International Day for Countering Hate Speech

Hate speech is spreading faster and further than ever before as a result of social media user growth and the rise of populism. Both online and offline, hate speech targets people and groups based on who they are. It has the potential to ignite and fuel violence, spawn violent extremist ideologies, including atrocity crimes and genocide. It discriminates and infringes on individual and collective human rights, and undermines social cohesion.Education can play a central role in countering hateful narratives and the emergence of group-targeted violence. Educational responses to hate speech and all forms of hateful communication include: • Training teachers and learners on the values and practices related to being respectful global and digital citizens; • Adopting pedagogical and whole-school approaches to strengthening social and emotional learning; • Revising and reviewing curricula and educational materials to make them culturally responsive and to include content that identifies hate

 Psychological distress, silencing, prejudice and expression restrictions are some of the impacts. On International Day for Countering Hate Speech , learn more about UNESCO’s work & say  #NoToHate : 

Online and offline , hate speech hurts, divides and affects communities worldwide. Is there a way to address its growing prevalence globally? And to what extent should preventive approaches be adapted regionally? The  Regional Launch of Addressing hate speech through education: a guide for policy-makers will be held on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 online from to 9am – 12:35pm in Kathmandu, Nepal. Learn more about the event and watch live event on facebook!

Millions of human beings continue to be the victims of varied forms of racism, racial discrimination, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and related intolerance. The Special Rapporteur is gathering contributions from Member States, and other relevant stakeholders, to prepare her report to the 78th session of the General Assembly on the topic of online hate speech .

The High-level event to mark the 2nd International Day for Countering Hate Speech will be held on Monday, June 19th, 2023 from 11:00 to 1:00pm EDT (New York time) at the United Nations Trusteeship Council Chamber in New York. The United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect and the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations will host a high-level event to mark the 2nd International Day for Countering Hate Speech, showcasing champions of good practices on tackling hate speech from across the world. The objective of the high-level event is to showcase good practices that exist from within the UN system, from Member States, regional organizations, civil society and other relevant stakeholders to tackle hate speech. The good practices will emphasize efforts that deal not only with the impact and spread of hate but also its root causes and drivers . It is further aimed to take stock of some of the challenges and lesson lear

  To observe the Day, the United Nations invites governments, international organizations, civil society groups, and individuals to hold events and initiatives to promote strategies to identify, address and counter hate speech .The President of the General Assembly convened an informal High-level Meeting to mark the commemoration of the first International Day to take place Monday, 20 June 2022, at 10 a.m. EDT at the General Assembly Hall in New York City. “ NO TO HATE SPEECH ” International Day for Countering Hate Speech 2022 .