B4H8 European workshops against hate speech

The Before They Hate (B4H8) project was created to address persistent issues of discrimination and misogyny, with a strong focus on supporting young people. To bring this vision to life, Connect International (Belgium), St Paul’s Youth Forum (Scotland), Center for Digital Pedagogic (Denmark), and Backslash (Spain) teamed up under the coordination of Iceland’s Ofsi. Together, we’re working to raise awareness about hate speech and provide the tools to combat it effectively.

As part of B4H8, we’re excited to share some of the hands-on resources we’ve developed—including a photo campaign, a short film, an interactive online platform, and a unique methodology designed to equip youth professionals. Through these initiatives, we hope to help young people understand how hate speech manifests both online and offline, give voice to those who have experienced it, and support youth professionals in addressing it head-on.

Local Workshops: Bringing Resources to Life

To make the project even more impactful, each B4H8 partner organisation held national workshops, introducing youth professionals to the project’s resources.

In Spain, Backslash organised a session with youth worker students from the Vocational School Jordi in Valencia. In the workshop, the participants experienced first-hand the resources created both in the methodology and in the digital platform to, through non-formal education activities, work on hate speech and how to combat it offline and online. The workshop was a success as it managed to awaken the interest of the participants and they acquired new tools to put into practice in their professional future with youth.

Meanwhile, in Denmark, the Center for Digital Youth Care conducted a training session for 20 youth workers from Finland, introducing them to a variety of educational materials aimed at preventing online hate speech. During the workshop, participants were presented with several tools available on the B4H8 website and were encouraged to integrate these resources into their work with youth. The session provided valuable insights into how these tools can be used to address and prevent online hate speech in various youth work settings.

Trainings were also conducted both in Iceland and Ireland as part of the B4H8 project by Ofsi and St. Paul Youth Forum, respectively. Both workshops focused on using the B4H8 digital tools and sharing strategies for addressing hate speech within their local contexts, sparking valuable conversations on implementing these resources effectively.

Finally, Connect International conducted an online training session to introduce 15 youth workers from nine European countries to the B4H8 Educational Model. The session aimed to equip participants with practical tools for implementing the model in their own youth work settings. Participants were guided through the theoretical aspects of the model, practical activities, and the film “Geltu,” which will be used as an educational tool. The interactive format allowed participants to exchange insights, and the overall feedback was highly positive, with attendees expressing enthusiasm for applying the model in their future work.

These workshops have sown the seeds of change across Europe, helping youth professionals gain the skills and resources they need to fight against hate speech. Our hope is to continue spreading this impact and involve more professionals and young people in this cause.