HfC CRC Policy Center launches Hate Trackers Beyond Borders

“Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center has officially launched the collaborative project, Hate Trackers Beyond Boarders, a groundbreaking initiative spearheaded by five organisations across four countries.

The contributors behind this transformative endeavour include CIFA Onlus (Italy), KMOP- Education and Innovation Hub (Greece), “Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center (Cyprus), Fundación FAD Juventud (Spain), and Idee In Fuga (Italy).

The Hate Trackers project was inaugurated by “Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center at the Youth Festival at Acropolis Park in Nicosia, Cyprus, in September 2023. The project aims to foster cross-sectoral collaboration among organisations dedicated to formal and non-formal youth education, combating online hate speech and promoting Human Rights Education (HRE).

The overarching objective is to address and eradicate online expressions of hate speech, explicitly targeting racism and discrimination. By raising awareness, empowering, and instilling active citizenship values among youths aged 14-25, as well as youth organisations and citizens' committees, the project aims to equip them with the skills necessary to recognise and act against human rights violations.

Considering the recent report from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), which highlights an alarming rise in hate speech and discrimination in public discourse in Cyprus, Hate Trackers seeks to counteract this issue at every level of civil and political society. Hate speech in Cyprus is identified in three dimensions: inter-communal hate speech between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, anti-migrant sentiments, and discrimination based on gender and LGBTQIA+ identities.

The core action of the Hate Trackers project involves engaging and empowering young people aged 14-25 through activism. The goal is to cultivate a community of activists committed to countering hate speech within their local communities and on social media platforms, utilising their unique skills to erase hatred and promote an inclusive, multicultural dialogue.

If you are passionate about being a catalyst for positive change and wish to contribute to the Hate Trackers project, we invite you to learn more and get involved. Together, we can build a world where online spaces are free from hate and discrimination, fostering a culture of understanding, tolerance, and acceptance.