Be Hate Free: A project is starting to meet the main challenges related to hate speech

The European Foundation of Human Rights together with partners – the Lithuanian Human Rights Center, the Vytautas Magnus University and the Department of National Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania – begins the implementation of the project “BE HATE FREE: Creating a hate-free communities in Lithuania.” Duration of the project: March 2021 – February 2023.

The aim of the project is to take on the main challenges related to hate speech on the Internet.

Project assumptions:

1) Increasing awareness of hate speech on the Internet and developing legal tools to combat hate crimes.

2) Strengthening the sensitivity of the community in the field of hate speech recognition and reporting it to the relevant institutions.

3) Increasing public awareness about the weight and importance of the tolerant online culture.

Main activities of the European Foundation of Human Rights in the project:

• Developing a training program for people working with young people on digital skills and prevention of hate speech on the Internet;
• Organizing workshops for teachers and employees of youth groups to present the methodology;
• Strengthening the sensitivity of the community in the field of hate speech recognition: methodology development and training of community leaders;
• Training of volunteers in the field of monitoring the Internet space and reporting the crimes of hate speech to the authorities institutions;
• Preparation of a report on crimes related to hate speech (the analysis of pre-trial progress, national case law and public policy).

Other activities under the project:

• Conducting literature analysis on hate speech and preparation of the research report;
• Developing a prototype for hate speech detection;
• Presenting the prototype and formulating recommendations for politicians, the sector of non-governmental organizations and law enforcement agencies;
• Presentation of didactic programs and documentaries (with a translation into Russian and Polish) to the “Uncomfortable Cinema” platform (“Nepatogaus kino klasė”), which will be made available to teachers and educators of Lithuania;
• Developing texts and information campaign on recognizing and responding to hate speech;
• Organizing educational and information events in Lithuanian municipalities on the subject of “Uncomfortable Cinema” (“Nepatogus Kinas”).
• Organizing workshops with young people on hate speech on the Internet.

The project is partly financed by the European Union program “Laws, equality and citizenship” (contract No. 963662-Bi Hate-free-Rec-AG-2020/REC-Rrac-Raci-AG-2020).