Making ourselves respected. Proactive responses to racism in digital environments
Year:
2021-2023
Funded by:
Main Objective:
To implement the “Making Us Respect” programme as an effective, efficient, and high-quality initiative to prevent hate speech, racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and other forms of discrimination in digital environments.
Summary:
The digital space serves as a platform for the amplification and dissemination of hate speech. The anonymity it offers, coupled with the trivialisation of its consequences, creates a socialisation environment where the rights of individuals—particularly those belonging to one or more minority groups—are frequently violated. Young people engage with digital channels as spaces for social interaction and identity construction, whether as potential victims, disseminators, or passive observers. Recognising the urgent need to eliminate hate speech in digital environments, the “Making Us Respect” programme was developed as a targeted intervention.
Based on a prior quantitative and qualitative diagnosis of hate speech circulating on social media and an analysis of high-quality international best practices, we drafted a prevention guide tailored for educators. Additionally, we developed the “Radar Against Discrimination,” a virtual strategy for detecting and monitoring hate speech profiles and their victims. Building on the insights gained, we are now in the second phase, focusing on designing digital content to promote the programme effectively within virtual spaces.
Keywords:
Racism, digital environments, equality, anti-racism, colourism, white privilege, protocols, educational guides, hate speech.
