Like! Speech

In 2015 – after several months of qualitative research in schools and community centers and moments of participatory planning with young people – Per Esempio presented “Like! Speech – Liberate from Hate” at the Council of Europe. The project’s main objective is to combat extremism and incitement to hatred online. It proposes awareness-raising actions on online hate speech among young people, youth workers, teachers and parents. The activities began in November 2016 and ended in May 2017.

Following the priorities of the CoE in the youth sector and the guidelines of the No Hate Speech Movement, the activities within the project aim to educate young people, parents, teachers and youth workers on issues such as: human rights, freedom of expression, racism and discrimination, bullying and internet safety, strategic campaigns, democracy and participation.

After a preparatory phase which consists of the creation of three focus groups with students, parents, teachers and educators, the project involves the creation of two in-depth seminars on the topic and a series of weekly workshops during which, through an approach to education of a non-formal nature, young people can reflect on the topic and work together to create a board game. The board game is downloadable and printable, available to anyone who wants to experiment with the topics and learn more about them through the game. The activity aims to make young people more aware and encourage them to commit themselves against the phenomena of racism and discrimination offline and online.