The project proposes a different approach of inclusion, empowering young people from vulnerable backgrounds to be trainers and educators on hate speech.
The project is being implemented in cooperation with five European non-governmental organizations from Finland, Portugal, Ireland, Slovenia and Scotland, offering to youth workers a carefully prepared and in practice tested tools for alternative responding to hate speech in the processes of youth work and non-formal education.
The project follows the belief that direct confrontation and/or exclusion of people using hate speech in the context of youth activities, are inadequate and non-constructive reactions, and therefore wants to offer alternative tools that will combine the experience of individual organizations in working with marginalized youth groups – methods, procedures and guidelines, which will enable young workers to address and resolve conflicts and the emergence of hostile speech among young people in a sustainable way. It also raises awareness of the project and informs it of hate speech and related phenomena. Through the development and expansion of tangible methods, means and measures in youth work, the project strengthens youth workers in order to confront hate speech they encounter in their work. It encourages young people to participate in a social environment with a transformative approach – engaging and involving young people who produce hate speech will help to prevent their radicalization and/or entry into extremist groups and gangs. If youth organizations active throughout Europe were actively engaged in the transformation of hate speech, young people who produce hate speech could be adequately challenged and encouraged to reflect on their own positions and enable them to develop respectful attitudes towards diversity.
On project completion, the results will be used to create an online platform for youth workers. In this way, the project aims at disseminating good practices and transformative approaches to hate speech as well as at preventing youth radicalization by social inclusion.
multimedia materials: http://transforminghate.eu/