Purpose: This public awareness-raising initiative was undertaken by the three Polish cities: Lublin, Krakow and Wrocław, to address the burning problem of hate speech targeting minorities by developing joint counter narratives and mapping out the local context of hate speech. The aim was also to raise awareness of the host communities about the problem of hate speech and about the tools available to prevent and address it.
Stimulus/Rationale: Numerous studies and research clearly indicate the negative effects of hate speech on the community cohesion. However, the eradication of hate speech is difficult due to several factors, in particular the ambiguous definition of hate speech and the lack of precise criteria to identify it. Yet, it is possible to prevent hate speech by addressing its root causes, for example by promoting human rights education and critical thinking, democratic culture and competences for intercultural dialogue. Work aimed at deconstructing hateful content with the use of counter narratives based on positive and inclusive messages also proves to be effective.
The three Polish cities who are members of the ICC Programme, i.e. Lublin, Krakow and Wrocław identified hate speech as one of the most important problems for achieving intercultural inclusion in their cities. As a result, they applied for and received an ICC Grant to implement a joint initiative for preventing and combatting hate speech in their cities.
Process: The three cities decided that the project should be implemented using participatory processes and with an active involvement of all the relevant stakeholders, including the newcomers, the residents and the local civil society organisations. In addition, for the purpose of implementing the project, the three cities partnered with the Institute of Research on the Future of Collegium Civitas (Warsaw-based university) and with a private company.
This joint initiative was implemented in the 2nd half of 2021. It started with a thorough analysis of the local context of hate speech, which provided a preliminary diagnosis regarding the scope and manifestations of online and offline hate speech in all three cities participating in the project. The analysis of the local context was prepared using desk research, individual interviews with relevant local stakeholders or experts (5-6 per city) and focus group discussions (which involved local NGOs, local authorities and experts).
The findings of the local context analysis were presented through a series of online meetings with the cities. It was recommended that instead of addressing and contesting concrete expressions of hate speech it will be more effective and sustainable to develop counter narratives and a campaign which can be used in the long term to build a positive image of the new newcomers and promote advantages of diverse society. Such campaign could be in the future multiplied by other Polish cities.
These findings, together with a proposal of three possible campaigns, were presented to the residents of the three cities during a series of online meetings, and as a result of voting, the "A TO MY" (ATOMS / THIS IS US wordplay in Polish language) was selected as the campaign’s headline.
A campaign was designed around the slogan “A TO MY” by a private company and presented during the project’s final event which took place online on 17th December 2021. The event was also used as a platform to test the interest from other Polish cities to join the campaign.
The campaign materials developed are accompanied by a Manual which provides methods for identifying concrete problems and proposes tools and actions to combat hate speech.
Impact: The process of designing the campaign provoked a public debate, not only among the local officials but also among the newcomers’ and host communities, and attracted media attention.
The campaign and its materials were made available to the public and can be implemented at any point of time by any local stakeholder or any Polish city.
Most importantly, the process of designing the campaign and its tools brought together for the first time the authorities and local stakeholders from the three Polish ICC cities. As a result of this joint project, the cities established a platform for discussing not only the problem of hate speech but more broadly the methods to implement intercultural approaches in their daily work.
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