Description
Young people use the internet with ease and frequency. Since discriminatory speech is ubiquitous online, it can be easy to think that anything goes. In Romania intolerance is at higher levels than in other EU states. Websites are full of xenophobic, homophobic or racist comments. This can make the phenomenon seem normal and acceptable, especially in the absence of an alternative message, one that is strong and credible. Using the results of research in progress, the project proposes interactive methods to help teens understand what hate speech is, why it is wrong, what its negative effects are, and how it can affect them. This pilot project is based on: non-formal educational workshops, where students learn how to combat hate speech; interactive online and offline games; mini-events they initiate at the local level; an Olympics of civility; an analysis of youth behavior. The project takes place in 10 schools, targeting 200 youth between 12-17 years old. Journalists are also involved.
Summary of project results
The main objective of the project was to increase the capacity of 200 students to identify the online and offline hate speech and to empower them to react systematically and in accordance with the democratic values to the discriminating and extremist behaviour. At the beginning of the project, 10 Partner Agreements were signed between EDUC Association and 10 gymnasium and high schools all over the country, aiming at supporting the project implementation, as a result of an open selection process. Following the Agreements, the partner schools have selected a coordinating teacher, and 20 students in each school, volunteering in the project. 10 workshops have been organised, one for each partner school. The objective of the workshops was to enable students to recognize hate speech and acquire the adequate abilities to fight it. Following each workshop, two mini-events were held locally by the student teams, targeting the project theme. In total, twenty such events were held and, as a sustainable element, all these events were held using resources which have been identified locally by the team members. The project team prepared support materials for all these mini-events, and delivered phone and online help, whenever needed. The peak point of the project was the Olympics preparation, in the form of a contest thematic camp. A series of aspects which have been approached in the first phase of the workshops were developed at this stage, the students’ behaviour has been analysed and finally, the bonds between the involved coordinating teachers got more powerful. All ten coordinating teachers and four students from each team (40 students in total) participated in the activities organised within this camp. All these activities tackled aspects related to hate speech and to ways of identifying, and fighting it. Throughout the entire period of implementation, the project’s online section has been updated with instruments and resources available to the partner schools in the project, but also to any other school that wants to integrate the topic of hate speech combating in its curricula.
Summary of bilateral results