Costa Rica is known for its strong democracy, pro-human rights stance, and deep respect for the rule of law, so it came as a shock that the 2018 general election ushered in an unprecedented polarization within the country. Costa Rican society.
Allegra Baiocchi, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Costa Rica, has witnessed unprecedented polarization in society, and the dramatic growth of populist and conservative agendas, going away. accompanied by a sharp increase in hate speech, and expressions of discrimination and xenophobia.
A study of hate
In response to this alarming trend, the United Nations team in Costa Rica initiated the Hate Speech Action Plan and, in 2021, presented a landmark study on hate speech. hate speech in Costa Rica.
“When we started working on this, we had a lot of conversations about protecting freedom of expression, combating hate speech and discrimination,” Ms. Baiocchi said. . “We know that there is a risk that the fight against hate speech is used to limit freedom of expression, freedom of opinion.”
Ms. Baiocchi and her team found that a lot of the content focused on women, especially those in leadership positions; LGBTQ issues; and migrant population. “When we started talking to women and some of them were targets, they told us that they were afraid to express their opinions,” she said.
According to the senior UN official, a big problem is that the digital space is seen as a free space for all without accountability. Initially, the team tried to promote accountability, whether simply through reporting hate speech or discrimination on the platforms themselves or using any of the legal bases available on the platform. different countries.
But after meeting with Meta, the owner of Facebook, they realized that, although the company was investing in mediation and cleaning up of chats, the task was still too much and Meta could not protect it. or restrict everything posted on their platform. .
The Costa Rica study also looked at the dual role of the press, in relation to hate speech. “We have had cases where the media were victims of hate speech on the one hand, for investigating cases or criticizing the government, but on the other hand reporting in a way that could incite discrimination and hate speech.
Improved protection
One of the outcomes of the Costa Rica study was forming a partnership with the Association of Bar Associations, which researched legal and judicial jurisdiction over growing hate speech. developed around the world.
The team looked at which countries have the best legal systems and helped create a guidebook that covers the existing legal system that can help victims.
“Right now in Costa Rica, if you are a victim of hate speech, you can go into this handbook and see what is there for you to protect yourself,” Ms. Baiocchi explains. explained and added that, in her view, parliament has been a major ally, passing legislation focused on protecting women in politics.
“Many schools also teach debate and that is really how we can coexist in the world with different opinions,” Ms. Baiocchi said. “I think that’s basically the message behind any work on hate speech and discrimination. This is about being able to respect each other and coexist.”
Listen, ask questions, learn
Education and literacy are fundamental to the approach of the media development organization “Transitions”, based in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
Jaroslav Valuch, project manager for news literacy and authenticity at the organization, explains that Transitions supports good-quality journalism and works on media literacy with neglected groups to prevent conflict and improve people’s resilience to disinformation and hate speech hoaxes.
“If we make people more resilient to this kind of misinformation, we can combat or prevent violent radicalization. The problem with schools and education systems is that it takes a long time to change the curriculum, to change the system. We need some kind of intervention that can be done immediately.”
Perhaps surprisingly, the social sector that Transitions has identified as particularly vulnerable to misinformation is elderly citizens. According to Mr. Varuch, this is because they feel excluded from society, spreading misinformation via email chains or private messages.
“They feel underserved,” he asserts. “They feel that topics that are important to them are not covered in the mainstream media. And all of these are very valid and relevant concerns. They use this information and hate speech as a kind of stick to defeat the system or the government, making them listen to their concerns.”
To address this issue, Transitions organizes seminars in the public library, which is widely used by seniors. At these sessions, participants learn basic investigative methods, learn to take a closer look at the information they receive, and spread the word.
“The end goal is not necessarily asking them not to spread fake news or unreliable sources,” Mr. Varuch said. “Rather than saying ‘Hey, let’s enjoy our time together’. And, as a by-product, we make them more resilient to misinformation and propaganda.”
The program has now been so successful that it is being rolled out throughout the Czech Republic, as well as in neighboring countries such as Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.
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