Transcript Hate speech - Maailmakool

Youth as active citizens: an approach
to prevention of hate speech that
empowers youth
Zakia Akkouh
The European Wergeland Centre
Tallinn 12 February 2016
The European Wergeland Centre
• Educating for democracy and human rights
• Established by the Council of Europe and
Norway (2008)
• Mandate: help member states to implement
policy into practice
• Our activities and resources open for all 47
member states
• Office in Oslo
EWC Projects
Definitions:
“Hate speech covers all forms of expression which spread, incite, promote or
justify racial hatred, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or other forms of hatred
based on intolerance, including: intolerance expressed by aggressive
nationalism and ethnocentrism, discrimination and hostility against
minorities, migrants and people of immigrant origin”. - Council of Europe
“Group-focused enmity describes the syndrome of interlinked negative
attitudes and prejudices towards groups identified as “other”, “different” or
“abnormal” and assigned inferior social status”. - Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Hate Speech in Europe
“Intolerance, Prejudice and Discrimination: A European Report” (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung)
8 European countries
Central findings:
•Group-focused enmity is widespread in Europe.
•About 50% believe there are too many immigrants in their country.
•Many believe that Jews seek to benefit from their forebears’ suffering during the Nazi era.
•About 30% believe there is a natural hierarchy of ethnicity.
•Widespread Islamophobia
•A majority in Europe also subscribe to sexist attitudes rooted in traditional gender.
•Relatively high proportion opposing equal rights for homosexuals
•Prejudices are interconnected. Those who denigrate one group are very likely to target other
groups too.
•Group-focused enmity increases with age and decreases with education.
In summary: Hate Speech represents a major threat to the fundamental values of democracy and
human rights
Normalization of hate speech
1. The political discourse
2. Internet and social media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNX1256
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Hate Speech and Human Rights
Starting point: social media and internet is an
integral part of modern democracies.
Hate speech:
• Violates the fundamental dignity of groups of
people
• Impedes participation
• The process of dehumanization
• Hate crimes are always preceded by hate
speech
The role of schools
• The most important arena of prevention
• The overall mandate of schools to educate
democratic citizens
• Classrooms as a safe space for disagreement,
discussions, reflections, challenging views
• The importance of critical thinking
• Whole school approach
The role of teachers
• Don’t wait for the crisis! Early prevention
• Approach: Human Rights Education-> teach
about, through and for human rights
• Class room as a safe space
• Democratic skills: Digital literacy, Critical
Thinking
• Awareness raising- importance of history
education
Empowerment of students
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Active citizens online, offline and in the classroom
Protection and cencorship is impossible and undesirable
Empowerment
Attitudes, knowledge and skills
Peer-to-peer learning
No hate speech
www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/Source/Resources/Publications/BOOKMARKS.pdf
Thank you!