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DW Akademie celebrates 'No Hate Speech' campaigns in Tunisia

A regional networking event in Tunis marked the successful conclusion of DW Akademie's "No Hate Speech" project.

Tunesien Tunis | DW Akademie | Kunstworkshop für No Hate Speech Event
DW Akademie joint art workshop for No Hate Speech EventImage: DW Akademie

The recent "No Hate Speech" campaign project has concluded with an event in Tunis. Part of the larger "Digital Innovations for Peace" (DIP) initiative funded by the European Union and the German Foreign Office, the event brought together civil society organizations (CSOs), journalists, media professionals, and start-ups from Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia.

The event showcased the impact of seven advocacy campaigns tackling hate speech against vulnerable groups.  The campaigns, which reached over 16,000 people, addressed critical issues including the rights of persons with disabilities, the protection of women, migration, and cybercrime laws. The key achievements were advocating for legislative changes and raising awareness to reduce online hate speech and violence.

Five of the seven participating organizations presented their work and achievements during interactive panel discussions about hate speech on social media and online crime laws. These presentations were followed by Q&A sessions, promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing. The morning session was live-streamed on the DIP Facebook group to expand participation. An evening reception provided further networking opportunities.

Campaign highlights:

  • Improved access to information for people with disabilities, International Debate Association (Tunisia)
  • Advocated for legal changes to combat hate speech against women, Djazairouna (Algeria)
  • Empowered people with disabilities to assert their digital rights, IBSAR (Tunisia)
  • Enabled women to become advocates against online hate speech, (Algeria)
  • Mobilized youth to champion legal reforms against online hate speech, H2O (Libya)

DW Akademie's program director Susanne Stephan emphasized the importance of regional collaboration.

"Addressing online hate speech and intolerance requires us to look beyond borders," she stated. "By joining forces regionally and empowering diverse actors with the right tools and skills, we can create a more inclusive and informed Middle East and North Africa region." 

She went on to express gratitude for the EU and German Foreign Office's support. "Without their flexibility and deep understanding of local contexts, we would not have been able to successfully complete all seven peacebuilding campaigns," she said.

EU delegation section head of Political, Press, and Information, Gianfranco Bochicchio, highlighted the importance of responsible speech, stating: "Freedom of expression is not a license to engage in hate speech." 

This sentiment was echoed by the German Embassy's Counsellor for Press and Culture, Paul Leonhardt, who affirmed, "Hate Speech is one of the burning issues of our time. We need to continue our discourse on how to tackle it and closely work with civil society around the world."

This project demonstrates the transformative power of digital innovation in advancing peace and social justice. DW Akademie continues its work promoting digital literacy and peacebuilding in the region.

The “No Hate Speech” project, supported by the German Foreign Office, is a component of the "Digital Innovations for Peace" initiative, which is funded by the European Union.