In commemoration of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech on June 18, UNESCO reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the growing challenge of online hate through a series of strategic engagements under the Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) initiative. Funded by the European Union, the initiative aims to build societal resilience by empowering media, civil society, and policy actors with tools and strategies to counter hate speech in the digital age.
The global spotlight of this year’s observance was on Unmasking Online Hate. Understanding Its Dynamics and How Media and Civil Society Can Respond. The session that drew over 240 participants from within the media space, civil society, and public sector agencies attended, signaling the growing global interest in collaboratively tackling digital hate.
At the regional level, UNESCO hosted a Subregional Consultative Workshop for Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, focused on the intersection of hate speech, education, platform governance, and Media and Information Literacy (MIL). Among the key contributors was FeCoMo, the Kenyan national coalition under the Social Media 4 Peace initiative. The session highlighted the challenges posed by regulatory frameworks that do not reflect evolving international human rights standards. She advocated for a more localized and rights-based multistakeholder approach, noting, “A law that isn’t human rights based is a law that silences more than it protects.”
Now in its second phase, the Social Media 4 Peace initiative is committed to supporting regional and national efforts to counter online hate speech through education, policy reform, and multistakeholder collaboration.
These engagements reflect UNESCO’s broader mission to promote peace, inclusion, and human rights in the digital era. By supporting the development of effective countermeasures against hate speech while safeguarding freedom of expression, UNESCO’s Social Media 4 Peace initiative continues to equip societies with the tools they need to build a safer and more respectful digital environment for all.