Agenzija Zghazagh joined forces with SOS Malta and the Embassy of the United States of America to create more awareness, about hate speech online. Coordinated by Agenzija Zghazagh, the campaign against hate speech is one of the priorities of the Council of Europe for the year 2014.

The three entities have designed a number of posters that will be promoted online, offline and on a number of bus stops around the Southern and Inner Harbour Region of the island.

Addressing the press conference, Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport, Dr Stefan Buontempo said that the importance of this campaign stems from the fact that 77% of Maltese households have internet access and young people spend most of their time online. The campaign aims to raise awareness on what hate speech is and the effects it has on its victims.

Dr Buontempo said that Agenzija Zghazagh offers the service of Kellimni.com which supports young people through their difficult moments. This service complements the services launched this year namely with the Malta Gay Rights Movements and the campaign launched today with SOS Malta.

The U.S. Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley stressed that violations of human rights transcend borders, and that we must address them as a community. Hate speech is often the precursor of discrimination and violence. This campaign is part of an effort to reduce discrimination and violence against minorities for the fact of being different.

Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley said, “sadly, no society is immune to intolerance. But its prevalence means we have a duty to fight it. We must make a conscious decision to find our common humanity in one another.”

During the launch of this initiative the Chief Executive Officer of Agenzija Zghazagh Ms Teuma highlighted that this initiative is part of the project Young People Combating Hate Speech Online running between 2012 and 2014, which might be extended to 2015.

Permalink: New campaign against hate speech online launched in Malta