Article
Navigating hate speech in the digital sphere: The role of education
Side-event of UNESCO Internet for Trust Global Conference
Tuesday 21 February, 11:30-13:00 (CET)
UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France, Room XI, and online
Organizer: UNESCO
This event, held both in person and online, is organized as part of UNESCO Global Conference on Internet for Trust. It will bring together leading voices to share experiences, best practices and offer constructive ways to navigate the digital sphere with respect to hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy theories.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asserted in his 2019 UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech that 鈥淎ddressing hate speech does not mean limiting or prohibiting freedom of speech. It means keeping hate speech from escalating into something more dangerous, particularly incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence, which is prohibited under international law.鈥 Furthermore, this UN Strategy and Plan of Action recognizes education as a fundamental tool to address the root causes and drivers of hate speech, and to enable transformative change for peaceful, inclusive and just societies for all in line with the 2030 Agenda. In this vein, values at the core of digital citizenship will be discussed in order to stress the importance of fostering global resilience in our digital age in the face of hate speech and other forms of discriminatory rhetoric.
Programme
Opening remarks (11:30-11:35 CET)
- Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education
How should digital citizenship look like? - High-level panel discussion: (11:35-12:20 CET)
- Pap Ndiaye, Minister of National Education and Youth, France
- Diana Castellanos Vela, Undersecretary for Educational Innovation and Good Living, Ministry of Education, Ecuador
- David Kaye, Professor of Law, University of California Irvine
- Nighat Dad, Executive Director, Digital Rights Foundation
Moderator: Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director General for Communication & Information, UNESCO
What kind of education is needed to counter hate speech and promote digital citizenship? - Expert panel discussion (12:25-13:00 CET)
- Laetitia Avia, Former member of the French National Assembly
- Laurent Cordonier, Research Director, Fondation Descartes
- Nicole Fournier-Sylvester, Educator and Researcher
- Asma Mhalla, Lecturer, Geopolitics and Digital Economy Specialist, Institute of Political Sciences of Paris
- 'Gbenga Sesan, Director, Paradigm Initiative
Moderator: Cecilia Barbieri, Chief of Education for Peace and Global Citizenship, UNESCO
