Literacia Mediática Humanitária & Combate ao Discurso de Ódio no Luxemburgo

Visão geral do programa

Humanitarian organisations now work inside two environments at once: the physical crisis and the information space around it. Rumours about who receives aid, manipulated images, false claims about vaccines or registration, and hateful narratives against displaced people or minorities can move faster than any field team. They shape whether communities trust aid workers, whether people seek services, and in the worst cases whether tension turns into violence.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) groups these problems under the term harmful information: misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and content that is manipulated or spread in breach of international humanitarian law. Its approach looks less at whether a claim is true or false and more at the harm it can cause to people’s safety and dignity, and to humanitarian access. In January 2025 the ICRC published a response framework for humanitarian organisations built on this harm-based view.

The wider policy landscape has also moved. The UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech (June 2019) set a system-wide approach based on freedom of expression and “more speech, not less”. The UN Global Principles for Information Integrity, launched on 24 June 2024, added five principles covering trust and resilience, healthy incentives, public empowerment, independent media, and transparency and research. In Europe, the Digital Services Act has applied to all online platforms since 17 February 2024.

This five-day programme in Luxembourg helps humanitarian, communication, protection and community engagement teams apply these frameworks in practice. Participants build media literacy skills, learn to assess hate speech against recognised thresholds, monitor their information environment and design responses that protect communities without restricting legitimate expression.

Luxembourg is a practical setting for this work: a country that commits close to 1% of gross national income to development cooperation, funds humanitarian action under a dedicated strategy, and runs a national reporting and awareness service for online hate speech.

O programa reforça a capacidade institucional em

• Media and information literacy for field and headquarters staff
• Source verification and content authentication
• Distinguishing misinformation, disinformation and malinformation
• Hate speech identification using the Rabat six-part threshold test
• Harm-based assessment of information risks to communities
• Information ecosystem and situation analysis
• Social listening and media monitoring
• Rumour tracking and community feedback mechanisms
• Conflict-sensitive and do-no-harm communication
• Counter-messaging and positive alternative narratives
• Prebunking and community resilience activities
• Crisis communication planning
• Protection of staff targeted by online hostility
• Engagement with platforms and trusted flagger channels
• Coordination with UN, Red Cross and NGO partners
• Ethical standards for sharing images and personal data
• Data protection in monitoring activities
• Early warning links between hate speech and atrocity risk
• Internal policies on harmful information
• Measuring the effect of communication responses

The programme is practical throughout. Each day closes with an exercise based on real frameworks and published humanitarian experience, so teams leave with tools they can adapt to their own operations.

The Growing Importance of Media Literacy and Countering Hate Speech

The ICRC has warned that harmful information can fuel violence and displacement, lead to violations of international humanitarian law, steer people away from safety or health care, and put aid workers at risk. Its message is direct: trust is the currency of humanitarian work, and when trust erodes, access and protection suffer.

UN agencies have responded with practical guidance. UNHCR has published a toolkit for humanitarians on information integrity on digital platforms, built around a situation analysis, an “ABCDE” framework for assessing potential harm, and community-based approaches that treat organisations led by displaced and stateless people as key partners. UNESCO issued Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms in November 2023, setting out how regulation can address harmful content while protecting freedom of expression.

Regulation is also changing what organisations can ask of platforms. Under the EU Digital Services Act, very large online platforms have carried out systemic risk assessments since August 2023, and hate speech is cited as an example of illegal content that platforms must handle through notice and action procedures.

As organizações precisam cada vez mais de profissionais capazes de:

• Assessing the credibility of sources, images and video
• Separating legitimate criticism from manipulative narratives
• Applying recognised thresholds to decide when speech becomes incitement
• Mapping who communities trust and how information travels
• Running ethical social listening without collecting excess personal data
• Tracking rumours and closing feedback loops with communities
• Writing accurate, respectful messages in local languages
• Planning communication for fast-moving crises
• Supporting colleagues who face online harassment
• Reporting content to platforms and authorities through proper channels
• Coordinating responses with partners and clusters
• Advising managers on the risks of silence and the risks of over-reaction

Strong media literacy and hate speech response systems help organisations:

• Protect communities from harm linked to false or hateful content
• Maintain acceptance and safe access in sensitive areas
• Reduce security risks to staff and partners
• Respond quickly and consistently to rumours about aid
• Uphold the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence
• Strengthen accountability to affected people
• Give early warning of rising tension
• Meet donor and regulatory expectations on information integrity
• Avoid amplifying hateful content by mistake

For managers, the question is no longer whether information risks affect programmes, but whether the organisation has the people, procedures and partnerships to manage them.

Who Should Attend This Media Literacy and Hate Speech Training?

