In recent decades, rapid advances in technology have drastically changed the way people connect, communicate and access information. News and knowledge can now travel across the globe in a matter of seconds. While these digital and communications innovations have created new opportunities to organise, educate and enlighten the international community, these significant changes have also had adverse effects that we are only now beginning to address, such as the significantly increased rate at which false information, misleading information and even hate speech is being disseminated.
The international community faces difficult geopolitical issues raised by disinformation, misinformation and hate speech. People's vulnerability and exposure to risk can be exacerbated by misinformation and disinformation. Similarly, hate speech directly or indirectly threatens the security and dignity of individuals and groups.
With these considerations in mind, UNICRI and the Italian Society for International Organization (SIOI) are launching the first edition of the Summer School on Misinformation, Disinformation and Hate Speech, to be held from 3 to 7 July 2023.
The course is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students, doctoral candidates, media and other professionals, including United Nations (UN) personnel, and anyone interested in gaining an understanding of disinformation, misinformation and hate speech, how they manifest themselves and the tools available to combat them.
Special attention will be given to different dimensions of hate speech and fake news, including the contemporary challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic and the role of social media in war and political propaganda campaigns,. The training will also focus on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in disinformation; existing international legal and policy frameworks and human rights standards for countering hate speech and disinformation; and counter narratives and debunking to counter hate speech, disinformation, misinformation and fake news.
The Summer School offers professional, legal, social, scientific and academic perspectives through live webinars, group discussions, dynamic case studies, individual readings and practical exercises. The faculty consists of experts and academics from leading universities, the United Nations system, international human rights bodies and civil society.
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