Youths train on combating hate ideology

About 20 youth leaders who are active on social media have been selected to participate in a 3-day-training on how to use social media to counter hate ideologies by the Dialogue Reconciliation and Peace (DREP) Centre in Jos, the Plateau State capital.  The pilot training is based on a grant received by DREP from the […]

About 20 youth leaders who are active on social media have been selected to participate in a 3-day-training on how to use social media to counter hate ideologies by the Dialogue Reconciliation and Peace (DREP) Centre in Jos, the Plateau State capital. 

The pilot training is based on a grant received by DREP from the Mandela Washington Fellows Alumni Association of Nigeria with support from the US Department of State on September 27.

The youths who were selected from Jos North and Jos South Local Government Areas, according to DREP Programme Manager, Chris Anthony Ogbonna, will be trained on how to identify hate speech or ideologies, the critical line between freedom of expression and hate speech as well as how hate speech can be countered through social media. 

Ogbonna explained that because social media is not controlled, young people have found ways of creating and spreading information that dehumanise certain people based on tribe, religion or affiliation.