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UNESCO Continues to Support Youth in Combating Hate Speech, Misinformation and Disinformation in The Gambia
Post date:
2024/06/09
Through our support to Open Media Centre, UNESCO continues to support youth trainings across The Gambia to build their media and information literacy.
Last update: 5 June 2024
Following a successful two-day training of youth in media and information literacy in October 2023, UNESCO reiterates its firm belief in youth as key players in the fight against hate speech, mis/dis information. Through our support to Open Media Centre, UNESCO continues to support youth trainings across The Gambia to build their media and information literacy.
The youth trainings were held in various regions in The Gambia from North Bank Region to Upper River Region. The trainings featured 15 – 20 students and focused on empowering them with the much-needed competencies to help them critically analyse and engage with media both online and offline. According to Open Media Centre’s Kebba Jeffang, the trainings will go a long way and changing the fabric of The Gambia by making sure young people are aware of the risks and dangers of hate speech mis/disinformation. More importantly, he highlights that the trainings will not just ensure young people are competent but that they will go back into their communities and serve as agents of change.
According to the principal of Brikamaba Upper and Senior Secondary School, “The training is important for the students to learn about hate speech as it brings division in our country and we need to work very hard to eradicate it.” A student from Kaiaf Senior Secondary School, Abubacarr Fatty highlighted that many youth are using the internet without knowing the dangers associated with it. He further stated that they learnt a lot about hate speech and why it must not be promoted and that they will take steps to share what was learnt with more students.
With sessions on privacy, data protection, cyber security, digital tools and fact checking, the trainings fall within our strategic objective of building and enhancing infrastructures for peace which youth are stakeholders to. Participants of the trainings are equipped to effectively contribute towards Agenda 2030 as well as SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.