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The World - a Place for Everyone (?): Hatespeechfree

2025-1-DE04-KA152-YOU-0003014042025Mobility of young peoplefinalized
Countries: DE|ES|IT|UA|BA|RS · Grant: €41,070.95
Bridging intercultural, intergenerational and social dividePrevention of conflicts, post-conflict rehabilitationCommunity development

Objectives

We carried out this project because we wanted to show youngsters how nowadays hate speech has become a pervasive problem on the internet and in societies. It has not only been harmful to the individuals targeted by the hate, but also it has led to real-world violence and discrimination. By bringing together young people from different backgrounds, we encouraged dialogue and understanding, and promoted the use of social media as a positive force for change. Briefly, we wanted to hold this YE to meet the general need for: Deepening Awareness: Many people haven’t been fully aware how negative impact that hate speech can have on individuals and communities. We wanted to raise awareness about the negative impacts of hate speech on individuals and society and to educate people about the ways in which it can harm people and undermine social development. Positive Behaviors: We wanted to promote positive behaviors and attitudes, and to encourage people to think critically about the impact of their words and actions. Tools and Resources: We wanted to provide participants with the tools and resources they need to combat hate speech in their own communities such as training on how to recognize hate speech, how to report it, and how to advocate for respectful communication. Building Networks: We wanted to build networks of people who are committed to promote understanding and respect both online and offline, to combat hate speech, and to create a sense of solidarity and support among the participants. Moreover, a need for: A safe and inclusive environment for the youth to freely express their views, opinions and ideas without fear of discrimination or retaliation; A project that empowered the youth and helped them understand the impact of their actions and words in their communities and take steps to be responsible and respectful. Our youth exchange hosted diverse perspectives on conflict transformation, intercultural dialogue, and youth empowerment. We combined all perspectives and found solutions by means of the experiences from Spain, BiH, Serbia, Germany, Ukraine and Italy. Shortly we achieved to; be aware of democratic society and international values; EU’s principles and feeling of being European; individual and social rights; togetherness and empathy; consider the importance of rule of laws and the limit of restriction / misconceptions / misinformation that form the basis of hate speech; create new ways for reaching youngster and find ways to enlarge youth participation in societies, define hate speech in proper ways and consider regional/international examples of it; develop and practice non formal educational methods and improve individual capacities (such as critical thinking, life-long learning, Youthpass key competences, digital-numeracy-literacy skills, close communication, self-reflection, expression etc.); collect methods for reporting hate speech examples to authorities; discuss the way for tackling hate speech and hate-motivated violence; encourage young people to participate in society and to be active citizens; learn more about the main features of exclusion and dangers of hate speech; promote Erasmus+ and contribute to their society with their knowledge. In the context of our YE, we achieved to: build capacity for youth-led peace initiatives; develop cross-border youth networks; develop the peace-building competencies in reconciliation processes of our partner organizations; enhance understanding of Balkan context by examining successful multi-ethnic cooperation models from partners and the role of youth in peace-building; foster active citizenship in post-conflict and segregated societies by creating opportunities for cross-community dialogue; promote regional solidarity and sustainable frameworks for ongoing collaboration; understand the impact of historical events on current social dynamics that caused hate speech among opposing groups.

Project partners (6)