Este programa destina-se a:

• Humanitarian programme managers and coordinators
• Communication and media officers
• Community engagement and accountability (CEA/AAP) officers
• Protection officers and protection cluster staff
• Field staff and community mobilisers
• Social cohesion and peacebuilding officers
• Advocacy and policy officers
• Security and safety advisers
• Information management and data officers
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning staff
• Pessoal das Sociedades Nacionais da Cruz Vermelha e do Crescente Vermelho
• NGO and INGO country directors
• Officials from ministries and agencies responsible for disaster response, refugees or social cohesion
• Staff of national human rights institutions
• Community leaders and representatives of community-based organisations
• Development cooperation staff working in fragile settings

Mixed teams from headquarters and the field gain the most, because the exercises connect policy decisions with day-to-day communication.

Media Literacy and Hate Speech Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Media Literacy and Hate Speech Training, participants will be able to:

• Explain how harmful information affects communities and humanitarian operations
• Assess the reliability of sources and verify images and video using open tools
• Distinguish misinformation, disinformation, malinformation and hate speech
• Apply the Rabat six-part threshold test to real examples
• Carry out an information situation analysis for an operation
• Design a proportionate monitoring and rumour-tracking system
• Develop accurate, respectful and conflict-sensitive messages
• Prepare a crisis communication plan for information incidents
• Use reporting channels with platforms and authorities appropriately
• Apply ethical and data protection standards to media work
• Coordinate responses with partners and communities
• Contribute to organisational policy on harmful information

The objectives follow the ICRC response framework, the UN Global Principles and UNHCR guidance, so they align with what partners and donors already expect.

Conteúdo e estrutura do programa

Media Literacy and Hate Speech Training Methodology

The programme follows adult learning principles. Short inputs are followed at once by practice on realistic material, and participants are encouraged to bring their own anonymised examples.

O programa combina:

• Short expert presentations on frameworks and tools
• Verification exercises with open tools
• Threshold scoring of published hate speech examples
• Case studies drawn from ICRC, UN and NGO publications
• Group design of monitoring and response plans
• Role plays for spokespeople and community meetings
• Timed simulations with facilitator injections
• Peer review using structured checklists
• Discussion of ethical dilemmas
• Reflection on participants’ own operations
• Personal and organisational action planning

Before the programme, participants complete a short pre-assessment so the facilitator can adjust examples and depth. Organisations can also use the free training needs assessment to identify team priorities.

Resultados esperados

Upon completion of this Media Literacy and Hate Speech Training, participants will be able to:

• Verify content and judge source credibility with confidence
• Assess hate speech consistently using a recognised test
• Run an information situation analysis for their operation
• Set up proportionate and ethical monitoring
• Choose and deliver responses that reduce harm
• Lead or support a crisis communication plan
• Protect staff and communities during information incidents
• Coordinate effectively with partners and reporting channels
• Propose policy improvements to senior management

Participants return with completed templates and a tested plan that can be adapted for their own country operations.

Institutional Application of Media Literacy and Hate Speech Training

Este programa ajuda as organizações a reforçar:

• Policies on harmful information and hate speech
• Community engagement and accountability systems
• Protection analysis and early warning
• Security risk management linked to information threats
• Communication approval and crisis procedures
• Data protection in monitoring and feedback
• Coordination with clusters and partners
• Staff care for those targeted online
• Relations with platforms and regulators
• Monitoring and evaluation of communication work
• Induction and training for new staff

Os participantes regressam com ferramentas práticas para melhorar:

• Verification checklists
• Hate speech threshold scoring sheets
• Information situation analysis templates
• Rumour tracking logs
• Monitoring plans
• Crisis communication plans
• Message testing guides
• Policy outlines on harmful information

Organisations that want to see where these tools fit can start with the free institutional capacity assessment.

Relevância regional e aplicação

Europa

European humanitarian and migration actors operate under the Digital Services Act, which since February 2024 gives users and trusted flaggers clearer routes to report illegal hate speech. Teams working with refugees and migrants can use these channels alongside national reporting services such as Luxembourg’s.

África

In several conflict settings in Africa, humanitarian organisations face rumours about aid and hostility towards displaced groups. ICRC guidance on harmful information stresses community relationships and confidential dialogue with parties to conflict as the main protective tools.

Médio Oriente

Protracted crises in the Middle East have shown how manipulated images and narratives can put aid workers and civilians at risk. Ethical handling of images and protection of personal data are central to responses in these contexts.

Ásia

Across Asia, displaced and stateless communities are often targeted online. UNHCR’s information integrity toolkit was designed with such settings in mind and places organisations led by displaced people at the centre of the response.

América Latina

Mixed migration in Latin America has been accompanied by xenophobic narratives online. Media literacy, trusted local messengers and accurate service information help reduce harm to people on the move.

Participants from all regions adapt the same tools to their own legal setting, languages and platforms.

