A conference to stamp out hate speech held in Tel Aviv
June 2, 2021, 5:38 pm

A conference to stamp out hate speech held in Tel Aviv

work together

The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation hosted a virtual conference on hate speech. It discussed rising levels of the problem in society.

The conference held in partnership with the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities and Yala Young Leaders, aimed to educate youth on the different forms of hate, the impact it has on individuals as well as communities, and how they can identify and combat hate in their communities.

Australia, Israel, Germany, Turkey, the USA, Nigeria Palestine, France and Switzerland were among the participants in the virtual event.

the event confirmed hate speech is a speech that incites hatred or prejudice towards a group based on race, nationality, ethnicity, country of origin, ethno-religious identity, religion, sexuality, gender identity or gender.

Dr Andre Oboler, CEO of the Online Hate Prevention Institute discussed the impact of social media in amplifying hate speech.

He outlined solutions that include the use of data and AI, the use of content moderators, and the ability of the community to police itself through enhanced reporting functions within each social media platform.

He said: “The danger is not so much that people might read content inspired by hate speech, but rather that they may be induced to accept it as a valid point of view, a fact of life, or something with which one may or may not agree, but not something whose dissemination one should oppose.

The participants called for social media companies to invest more heavily in preventing and addressing hate speech on their platforms. Dr Oboler led a lively discussion on how society should balance the right to free speech with mitigating the harms from hate speech, including the role governments play in defining what free speech is and whether it should include, for example, incitement to violence.

Speaking on behalf of the IAFSC, Sean Patrick said, “Hate crime and the use of religion as a political tool is increasing all the time. The harm that hate crime causes to individuals, the sub-group and the whole community leads to a negative socio-economic impact as a whole. The impact can be felt on society, the economy, technology, the security, and the overall safety of communities.” Sean added: “Our working model is simple but effective. We work towards eliminating these issues by encouraging dialogue between all stakeholders like this workshop today, the development of practical response tool kits and by fostering partnerships that bridge gaps.

Hajar from Morocco, a Yala Young Leaders alum who participated in the event said, “The timing for this session was on point. Today, social media has exposed the ugly face of our world; we're witnessing terrifying rates of hate crime all over the globe. It's very important to understand what hate crime is for us to be able to recognize it and then fight it and that's exactly what the workshop provided us.”

Czech senate votes on women non-gendered surnames ILO: More than 100 million workers plunged into poverty since the start of the pandemic

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”