A training workshop with the participation of 23 civil activists on the techniques of monitoring hate speech and its impact on community peace

Baghdad: IWJF

The Iraqi Women Journalists Forum, in cooperation with the German Embassy in Iraq for the period of 22-24 September, organized a second training workshop for a group of activists on (techniques for monitoring hate speech in the media and its impact on discrimination on the basis of gender and societal peace).

The workshop was opened by Dr. Nibras Al-Mamory, Head of the Iraqi Women Journalists Forum, explaining the importance of the workshop in promoting community peace and how to reduce it through awareness-raising and education of the damages that may result from it, especially on women. The workshop was attended by both trainers Ann Salah and Tahseen Al-Zarkani, where the training included introducing the concept of hate speech and its types and the role of international and local law on inciting speech.

The workshop also included, on the second day, how the media can have a role in spreading or limiting hate speech, and how to monitor, evaluate, and differentiate between freedom of expression and the promotion of hate speech.

The last day of the workshop concluded with an explanation of the forms of media discrimination and its impact on women and the role of advocacy campaigns in reducing discrimination and correcting common mistakes, especially with regard to gender and societal peace. The pre and post questionnaire prepared by IWJF regarding the 23 participants, human rights activists and academics, reflected a remarkable change in the extent of the activists ’understanding of hate speech and how to reduce it.