Dignity in Difference

Hate speech is a key tool in the recruitment narratives of regional Violent Extremism (VE) groups. Violent extremist groups have used hate speech as an instrument to construct, demarcate, and institutionalize group dynamics, but there is a scarcity of documentation in South Asia. Linguistic complexity, the role of young people in hate speech, and pathways of identity de-construction have rarely been explored during South Asian peacebuilding processes. Though young people encounter hate speech in their everyday digital lives, they still have little to no access to constructive avenues against hate speech. 10 fellows from the European Union-funded ALLY project aim to change this dynamic.

Alino Chishi, Baksheesh Sachar, Fayzullah Fayz, Hameeda Syed, Himanshu Panday, Mannat Dhillion, Mohammad Zubair Madni, Roshino Chahat, Saashi Windsor, and Shagun Sharma joined the ALLY Fellowship program’s regional training in August 2021, where they explored drivers of violent extremism (VE) in their local contexts in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

“When we were discussing widespread push and pull drivers of violent extremism in the workshops, we realized how some of those narratives encroached on our everyday lives in the form of hate speech. To understand its impact on our surroundings, we started searching online and realized the scarcity of resources and knowledge around hate speech in South Asia. it motivated us to shape a youth-centric fellowship where young people could take a lead in building a safe digital space.”

– Himanshu Panday, India