Unmask your HATER side. A change of attitude is possible!
Peace is something that all people long for, but sometimes we tend to forget that peace is not only something that is at risk by global actions and socio-political conflicts, but peace building also starts from the simple things in everyday life.
We have come across a very interesting campaign promoted by Bosco Global ONGD, which aims to promote and build peaceful societies: “Dismantle your hater side. Activate the friendly mode”. This is a communicative action that is part of one of its awareness and training projects called “Educational communities promoting a culture of peace that have an impact on the prevention of hate speech”.
From this project they have worked with young people, educators and educators from various educational institutions, resulting in the creation of pedagogical tools for the prevention of hate speech and the development of critical thinking.
According to data supporting the “Desmonta tu lado hater“ campaign, the highest percentage of hate crimes in Spain is for reasons of racism/xenophobia. The hate speeches that feed these crimes are in various communication spaces and influence, unfortunately, in a negative way the processes of inclusion of the foreign community.
The title of the campaign is quite suggestive, since, upon seeing it, it is inevitable to ask ourselves “Do I have a hater side?” and it may not seem so at first, but if we make a deep observation of our daily actions, we will surely be surprised.
The campaign messages speak to us in the first person, inviting us to self-analysis, but, in addition, the word “hater” transports us to a specific context that is usually favorable territory for hate speech: virtual communities.
We love the approach of this campaign and all the awareness-raising work that has been put in place both in social networks and in educational spaces. From our experiences with our Raindrops Program, we know the impact that talking about these issues has on young people. Youth are very receptive and have many resources to be promoters of change, especially on social platforms where hate speech is often the order of the day.
The campaign has a series of resources (in Spanish) that can be used in educational environments and others, all focused on raising awareness about the impact of any discriminatory action, however minimal and innocent it may seem to us. Access from HERE
From DPC we highlight this positive communication! We believe it adds significantly to the work of creating inclusive spaces where all people, regardless of their origin or condition, feel respected. Peace is a matter of attitude, and for that we must constantly observe ourselves and assess how we are influencing –positively or negatively–, the coexistence in our community.
