(ANS – Madrid) – More than 57,000 messages containing hate speech were detected in the last month alone by the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia on five major social networks. At the same time, the European Parliament warns that 76% of young people are exposed to disinformation. These figures are cause for alarm.
At the Salesian Jóvenes y Desarrollo (JyD) NGO, young people work to prevent hate speech, together with Bosco Global and in collaboration with AECID, on the Enrédate por la interculturalidad (Get involved for interculturality) Project. “We want to tackle the prevention of hate speech, with a special emphasis on racism and xenophobia. We put young people at the centre and address issues such as interculturalism, the SDGs, the creation of new narratives and the identification of hoaxes,” explains Paloma Montero, head of the organisation’s Social Transformation area.
‘This project gave rise to Generation G: a generation with G for migrants, G for global, G for proud, G for LGTBIQ+, G for friends, G for generosity… Generation G is made up of people from everywhere, united to take action and transform the world,’ continues JyD.
Generation G was created to strengthen global citizenship through transformative education. Its aim is to be a voice for young people and everyone in the educational community, encouraging them to become agents of change for equality and social justice.
JyD also made the documentary “Building the Future”. Ibrahima, Sarayma, Moha, Miriam… young people from Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Castile and León, Catalonia, the Valencian Community and Madrid are the protagonists and talk about how they experience diversity, identity, interculturality, the problems they face because they are considered different… ‘Young people are citizens of the present and they are asking to be heard and for us to unite to build a future with them,’ adds Montero.
On the International Day Against Hate Speech, commemorated on June 18, JyD seeks to reaffirm the value of diversity and commit to a culture of peace.