At the UN side-event ‘The Impact of Online Caste-Hate Speech’, Dalit and digital rights activists and the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues raised concern over increasing caste-hate speech on online platforms leading to dehumanization, violence and atrocities.
On 22 March 2021, IDSN International Associates the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Minority Rights Group (MRG), FORUM-ASIA and Human Rights Watch (HRW), organised the side-event during the 46th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The event discussed the various forms in which online caste-hate speech manifests, the gravity of such manifestations and the concrete means to combat it and feature a presentation of the ground-breaking new report on caste-hate speech commissioned by IDSN.
The keynote speaker at the event was Fernand de Varennes, UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, and the panelists were Murali Shanmugavelan, Researcher and author of IDSN’s caste-hate speech report, Beena Pallical (National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, India), Elaine Alam (Faces Pakistan), Riya Singh (Dalit Women Fight Collective, India), Anju Kandel (Jagaran Media Centre, Nepal) and Tamanna Singh Baraik (Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Minorities, Bangladesh). The event was moderated by Meena Varma, Executive Director of IDSN.
Watch the full video stream of the HRC46 side-event on Caste-Hate Speech here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1006195179911312
The event was also live-tweeted – below are selected tweets from the speakers:
Fernand de Varennes, UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues
– We are failing on hate-speech – a pandemic of the mind. Hate-speech too often leads to violence and atrocities and in some cases even genocide. Minorities, including Dalits, are overwhelmingly the targets of hate-speech in social media. Says @fernanddev – #endcastehate https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– Dehumanization of minorities such as Dalits through use of hate-speech is a precursor to violence. Hate-speech must be tackled. This is an extremely dangerous situation. We must address this through a binding international regulatory framework. Says @fernanddev #endcastehate https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– The time has come to deal with the scourge of hate-speech and we need to focus on that key targets are minorities and marginalized communities and especially women. We must address this aspect of hate-speech directly & address the minorities targeted directly. #endcastehate https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– We need to tie caste-based discrimination into the global human rights agenda. Next year for the 30th year of the declaration on the rights of minorities we need to ensure that caste discrimination is a key part of this dialogue – take part in the activities. Says @fernanddev https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– We need to regulate social media so that there are consequences for social media failing to end the hate on their platforms, including caste-hate speech. Traditional media are liable for harmful consequences of hate-speech and social media must be liable too says @fernanddev https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– Congratulations on this invaluable and ground-breaking report, this is an important turning point in protecting the rights of Dalits says @fernanddev speaking at UN side-event on caste-hate speech https://t.co/yR5Ttrdxx3 #endcastehate https://t.co/Q9p384TiYU
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
Murali Shanmugavelan, Researcher and author of IDSN’s caste-hate speech report
– Caste-hate speech has not been acknowledged in international fora and it is high time that we pay attention. The report calls for specific recognition of caste-hate speech as a distinctive category says @Muralisvelan launching the new @idsnupdates report https://t.co/JOqTwMii3c https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– We offer a number of key recommendations in the report but at the topis that we must globally distinctively recognise caste-hate speech and start to build caste sensitive social media, search engines and online platforms that are not spreading #castehate says @Muralisvelan https://t.co/EPTukk8PFV
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– Social media platforms must employ more people at the local level in moderation and increase the diversity of their workforce to include Dalits and those with knowledge of what constitutes caste-hate speech says @Muralisvelan #endcastehate https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– Social Media Platforms need to decentralize and improve non-western language moderation to address caste-hate speech and fine-tune their algorithms and mechanisms to be caste-sensitive says @Muralisvelan #endcastehate https://t.co/8FPUPmVqG3
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
Beena Pallical (National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, India)
– Congratulations on this report which is the result of a very inclusive effort! says @sitara1 Social media are used by activists from marginalised groups to voice their opinions and at the same time they are key targets of hate-speech #endcastehate https://t.co/rTa8Xw32BS
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– I know many Dalits that have closed down their social media platforms due to severe backlash and caste-hate including extreme language and slurs and especially when it comes to intersectionality. We need to ensure that this abuse does not continue says @sitara1 #endcastehate https://t.co/ms0oM9toTS
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– Representation from affected communities is essential when it comes to content moderation on social media if we want to #endcastehate speech says @sitara1, We as a community also need to keep reporting all the abuse we face on these platforms. We need accountability from SMPs https://t.co/vvbSJPTxwH
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
We need to work directly with thes social media platforms to ensure these spaces become much more inclusive and safe for all communities with no tolerance of hate-speech says @sitara1 #endcastehate https://t.co/xJa8DUln8a
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
Elaine Alam (Faces Pakistan)
– In Pakistan we need to address how the state categorises minorities so they are properly covered by the laws criminalizing hate-speech, this is not the case currently where minorities are often targeted with blasphemy rather that protected from hate-speech says @ElaineAlam https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
Riya Singh (Dalit Women Fight Collective, India)
Online spaces reflect abuse against Dalits offline and this abuse all too often goes unchecked on online platforms. When we report this abuse it is often not deemed abusive by the platforms. We are not safe in these spaces. Says @Dalit_Swag of @dalitwomenfight #endcastehate https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
– @dalitwomenfight use social media extensively for our activism & we face extreme backlash. Our inboxes are filled with abuse. This takes an extensive toll on our mental health. Social Media platforms need to acknowledge caste-hate speech is a criminal offence says @Dalit_Swag https://t.co/x42RwmGb6y
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
Anju Kandel (Jagaran Media Centre, Nepal)
– In Nepal, we face discrimination and humiliation offline and online and many caste crimes and violence are started through caste-hate speech. We are judged by our caste and when advocating for rights online we face severe backlash and threats says @Anjukandel from @JagaranMedia https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021
Tamanna Singh Baraik (Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Minorities, Bangladesh)
– Caste-hate speech is embedded in our society and normalized in Bangladesh. For example we may be called ‘child of toilet cleaner’ or teased for going to school as Dalits. Caste-hate speech has increased through social media and incites conflict says Tamanna Singh Baraik https://t.co/T8HOeHTi6w
— International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) (@idsnupdates) March 22, 2021