally experienced hate speech and 70 per cent of them feel helpless in such situations. Only 22 per cent of respondents have attended anti-discrimination or anti-racism workshops or training. Yet, young people do not feel online speech hate should be penalised. The goal of the project was to integrate existing Polish initiatives against hate speech and strengthen them building on European experience. A social campaign was conducted to build skills to identify and counter hate speech and discrimination. With videos, graphics, street events, conferences etc. the topic has been mainstreamed. The campaign coalition was joined by about 50 anti-hate speech non-governmental, public and local government institutions and organisations; about 300 activists received training. Online and offline activities included the Inter@ction Zone Activist Congress and a Temples Night in Warsaw and both attracted several thousand individuals. Activities targeted different age and cultural groups such as national, ethnic, religious minorities, foreigners) and social groups including LGBTQ, unemployed and poor individuals) in different locations in Poland. The beznienawisci.pl website offers detailed information about hate speech; it was viewed more than 520 000 times in 2015). Almost 30 textbooks and 9 lesson scenarios were promoted; forty videos were developed and were viewed over 9,000 times on YouTube. The project targeted youth aged 16-25, non-governmental organisations, and teachers. The partnership with the Nasjonal kampanjekomitee for Europarådets No Hate Speech from Norway helped share campaigning experience. As a result, an event was organised to discuss the need to react to hate speech on 22 July, 2014 in Warsaw, on the third anniversary of the Utoya massacre."
Summary of bilateral results
The partnership with the Nasjonal kampanjekomitee for Europarådets No Hate Speech kampanje from Norway provided access to the Norwegian experience in running the Council of Europe No Hate Speech Movement Campaign and resulted in completing several online and offline activities: (i) an event was organised in Warsaw on 22 July 2014 highlighting the need to stop hate speech to commemorate the third anniversary of Anders Breivik's killing spree on the Utoya island in Norway. The event was held in partnership with the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Never Again Association and other NGOs; (ii) a workshop for middle and high school students and activists about identifying and counteracting hate speech was conducted; participants produced three murals in the Sedlaczek Roundabout in Warsaw; the workshop included presentations about the commemorated events based on interactions with individuals developing the campaign in Norway. The campaign solicited signatures under a petition of the European No Hate Speech Movement Campaign to the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, European Parliament and the Council of Europe member states. The petition seeks to establish July 22 the European Action Day of Victims of Hate Crime (
http://beznienawisci.pl/podpisz-petycje)