Description
The number of aggressive calls on helplines increases every year and the content of calls is often related to racism, discrimination, xenophobia, prejudices, online hate-speech, small thefts and demolition, bullying or even verbal attacks on the call operators. The goal of the project is to help diminish the display of hate-speech, discrimination, racial hatred, antisemitism and xenophobia through the call helplines in Slovakia. A helpline with 11 operators will operate under the project, providing non-stop, anonymous and free advising service for children and young people in Slovakia. At the same time an online advisory service with 1 operator will be established, which will be available 8 hours a day. The development of capacities of 6 helplines will be realized through 3 meetings for 39 participants that will be focused on the exchange of know-how and strategies tackling hate-speech. 36 interactive educational workshops will provide children and young people with information in the topic of safe internet.
Summary of project results
The number of aggressive calls on helplines increases every year and the content of calls is often related to racism, discrimination, xenophobia, prejudices, online hate-speech, small thefts and demolition, bullying or even verbal attacks on the call operators. The project therefore focused on deminishing the presence of such manifestations on the Slovak helplines. A helpline which operated under this project provided non-stop, anonymous, and free counselling service. At the same time, an online advisory service was established, available for 8 hours a day. The capacity of helplines was developed through 4 meetings with 88 helpline employees which focused on the exchange of know-how and 3 meetings wit 46 employees about strategies to tackle hate-speech. Furthermore, 36 interactive educational workshops gave 632 children and young people information about safe internet. In relation to broader public, 2 video-shots about consequences of hateful behaviour were published. Children and young people profited from the project by their increased awareness in the topics such as hate speech, discrimination, racism, and xenophobia. The helpline operators learned about both the concept of human rights in every-day counselling and the ways of tackling its individual topics. The results will be maintained through organizing workshops as well as by applying the newly created methodology of dealing with hate speech and discrimination appearing on helplines. The long-term benefits reside in an increased sensitivity of the organisation’s employees to the human rights topics.
Summary of bilateral results