The Peace Institute (Mirovni Institut, Ljubljana) with the support of the Government Communication Office of Slovenia offers secondary schools free workshops on hate speech, media and migrations, which are intended for students.
As shown by the results of research projects of the institute, the social climate in Slovenia is marked by the rise of hate and discriminatory speech. Most of the students have already been in contact with hate speech over social media and express a great deal of fear and distrust on migrations. Incomprehension of the situation of minorities is in modern societies strongly associated with ways of informing, therefore the understanding of the functioning of the media is crucial in promoting a culture of tolerance and solidarity.
The Peace Institute in Ljubljana is responding to the described situation with workshops, in which the pupils critically and analytically face hate speech and its wider social context, the role and responsible use of the media in modern societies, and migrations. The workshops address and include technologies and media that are closest to young people and have a significant impact on the wider society as well: smart phones, the Internet, social media, video games, etc.
The workshops are designed to last two hours and are based on active learning methods (group work, discussions). In the first part, students analyze real cases of hate speech, reflect on its effects and discuss possible responses. In the second part, a discussion with a guest who has a migrant background takes place. Workshops are implemented in the period from April to October 2017.
