According to an analysis carried out in 2007 by Centrum Badań Opinii Społecznej, research conducted by Michał Bilewicz (2014) and the Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę Foundation (2013), youths are one of the age groups experiencing hate speech and cyberviolence most often, which can considerably affect their wellbeing and mental health. 70% of young participants of our previous programme claimed to have come across it. Our studies show that young people can point to signs, but do not have sufficient tools to prevent these phenomena.
We will address this problem by running workshops for 20 pupils from schools in the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis (we will prioritise members of Youth Town Councils), equipping them with skills necessary to fight hate speech and to talk despite differences. Participants will acquire knowledge on negotiations and mediations. We will encourage them to share it with other people in their school. After the workshops, they will run social campaigns against hate speech in their communities, promoting the message that dialogue and respect are possible despite differences in outlooks. Trained individuals will become peer mediators in their schools that can be turned to in instances of hate speech. After the completion of the project, we will organise a conference summarising all initiatives implemented. Together with youths we will also run a series of meetings transcending divisions and intraschool debates to discuss selected vital social issues. Local groups, NGOs and political party representatives will be encouraged to join in.