The City of Banja Luka hosted on 9 to 10 July a capacity building activity dedicated to the important topic of preventing hate speech on the internet and promoting a positive use of social media. The event organised with the support of EU and Council of Europe brought together 35 participants representing various segments of the society.

While becoming a key mean of communication, internet has also become a space increasingly challenging when dealing with hate speech. In this framework, this training aimed to provide participants with the tools and knowledge needed to recognise and appropriately respond to hate speech, as well as to promote a culture of dialogue and respect for diversity on the internet.

The training participants, including university students, primary and secondary school students, teachers, social workers, and parents, had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of this topic through a combination of theoretical lectures, interactive exercises, case studies, and creative workshops. Issues covered during the training included understanding hate speech, its legal implications, and the psychological consequences it can have on individuals and on the society. In its 2024 Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Commission highlighted that the country faces significant challenges in combating hate speech and that it is necessary to further strengthen the legislative framework and institutional capacities to fight this problem.

One of the training participants, Danijela Kopanja, stated: "I attended the training with my younger son.  The training helped us better understand the causes and consequences of hate speech on the internet, as well as realise that freedom of speech fosters debate, while hate speech incites violence. It is especially important that this topic is discussed with children and young people, as they are a sensitive category of society."

The advisor to the Mayor of Banja Luka, Milada Šukalo, who joined the event, emphasised that the workshop was more than successful, thanks to the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe. She added that participants, as part of the creative segment of the workshop, created content that calls for the prevention of hate speech and sends strong messages on this very important topic.

The City of Banja Luka recognised the importance of raising awareness and education on the fight against hate speech, especially among young people and on the internet. In this context, the standards set by the EU and Council of Europe clearly indicate the need for continuous education and strengthening institutional capacities for the prevention of hate speech.

This initiative is implemented by the City of Banja Luka supported by the action “Towards an equal, inclusive and tolerant Bosnia and Herzegovina” part of the European Union and the Council of Europe joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”. The views expressed in this text are the responsibility of the author and do not represent the official views of the European Union and the Council of Europe.