Hate speech is a growing phenomenon across the world. As a manifestation of intolerance and hatred towards certain groups in society, hate speech is intertwined with hate crimes and discrimination, representing a threat to sustainable peace and social cohesion.
Because of the impact hate speech has on both on victims and societies at large, it is of utmost importance to address and counter it in a comprehensive way, at both individual and State level. Despite growing attention to hate speech, many still underestimate or do not fully grasp the consequences of it.
With these considerations in mind, the Italian Society for International Organization (SIOI) and UNICRI are launching the first edition of the Autumn School on Hate Speech, which will be delivered online, from 3 to 7 October 2022.
The course is intended for university and post-graduate students, Ph.D. candidates, media and other professionals, including United Nations (UN) personnel, as well as anyone interested in gaining an understanding of hate speech, how it manifests itself and what tools are available to combat it.
Special focus will be given to various dimensions of hate speech and fake news, including the contemporary challenges linked to the Covid-19 pandemic and the role of social media in war and political propaganda campaigns. The existing international legal and policy frameworks will be examined with a view to improve participants’ ability to address the issue in a comprehensive way and promote their role as advocates for an effective change in public policies, strategies and practices. More specifically, the curriculum of the course may focus on:
- the difference between hate speech and freedom of expression;
- the nexus between hate speech and discrimination and hate crime;
- an overview of the international legal framework and human rights standards used to counter hate speech;
- proposing a counternarrative to hate speech;
- tools to monitor and respond to hate speech, including the role of media;
- the role of fake news in fueling hate speech and the link between fake-news, misinformation and hate speech;
- hate speech and misinformation in pandemics: anti-scientific propaganda during the Covid19 crisis;
- the role of social media hate and disinformation in war and political propaganda campaigns;
- debunking as a method of uncovering hate speech, disinformation and fake news.
The Autumn School offers professional, legal, social, scientific and academic perspectives through live webinars, group discussions, dynamic case studies, individual readings, and practical exercises. The faculty is composed of leading scholars and academics from leading universities, representatives of the United Nations system, international human rights bodies and the civil society.
Through a dedicated online platform, participants will have the opportunity to interact with international recognized experts and peers from all over the world, so to build lasting professional relationships. This experience fosters intercultural dialogue and promotes a deeper understanding of some of the world’s most complex and debated issues.
