Digital protection and combating hate speech against refugees
The importance of championing creative, refugee-led approaches to misinformation and hate speech.
By Katie Drew, Deputy a.i., UNHCR’s Innovation Service
The current, harrowing situation in Afghanistan has shone a light on many disturbing challenges, including hostile narratives and toxic language against Afghan refugees online. Given how grave the humanitarian situation is in Afghanistan, why would a few anti-refugee statements online really matter? Because it’s not just a few. While there is a demonstrable online outpouring of compassion and “Refugees Welcome” sentiment, anti-refugee sentiment is no longer in the fringe. Incendiary rhetoric that stigmatizes and dehumanizes refugees is entering the mainstream. We know online hate speech can have very real offline effects — for example inhibiting acceptance by host communities, encouraging restrictions on asylum rights and even inciting violence. UNHCR’s Innovation Service recently dug into how to creatively tackle online hate speech against refugees in this podcast — discussing the urgency and need for new approaches. This blog provides a quick overview of some of the themes covered in this podcast (Episode 1).
“Hate speech relies on tensions between groups which it seeks to re-produce and amplify. Also, the interconnectivity and anonymity that comes with using online platforms makes online hate spread faster and be more potent compared to offline hate. This combination of online hate speech potency, its widespread, and the amplification of tensions creates a fertile ground for atrocity crimes against refugees”. Caleb Gichui, Programs Manager, BuildUp
There is an imperative for UNHCR to act. We have to understand these online “hate spaces”, identify the drivers of hate and xenophobia, and ensure we have adaptive strategies that keep pace with evolving toxic narratives. This is no easy feat — and we don’t have all the answers. Indeed, social media companies themselves are struggling in this space — finding a way to balance complex issues such as social responsibility, privacy rights, and freedom of expression. UNHCR is committed to the UN Strategy on Hate Speech 2021–2024 and we — as the Innovation Service — are committed to ensuring it’s a success.
UNHCR’s Innovation Service has a history of working on hate speech, from early-days experimentation into the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to detect xenophobic sentiment in Europe back in 2016 and for one of our partner agencies — Global Pulse to complete our research work about perceptions of refugees and migrants. This workstream has now evolved to leveraging new technologies, such as artificial intelligence to analyse non-traditional sources of information, including big data sources such as social media, media outlets, text-based reports and surveys, recordings, and photos. All of this is done to better understand both perceptions and fact-based data such as: emerging issues in certain areas of interest, protection incidents and human rights-related violations that could potentially lead to displacement. Hate speech is just one of them.
Building Up a collective to address xenophobia
More recently, under the Digital Inclusion programme, we identified a new partner to join us on this journey: BuildUp. BuildUp has significant experience working on digital peacebuilding, identifying the online drivers of conflicts and creating strategies to address these. In this podcast (Episode 1) you can hear more from Caleb Gichuhi (Programs Manager, Build Up) discussing BuildUp’s project in Kenya . Students from six local universities have been trained to identify and mitigate online hate speech and toxic narratives in the midst of the COVD-19 pandemic and in the run-up to the 2022 Kenyan general election. We wanted to work with a specialist agency, like Build Up, to strengthen UNHCR’s own capacity to address online xenophobia.
Our first joint-initiative was an intensive online training with UNHCR colleagues from across East Africa, to support the South Sudan peacebuilding process. In collaboration with the Youth and Peacebuilding teams in UNHCR’s regional bureau in Nairobi, BuildUp developed a comprehensive syllabus covering key aspects related to digital engagement in challenging environments. Participants were taken through a series of approaches and strategies that can be applied when engaging refugee communities — especially youth — online to address aspects such as: digital media literacy, online misinformation and disinformation, hate speech and polarization, and digital communication skills for strategic engagement online.
Having successfully conducted the training with colleagues in East Africa, we are looking to expand our partnership with BuildUp. This includes engaging with UNHCR’s office in Mindanao, Philippines. Jointly with the UN Development Program (UNDP), the partnership will identify entry points and develop capacities for teams to use digital peacebuilding as a way to support the current peace process on the island, particularly the transformation of camps.
Finally, with support from BuildUp, we are creating a training package for our Using Social Media in Community-Based Protection Guide, drawing on the latest practices and experience in this field.
“Toxic narratives are usually rooted in disinformation, long standing stereotypes .. that target a group or personal identity dividing people into an “us and them”. As the toxic narratives spread they can easily morph based on other events, situations or people’s experiences making them challenging to control…… This creates a toxic narrative that has multiple layers to address and is hard to control”. Caleb Gichui, Programs Manager, BuildUp
Championing refugee-led approaches to misinformation and hate speech
In addition to our work with BuildUp, the Innovation Service has also supported country operations through the Call for Proposals, which provides flexible funding to test new approaches to challenges across five thematic areas — one of which focuses on misinformation, rumour and hate speech. In 2020, UNHCR’s Bulgaria operation received funding through the Call for Proposals to establish a community-led rumour management system. The system is managed by a Refugee Advisory Board (RAB), a group of refugee community volunteers who have established an online platform (available in four languages) to share updates on refugee issues in Bulgaria. These issues are identified by the RAB through online monitoring of emerging trends and narratives.
In this podcast (Episode 1) , Faye, an active member of the Board, describes the types of anti-refugee sentiment that she finds online. This includes language comparing refugees to rapists and serial killers, posts warning women to stay away from refugees, and commentary on the alleged negative economic impact of hosting refugees. Faye explains how this negative and false narrative shapes peoples’ judgements of refugees and ultimately shapes the reality in which she lives.
These are just a few projects we’ve been working on recently. Please listen to the first episode of this podcast to hear more — including from UNHCR’s Brazil operation and our Telling the Real Story programme. We recognise that addressing the issue of hate speech and xenophobia online is highly challenging, and this can only be achieved through collective effort. We certainly don’t have the silver bullet solution, and we would love to hear from others working in this space. Please do share your experience with us: innovation@unhcr.org
