Media Dialogue on Hate Speech in Africa

A two-day “Media dialogue on hate speech in Africa” was held on the 17^th and 18^th of April 2014, bringing together local and regional media leaders and journalists, researchers, and others from the world of media to help prepare professional strategies that can turn the page of hate speech on the African continent. This meeting focused on the capacity of media and journalism to be a positive force for tolerance, human rights and democracy and we also collectively remember the lives of all those who lost their lives, especially the journalists, during the Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda.

The dialogue aimed to build a unified professional voice to raise awareness in Africa of the dangers of hate speech and, at the same time, to promote self-regulation and good governance in defense of the highest standards of journalism and management of media. Since the dialogue took place on the 20^th commemoration of the Genocide against Tutsi, this provided a favorable platform for the Rwandan and regional media practitioners to remember, renew and unite in their common fight against the genocide ideology. It also highlighted other forms of hate speech in media, including the use of hate speech as a tool for generating gender-based hatred and incitement to violence against people and communities who come from different cultural backgrounds, particularly in times of war and conflict in Africa.

The dialogue organised sessions to cover the following issues surrounding hate speech at the event of the 20th commemoration of Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda:

1. The Rwandan experience in dealing with hate incitements: challenges and opportunities for the media discussed in the perspective of the historical role of the media in the Genocide against Tutsi;
2. Ethical challenges, politics and incitement to violence: Media must not be weapons of war, but how do we build solidarity to defend ethical standards, promote a culture of tolerance in journalism and maintain professional independence?
3. International standards and practices against hate speech: Can they help to turn the page of hate media in Africa? Can they assist journalists to cover the stories that often divide society, including the rights of minorities who may suffer discrimination because of religious and cultural differences?
4. Gender and the Cultural Challenges: hate speech can promote discrimination and unacceptable stereotypes, often against women. It can lead to gender violence. How do media in Africa resist this tendency and strengthen the equal rights of all?
5. Hatred Online and the Internet Media Challenge: Citizens now play an important role in gathering and disseminating information. They can strengthen media work, but there are dangers, too. How can this new open information landscape be managed?

This meeting was organized by the Africa Media Initiative (AMI) through its partnership with Media High Council and Rwanda media community represented by the Association of Rwandese Female Journalists (ARFEM), the Rwanda Media Commission (RMC), and the Rwanda Journalists Association (ARJ). The event was held in co-operation with and supported by Ethical Journalism Network (EJN), the global network of media professionals dedicated to strengthening the craft of Journalism and the International Association of Women in Radio and Television. Among those taking part were continental media leaders from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Burkina Faso and South Africa.

Programme

Thursday, 17 April 2014

Friday, 18 April 2014