Five local sessions were held in Libya, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Palestine to analyze the roots and contexts of hate speech in national settings. Six regional sessions were also organized to develop joint recommendations, identify priority areas of intervention, and produce a regional policy paper. This process resulted in building a collective vision and an advocacy plan aimed at strengthening legislation, enabling responsible education and media, and enhancing social cohesion to confront hate speech.
Local sessions: Five sessions in Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen, and Libya to analyze the roots and causes of the spread of hate speech.
Regional sessions: Six regional sessions to analyze local causes, develop joint recommendations, identify areas of intervention, and formulate a policy paper and an advocacy/promotion plan.
Social media awareness campaign: a regional social media campaign under Voices for Harmony1, in partnership with ACT for Conflict Resolution and the Regional Network for Reconciliation and Forgiveness, with support from KAICIID. Five short videos amplified influential voices from across the Arab world to counter religious hate speech and promote coexistence. Featuring faith leaders and experts, the campaign challenged distorted religious narratives and called for coordinated civic action, responsible interpretation, and collective engagement to strengthen social cohesion and inclusive peace.
The full paper is available below.
Countering Hate Speech in the Arab Region: Strategy and Policy Paper
Voices on Countering Hate Speech
As part of the regional network for forgiveness and reconciliation’s work on countering hate speech in the Arab region, this video series brings together perspectives and reflections on the challenges posed by hate speech and the approaches needed to address it. These short videos complement the Strategy and Policy Paper by highlighting voices and experiences from the region and connecting its recommendations to the broader work of promoting dialogue, inclusion, and peaceful coexistence.