Description
The project responds to the lack of institutional and social reaction in combating the online propagation of Discriminatory and Hate Speech Posts (DHSP). The main goal of PANDORA is to increase the capacity of NGOs and youth to identify, report and combat online DHSP. The project objectives will be supported by the following activities: developing a kit of counter posts for combating online DHSP by involving 30 students in a contest and 1500 supporters; training 15 NGO activists and involving them in testing the kit in 300 discriminatory online contexts; training 60 teachers and organizing 300 debates with 15.000 pupils in order to inform and make them more aware with regard to the methods of identification, reporting and combating online DHSP; creating a partnership with 15 NGOs and 60 schools for using, developing and promoting the kit, including at the level of 75 public institutions.
Summary of project results
PANDORA project responds to a concrete need of the Romanian society: lack of civic mobilization. As internet usage becomes a habit for both children and adults and as Hate Speech phenomenon spreads rapidly, the users should take action to tackle the hate and discrimination messages. PANDORA sought to provide the tools and knowledge for NGOs activists, professors and youngsters to identify, combat and report hate speech. 5 activities were foreseen in order to attain this result. The project started and ended with a contest which valorised the emotions and thoughts of children and students on discrimination issues. Their creations were afterwards used by NGO activists in combating hate messages within the first online campaign of such kind developed in Romania. The impact of the kit containing students’ applications was presented to 60 teachers which were trained to help children in dealing with hate speech. 602 debates involving 15,400 students were organised in urban schools from North-East region of Romania. Thanks to the project, around 20 children identified as victims and perpetrators of Hate Speech received specialized counselling. 15 NGOs and 60 schools become part of a Partnership which operates in order to identify, combat and report discrimination and hate speech. As main outputs of the project, there were developed: a counter-messages kit, a brochure presenting the results of the first online monitoring campaign against hate speech from Romania, 2 videos encouraging tolerance and understanding, 1 leaflets enclosing the most important facts about hate speech, 7 testimonial videos of activists telling the story of the "demons" on the internet. The main activities that involved the target groups and increased awareness and sensitivity regarding hate speech issues were: 2 contests involving 190 students and consisting of hate speech counter-messages production, 4 trainings on hate speech targeting 15 NGOs activists and 60 dissemination teachers, 1 partnership signed by 15 NGOs and 60 schools on combating online discrimination and hate messages, 1 kit testing campaign, 602 debates organized, 15,400 students informed on how to identify, combat and report hate speech.
Summary of bilateral results