Digital Hate Interrupter Activism Days Mobilise Youth Across Europe

Between November 2025 and January 2026, six countries across Europe hosted the Digital Hate Interrupter Activism Days, a series of community-based events organised within Work Package 5 of the HUMAN project. The initiative aimed to raise awareness about racism, hate speech and discrimination in digital environments while empowering young people to become active agents in promoting respectful and inclusive online spaces. 

These events brought together young people, educators, youth workers, civil society organisations and local stakeholders, creating spaces for dialogue, learning and collaboration around one of the most pressing challenges of the digital era: the spread of online hate. Through interactive activities, creative methodologies and youth-led initiatives, participants explored ways to recognise and respond to harmful online behaviours while strengthening digital responsibility and civic engagement. 

Across Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sweden și Cipru, each national event adapted the Activism Day format to its local context. Despite these differences, all events shared a common goal: translating the HUMAN project’s tools and resources into meaningful learning experiences that encourage young people and communities to challenge hate narratives and promote diversity and inclusion. 

Youth participation at the centre

A defining element of the Activism Days was the strong involvement of the Youth Panel for Diversity, whose members played key roles in the design and delivery of activities. Young participants were not only attendees but also facilitators, storytellers and content creators, leading discussions, presenting project resources and sharing their perspectives on online discrimination and digital activism. 

In several countries, youth-led podcasts, discussions and creative workshops served as starting points for reflection. This peer-to-peer approach proved particularly effective in encouraging open conversations and empowering young people to take ownership of the fight against online hate.

Creative and participatory learning

The Activism Days relied heavily on interactive and experiential methodologies to address sensitive topics such as racism, bullying and misinformation. Activities included storytelling sessions, artistic and theatre-based exercises, collaborative workshops and gamified learning experiences that encouraged participants to identify and challenge discriminatory narratives. 

For example, in Portugal, students engaged in a gamified Escape Room activity designed to help them recognise hate speech and misinformation in digital environments. In Spain, a multi-space format allowed students, families and educators to explore different activities simultaneously, encouraging intergenerational dialogue. In Cyprus, international university students collaborated to create digital activism campaigns through memes, videos and visual artworks addressing discrimination and online bias. 

Strong community engagement

The events also fostered collaboration between schools, local authorities, civil society organisations and community actors, reinforcing the importance of collective responsibility in addressing digital hate. Educators, youth workers and institutional representatives contributed to discussions and workshops, helping to connect the experiences of young people with broader social and legal frameworks. 

By involving diverse stakeholders, the Activism Days helped strengthen local networks and laid the groundwork for continued cooperation in promoting inclusive digital spaces.

A strong European impact

The initiative reached more than 1,500 participants, significantly exceeding the initial participation target of 600 people across the six countries. The events brought together students, teachers, youth workers and community representatives, demonstrating the strong mobilisation capacity of the project partners and the relevance of the topic across European societies. 

Participant feedback highlighted increased awareness of hate speech, greater understanding of digital responsibility and strong appreciation for the youth-led and interactive nature of the activities.

Continuing the work through the HUMAN Online Learning Platform

Beyond the Activism Days themselves, participants were introduced to the HUMAN Online Learning Platform, where the project’s main resources are freely available. The platform gathers the key outputs developed throughout the project, including the Manual for Digital Hate Interrupter Activism, educational modules, youth-led podcasts, webinars and practical tools designed to help individuals and organisations recognise and respond to online hate speech. 

By providing open access to these resources, the platform ensures that the knowledge generated through the HUMAN project continues to support educators, youth workers, civil society organisations and young people across Europe in building safer and more inclusive digital communities.

Together, the Digital Hate Interrupter Activism Days and the HUMAN Online Learning Platform contribute to strengthening youth participation, digital responsibility and collective action against racism and hate speech online.

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The project is coordinated by The Smile of the Child in partnership with Rinova Málaga S.L., Folkuniversitetet, Centre for Social Innovation – CSI, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Znanstveno-raziskovalno srediço Koper, Mulab, European Antibullying Network and DYPALL Network.

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