In cooperation with the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect (OSAPG)
Description
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 from the individual to the State level. Despite growing attention to hate speech, many still underestimate or do not fully grasp the consequences of it.
The course is intended for university and post-graduate students, PhD 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.
Participants to this online course will have the opportunity to learn about the difference between hate speech and incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence, study the related legislative and policy frameworks, explore the link between freedom of expression and opinion, analyze the causes and consequences, consider the challenges posed by hate speech to societies, discuss ways to address and counter hate speech, and learn how to build online and offline resilience to hate speech. Special attention will be given to various dimensions of hate speech, including gender, and to contemporary challenges linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The course is organized by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect (OSAPG). The course is free of charge.
The course’s schedule will be the following:
Week 1 – Hate speech: what does it involve?
- Key concepts: hate speech, bias motivation
- Hate speech and freedom of expression and opinion: where is the boundary?
- Hate speech, discrimination and hate crimes
- Gender and other dimensions of hate speech
- Root causes of hate speech
- Hate speech consequences and the impact on societies
Week 2 – Responding to hate speech: the international legal and policy framework
- Combating online and offline hate speech at the national, regional and global level: legal and policy framework
- International and national mechanisms to sanction expressions of hatred
- The importance of a victim-centered approach
Week 3 – Hate speech and sustaining peace
- Hate speech in fragile contexts (electoral violence, atrocity crimes, violent extremism and terrorism)
- The UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech
- Monitoring and analysing hate speech
- Building societal resilience against hate speech
- The role of media in countering hate speech
- Supporting alternative and positive narratives to counter hate speech
Week 4 – Are you trolling?
- Internet trolling, spreading of social hate and fake news
- Understanding tactics used by hate groups
- Gender perspective in online hate speech: body-shaming and hate speech as a form of violence against women
- Legal challenges linked to hate speech online, including anonymity, speed of circulation, and transnational nature of the offense
- Using social media for advocacy
- Building digital resilience
The topics will be explored in a practical way: through experts’ presentations, interactive and reflective exercises and assignments, case-studies, and knowledge tests.
The Faculty is composed of international experts from UNICRI and OSAPG and other relevant United Nations entities, as well as leading scholars and academics from internationally recognized universities and from international and non-governmental organizations, and civil society.
Course Methodology
The course is delivered online. It combines live webinars in a virtual classroom, led by subject matter experts, with off-line activities (reading material, assignments, discussions, quizzes).
The live webinars are conducted on an exclusive online platform. Participants need a computer (recommended) or a mobile device with audio and video capabilities, a headset with a microphone to connect to the audio through the computer or mobile device, as well as a reliable internet connection. We recommend accessing audio through the computer. No special software is required. Upon acceptance to the course, participants will be provided with information to access the platform.
Each module should include: 1 quiz, 1 assignment (thought-provoking short reading, video/cartoon to foster asynchronous discussion in the form of comments) and 1 practical case study. Case studies should be taken from real cases – relevant related material (i.e. Facebook screenshots, newspaper articles, tweets…) should be provided.
Entry requirements
The course is designed for university and post-graduate students, PhD candidates, media and other professionals, including United Nations (UN) personnel, as well as anyone interested in gaining an understanding of what hate speech is, how it manifests itself and the tools to combat it.
Candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Hold a three-year university degree issued by an internationally recognized university;
- Have a very good working knowledge of English
Certificate of participation
Upon participation to the live webinars and completion of the proposed activities, a certificate of participation issued by UNICRI and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect will be awarded.
How to register:
How to apply
- Application deadline: please complete and send the application form to unicri.courses@un.org by 4 October 2020.
- Confirmation of acceptance: the results of the selection process will be communicated via e-mail, within 5 working days following receipt of the application, and no later than by 5 October 2020.
Application form:
Application_form_Hate_Speech_2020.doc
Contacts
Email: unicri.courses@un.org (please indicate “Hate speech online course” in the subject of the email)
Tel: (+39) 011 6537157 or (+39) 011 6537111