Host Country Profile – Luxembourg

Luxembourg, a founding member of the European Union, offers a multilingual and international setting for professional learning. Its capital hosts EU institutions and many international organisations, and its compact size makes it easy for participants to move between sessions and visits.

The country is a useful benchmark for this topic. Luxembourg has kept official development assistance close to 1% of gross national income since 2009, and in 2023 directed nearly EUR 99.78 million, more than 15% of its aid, to humanitarian action under its humanitarian strategy. At home, Article 457-1 of the Criminal Code makes public incitement to hatred an offence. The BEE SECURE initiative, coordinated by the national youth service, runs awareness training integrated into schools and a Stopline for reporting hate speech and terrorist content; in 2024 the Stopline flagged 448 URLs with racist, discriminatory or radical content and 127 with terrorist material, up from 41 in 2023. Prevention campaigns such as #NOHATEONLINE add a media literacy dimension.

Luxembourg is part of the Schengen area. Participants from many countries need a Schengen visa and should apply early through the competent consulate; Risalat provides invitation letters and visa advice. Luxembourg Airport offers connections to major European hubs, and the city is also reachable by rail.

Media Literacy and Hate Speech Training Deliverables

Risalat supports participants before, during and after the programme so learning turns into practice.

Antes do programa

• Avaliação prévia dos participantes
• Media Literacy and Hate Speech Readiness Assessment
• Media Literacy and Hate Speech Resource Pack
• Materiais de leitura preparatória
• Apoio e aconselhamento gratuitos em matéria de vistos
• Recolha no aeroporto e apoio de boas-vindas
• Alojamento com pequeno-almoço
• Jantar de boas-vindas e networking

Durante o programa

• Kit de formação Risalat (saco, garrafa, caneca, t-shirt, boné, capa de passaporte, canetas, bloco de notas, íman e porta-chaves)
• Comprehensive Media Literacy and Hate Speech Training Manual
• Source Verification Checklist
• Rabat Threshold Scoring Sheet
• Information Situation Analysis Template
• Rumour Tracking Log
• Crisis Communication Plan Template
• Workshops práticos e simulações
• Discussões de grupo e aprendizagem entre pares
• Almoço e pausas para café diários
• Acesso total às instalações do local de formação
• Mini tablet com materiais de aprendizagem digitais
• Visita de campo (quando aplicável)
• Passeio recreativo pela cidade

Depois do programa

• Certificado de Conclusão
• Prémio Risalat de Reconhecimento da Participação no Programa
• Materiais de referência pós-formação
• Harmful Information Policy Outline
• 90-Day Team Action Plan
• Apoio pós-formação e orientação de acompanhamento
• Relatório do programa

Institutions that wish to train a whole team can request a tailored in-house version of this programme, adapted to their countries, languages and platforms.

Common Challenges in Countering Hate Speech and Harmful Information, And How This Training Helps

How can staff tell harmful content from legitimate criticism?

Day 1 introduces the ICRC harm-based lens and verification skills, and Day 2 applies the Rabat threshold test, so teams can respond to genuine complaints openly while treating manipulative or hateful narratives differently.

How do we decide when hate speech needs action?

The threshold scoring exercise on Day 2 gives a structured way to weigh context, speaker, intent, content, reach and likelihood of harm, and to match each case to a proportionate response.

How can we monitor online spaces without breaching privacy?

Day 3 covers ethical social listening, data minimisation and review procedures, and each group builds a monitoring plan with clear data protection rules.

How do we avoid amplifying the content we want to counter?

Day 3 sessions on response choices explain when to stay silent, when to prebunk and when to correct, and how to frame messages without repeating harmful claims.

How should we protect staff who are targeted online?

Day 4 links information incidents to security management and staff care, and the crisis communication plan includes protection measures for named colleagues.

How can we coordinate with partners instead of acting alone?

Day 4 covers coordination with UN agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, NGOs and platforms, and the Day 5 simulation tests these links under pressure.

How do we turn training into organisational policy?

The capstone on Day 5 ends with a policy outline and a 90-day action plan that participants present to peers and take back to management.

Perguntas frequentes

A quem se destina este programa?

Humanitarian managers, communication, community engagement, protection and security staff, plus officials and community leaders who deal with rumours or hate speech affecting crisis-affected people.

Does the course teach content removal or censorship?

No. It follows the UN approach that addressing hate speech does not mean limiting free expression. The focus is verification, proportionate assessment, accurate messaging, protection and proper reporting channels.

Que quadros de referência utiliza o programa?

The UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity, the Rabat Plan of Action threshold test, ICRC guidance on harmful information, UNHCR's information integrity toolkit and the EU Digital Services Act.

Do participants need technical skills?

No. Verification and monitoring tools are introduced step by step, and the exercises are designed for managers and field staff as well as communication specialists.

O programa pode ser realizado internamente?

Yes. Institutions can request a tailored version adapted to their countries, languages and platforms through Risalat's request for proposal form.

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