This toolkit, published by CREID partner Minority Rights Group, is designed to be practical and useful to minority, inter-cultural, faith and human rights organizations at the local level. It explains not what could be done, but how our partners designed and carried out innovative projects to tackle hate speech and what they learnt by doing so.
The world is seeing an explosion of hate speech. One analysis records a 400-fold increase in the use of hate terms online in Pakistan between 2011 and 2021. Minorities often bear the brunt of hate speech and can feel powerless to do anything about it. This toolkit distils the experience gained by a dozen partners working in Iraq, Myanmar and Pakistan with MRG as part of the CREID consortium programme over the last five years.
The toolkit covers:
- how to create a lexicon of hate speech terms
- how to monitor levels
- types, triggers and targets of hate speech
- how and where to report egregious hate speech
- how to work with young people or the media to generate positive speech to counter online and offline hate.
Whilst responsibility for tackling hate speech does not lie with civil society alone – the state and corporations need to do their part – there is much that civil society can and should be doing as part of wider efforts to reduce the proliferation and impact of hate speech and to ensure that online and offline spaces are filled with compelling and persuasive positive materials concerning those targeted by hate speech.
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Cover photo: A person uses a hand to block out hate speech while focusing on countering hateful content online with positive messaging, etc. Credit: Infinite Lux.
CREID Podcasts on hate speech
Incite! What is causing the rapid spread of hate speech against religious minorities and how can this be countered? Podcast interview with Claire Thomas (MRG) and Naumana Suleman (MRG)
Tracking and monitoring online hate speech: keywords and software Podcast interview with Haroon Baloch (Bytes for All) and Pshtiwan Faraj (Independent Media Organization in Kurdistan)
Defining the language of hate speech against religious minorities: compiling a lexicon of key words Podcast interview with Aila Gill (NCJP) and Pshtiwan Faraj (Independent Media Organization in Kurdistan)
Countering online hate speech: creating a counter narrative through good journalism and by working with young people Podcast interview with Abdul Bari (Bargad), Haroon Baloch (Bytes for All) and Salam Omer (KirkukNow)
