A one-day validation workshop on the findings of the comprehensive research on hate speech in The Gambia, conducted by NHRC with the support of UNESCO, is currently in progress at the African Princess Beach Hotel.
The Gambia has been known for ethnic, political and religious tolerance in West Africa. However, the recent increasing prevalence of hate speech and amplied on the social media especially, threatens the peaceful coexistence.
The research seeks to address the spread of hate speech in The Gambia through a rights-based approach looking @ the drivers, the impact, actions to be taken to counter hate speech and mitigate its negative effects.
*Hate is not natural but it is nurtured so we have to stop those who nurture it.
*Adama Dieng – UN Special Advisor on Genocide
-Words kill surely as bullets
-Hate crimes are preceeded by hate speech
-The Genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda started with hate speech
-The Holocaust did not start with Gas Chambers, it started with hate speech
-What we have seen in Myanmar against the Rohingya population started with hate speech
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We must invest in educating the youths and the next generation to understand the importance of living peacefully
