{"id":1845,"date":"2025-07-06T13:48:37","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T13:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/?p=1845"},"modified":"2025-07-06T13:48:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T13:48:37","slug":"civic-and-political-recommendations-to-counter-hate-speech-in-syria-from-defacto-dialogue-session-in-damascus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/?p=1845","title":{"rendered":"Civic and Political Recommendations to Counter Hate Speech in Syria from DeFacto Dialogue Session in Damascus"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">In response to the alarming rise of hate speech and its impact on social cohesion and civil peace in Syria, the <em>DeFacto<\/em> Dialogue Platform organized a roundtable discussion titled &#8220;Countering Hate Speech in Syria&#8221; on July 2, 2025, in Damascus. The session was held in collaboration with Naseej, Local Administration Councils Unit (LACU), Hooz Center for Social Development, and the Dar Association for Victims of Forced Displacement. It brought together civil society actors, political figures, media professionals, and human rights advocates for an open dialogue on effective strategies to confront hate speech in all its forms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Participants discussed the roles that official institutions, media, and civil society can play in countering hate speech, with a focus on protecting the most targeted groups, including women and diverse community components. The dialogue also explored the legal, constitutional, and policy dimensions of hate speech in the Syrian context.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">At the conclusion of the session, participants outlined a set of actionable recommendations structured around four main pillars:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #800000;\"><strong>The Role of Civil Society in Countering Hate Speech <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Strengthen Coordination and Build Alliances: Intensify efforts among civil society organizations (CSOs) to unify their response to hate speech by forming effective coalitions at both local and national levels.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Develop Internal Policies: Establish clear internal policies within CSOs that uphold values of integrity and respect, and prevent any form of discriminatory or hate-inciting behavior by staff.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Contribute to Legislative Reform: Encourage civil initiatives to draft and propose legislation criminalizing hate speech and submit these drafts to the relevant authorities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Revise Intervention Strategies: Reevaluate civil society intervention methodologies to ensure they align with the diverse social and political contexts, while addressing the root causes of hate speech.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #800000;\"><strong>Promoting Political Stability and Combating Hate Speech in Syria <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Revitalize Political Life: Support existing political parties and movements while enabling the formation of new entities that reflect the aspirations of Syria\u2019s diverse communities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Empower Civil Society Oversight: Enable CSOs to play a watchdog role over political authorities by representing citizens\u2019 interests and advocating for their rights.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Enact and Enforce Anti-Hate Speech Legislation: Push for the adoption of clear and robust laws criminalizing hate speech, and ensure the activation of relevant existing laws, such as the cybercrime law.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Guarantee Judicial Independence: Emphasize the importance of an independent, fair, and competent judiciary as a safeguard for justice and individual rights.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Activate Constitutional Provisions: Implement constitutional articles related to combating hate speech to ensure their practical reflection in legislation and state practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Inclusive and Representative Constitutional Process: Advocate for a final constitution to be the result of a broad, inclusive political process through a national constituent assembly that genuinely represents all components of Syrian society and is ratified by popular referendum.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Constitutionalization of Hate Speech Criminalization: Include explicit constitutional provisions criminalizing hate speech based on discrimination or racism, offering a solid legal foundation for fostering pluralism and mutual respect.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #800000;\"><strong>The Role of State Media and Official Institutions in Addressing Hate Speech <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Adopt a Comprehensive National Media Policy: Develop a clear and ethical media strategy that adheres to principles of neutrality, integrity, and pluralism while actively combating hate speech and incitement across all official platforms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Review State Media Content: Conduct critical reviews of government media outputs to ensure they are free from incitement, discrimination, or misrepresentation of any social group.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Build the Capacity of Public Media Professionals: Implement training programs for journalists in public institutions to enhance their understanding of hate speech and equip them with tools for professional and non-incendiary reporting.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Enhance Transparency and Accountability: Activate oversight mechanisms within state media institutions to ensure ethical standards are upheld and allow citizens to file complaints against harmful or offensive content.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Produce Constructive and Educational Content: Encourage the creation of media campaigns and programming that promote tolerance, deconstruct stereotypes, and foster inclusive narratives reflective of Syria\u2019s diversity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Foster Collaboration Between the Ministry of Information and Civil Society: Establish communication and partnerships between the Ministry of Information and specialized CSOs to jointly develop media policies and combat hate speech and disinformation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Include Hate Speech Provisions in Media Law: Amend current media regulations to explicitly criminalize hate speech and define legal accountability for violations by media outlets and professionals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #800000;\"><strong>Addressing Gender-Based Hate Speech and Promoting Women\u2019s Participation in Public Life <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Criminalize Gender-Based Hate Speech: Demand the inclusion of clear legal provisions criminalizing hate speech targeting women, whether in media, digital spaces, or public life, recognizing it as a form of gender-based violence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Protect Women in Public and Digital Spaces: Develop protective mechanisms against verbal abuse, digital harassment, and gender-based incitement, alongside effective reporting systems that ensure legal follow-up and accountability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Launch Awareness Campaigns: Conduct widespread media and community campaigns aimed at dismantling discriminatory stereotypes and highlighting women\u2019s contributions across all sectors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Empower Women in Decision-Making Spaces: Support women\u2019s access to leadership positions in media, civil society, and politics to ensure their voices are represented and to directly challenge gendered hate speech.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Integrate Gender Perspectives in Public Policies: Ensure that all national strategies, especially in media, education, and political participation, are gender-sensitive and work to eliminate barriers facing women.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Build Women\u2019s Capacity to Defend Their Rights: Provide legal, psychological, and advocacy training programs to help women respond to and challenge hate speech effectively.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">Monitor and Document Violations: Establish independent national mechanisms to monitor and document hate speech targeting women, produce regular reports, and recommend effective remedies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; color: #000000;\">These recommendations aim to foster a unifying public discourse that reinforces values of citizenship and pluralism, while laying a practical foundation to combat incitement and hate. They represent a collective step toward a more just, inclusive, and tolerant future for all Syrians.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In response to the alarming rise of hate speech and its impact on social cohesion and civil peace in Syria, the DeFacto Dialogue Platform organized a roundtable discussion titled &#8220;Countering Hate Speech in Syria&#8221; on July 2, 2025, in Damascus. The session was held in collaboration with Naseej, Local Administration Councils Unit (LACU), Hooz Center [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1846,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"jnews_post_split":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[84],"class_list":["post-1845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recommendations"],"authors":[{"term_id":84,"user_id":5,"is_guest":0,"slug":"admin9090","display_name":"admin9090","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0115cd93beece6d5f95fbe9b2d0973c523785793e08ffb9254f68083c0722130?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1845"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1847,"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845\/revisions\/1847"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1845"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/defacto-sy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fppma_author&post=1845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}