On the occasion of the launch of the “United Nations (UN) Joint Strategy on Hate Speech” (May 2019), in 2021 the same Βody designated the “International Day to Counter (or Combat) Hate Speech” to be celebrated annually on June 18.

The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) recognizes hate speech as a severe type of discrimination and works systematically over time to combat it through targeted actions. Typical examples of such successful actions in recent years are important European co-funded projects, where DAISSy-HOU participated as the only Greek entity in international consortia.

Indicative example is the “LEAD-Online: Learn, Engage, Act: Digital Tools to Prevent and Counter Hate Speech Online” project, where DAISSy-HOU was responsible for the development of the “Hate Out!” Game and the “Hate Speech Self-Assessment Tool” innovative digital tools, regarding increasing awareness on the level of conscious or unconscious use of online hate speech as well as teaching ways to report it, deal with it and support its victims.

Respectively, the “GenderED Coalition – A cross-country coalition against gender disinformation for equitable societies”, European project which aimed at creating a safer, fairer digital space, combating gender disinformation and integrating a gender perspective into “Media and Information Literacy”. Within this framework, a coherent Community of Practice (CoP) was created, strengthening broad synergies, which led to online campaigns, succeeding in raising awareness and attracting the interest of thousands of internet users.

Special reference also deserves the “Advanced Media Literacy Education to counter online hate-speech (AMeLiE)” European project, that addressed the issue of online hate speech and due to its achieved impact is presented on the official results platform of the Erasmus+ European programme as a good practice. Through the educational program and the AMeLiE platform, hundreds of teachers benefited, thousands of students participated actively in the project’s activities, and schools were interconnected and utilized the project’s methodology implementing dozens of relevant informative campaigns and disseminating such initiatives.

DAISSy-HOU, recognizing that combating hate speech is a collective responsibility and a basic prerequisite for ensuring social cohesion, democratic participation and respect for human rights, remains firmly committed to addressing it through the development and support of initiatives that promote equity and constructive dialogue, both in the digital and physical sphere, towards its vision for an inclusive society.