By Ngufack Ntemngwa
A working group of diverse stakeholders has been created to check rising hate speech in the traditional and social media in the country. The Multi-stakeholder Observatory on Countering Hate Speech in the Media and Social Media in Cameroon was established during a one-day workshop to that effect in Yaounde on Thursday February 15.
The workshop was organised by youth-led organisation, Civic Watch Cameroon implementing partner of #defyhatenow initiative in the country with support from the European Union (EU) and chaired by the Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson, Rene Emmanuel Sadi.
The working group made up of stakeholders from the academia, media, youth-led and civil society organizations among others aims to analyze the state of hate speech, develop warning systems, and inform relevant sectors to take action against the phenomenon.
The observatory will establish an Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) mechanism to monitor and combat hate speech online and offline. EWER mechanism will involve the systematic collection and analysis of hate speech acts and patterns, and the identification of potential threats and hotspots.
A holistic approach
Desmond Ngala, president of Civic Watch and Country Project Manager of #defyhatenow Cameroon said efforts have been made to counter hate speech which has unfortunately become a mode for many in the country but the platform is a novelty as it brings different stakeholders together.
“It is a multi-stakeholder platform because it brings together members of the civil society, the media, government. We think it is time to bring everyone on board in a holistic and collective approach to reduce and why not stamp out hate speech?,” Ngala told reporters.
Hate speech threatens democratic values and undermines social cohesion and there is need for coordinated efforts to combat the scourge, according to Philippe Lafosse, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Political Section, Press and Information at the EU Delegation in Cameroon.
“The European Union has been supporting the Cameroon government and civil society in the fight against hate speech since three years,” he said.
Politics, catalyst for hate speech
In his keynote address on combating hate speech in the digital era in Cameroon, renowned legal luminary and former president of the Cameroon Bar Council, Barrister Akere Muna regretted that the social media has been grossly misused especially by politicians during political campaigns.
The former presidential candidate said politics in Cameroon is a catalyst for hate speech with the political elite using misinformation during electioneering campaigns to carry favour with their electoral strongholds.
Saluting the initiative by Civic Watch, he said Cameroonians listen to hate speech and think it is funny, reason the fight against the cankerworm should involve all and sundry.
The legal guru said hate speech has not place in the Cameroonian society as “it poisons minds and hearts, leaving a trail of destruction on its way”. This, the former presidential candidate said is exacerbated during election periods with two widely used words; “transition and change of power – which carry much hate” he said.
To him the language used can spark a firestorm difficult to quench, reason he advised show of compassion in the face of hate language. “Education is important in fighting hate speech,” Akere Muna elucidating that “if people learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite,” he said citing the legendary South African president, Nelson Mandela.
We’re not stopping people from talking, but…
Minister Rene Sadi hailed the initiative by Civic Watch and partners to put in place the observatory, noting that the propagation of hate speech has continued scaling up in the media and social media space in the country despite government efforts to mitigate it.
In May last year, the government through the Spokesperson issued a statement to draw attention to the rise in hate speech in the media and social media in the country. “Unfortunately, the situation has not reduced,” Minister Sadi bemoaned but rejoiced that Civic Watch initiative will add to the efforts of the government.
The government, he said, has continued calling for restrain and moderation in the manner in which people express themselves and the creation of the multi-stakeholder observatory to fight against hate speech is a welcome initiative, “and supported by the government,” Sadi said.
The constitution guarantees both freedom of expression and that of the press but the government Spokesperson said some people have use this freedom to insult and misinform others and the government is so concerned about the situation.
He expressed joy that workshop by Civic Watch offered them the opportunity to discuss the disturbing issue again, insisting that they are not stopping people from expressing themselves but to sensitise them on the kind of language they should use.
“The objective is not to stop people from expressing their views, but to stop hate speech for the government cannot watch the situation without doing anything,” Sadi stated.
If the electoral calendar is respected, then general elections will be organised in the country next year – a period Akere Muna says is marked by high propagation of hate speech. Thus the establishment of the observatory, observers say, is timely.
