In July 2021, the United Nations General Assembly designated June 18th as the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, emphasizing the global significance of addressing this pressing issue. Hate speech is pervasive in both online and offline settings, posing a severe threat to peace, stability, security, and development.
It undermines human rights, erodes social cohesion, and can lay the foundation for violence, hindering the pursuit of peace, stability, sustainable development, and human rights for all, as stated by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Described by some as a toxic contamination, hate speech must be actively addressed and countered to protect our society.
Defining hate speech is challenging due to the absence of a universal expression of hatred. Cultural and historical contexts shape how different societies perceive hate speech. However, it is always felt when heard, seen, or read by the affected individuals or societies in their respective settings. Hate speech generally refers to any form of communication, oral, written, or symbolic, that offends, threatens, or insults individuals or groups based on attributes such as race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, or other protected characteristics.
It involves derogatory language, stereotypes, or inflammatory statements intended to demean, marginalize, or incite hatred and discrimination against individuals or communities. Numerous individuals I have engaged with recently echo the belief that widespread hatred exists in our society. Hate-laden innuendos and dog whistles are prevalent in public and private spaces-at boda boda stations, offices, traffic jams, political rallies, burials, homes, and on social media. Hatred appears to be directed at the political class, the affluent, specific ethnic and religious groups. This pervasive hatred persists while little is being done to counter it, leaving it ignored despite its undeniable reality. Some have likened it to a ticking time bomb, awaiting a trigger. We seem to be either helpless targets or preparing ourselves for self-defense when that trigger is pressed. The proliferation of hate propaganda on social media, targeting both the living and the deceased, only reinforces these fears. These online speeches and expressions incite violence and pose a threat to national security.
Although the substance of hate speech has historical roots, its current nature and form are more catastrophic to humanity. In past instances of genocide and mass atrocity crimes, such as in Rwanda, Yugoslavia, Cambodia, and the Holocaust in Germany, radios, TV, and newspapers were the conduits for hate messages. In today’s era of new technologies, messages of hatred spread rapidly across national borders through social media and the internet. Italian philosopher and novelist Umberto Eco aptly remarked, “Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at bars after a glass of wine, without harming the community. But now they have the same right to speak as Nobel Prize Winners. It is an invasion of idiots.” While freedom of speech and expression exists, speech that harms others is not protected by that freedom. Left unaddressed, hate speech triggers conflicts, violence, xenophobia, homophobia, tribalism, violent extremism, terrorism, and mass atrocity crimes, including genocide. The power of hatred is so strong that opponents of hatred often motivate their supporters by reciprocating hate.
The National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M) Ten-Point Program (1984) summarized the prevalence of national hatred from independence to 1986, terming it “sectarianism.” The Ten-Point Program highlighted various instances of division and fragmentation among Ugandans, obstructing their unity in the face of underdevelopment. Despite strides towards national unity, sectarian sentiments have remained beneath the surface. The Kayunga riots of 2009 proved to be a significant setback, demonstrating that sectarianism had not been eradicated.
Uganda has enacted laws, albeit controversially, to combat hate speech, but their enforcement is limited, and impunity reigns. The recently amended Computer Misuse Act of 2022 specifically targets hate speech (Section 23A), while the Penal Code Act, Anti-Pornography Act, Electronic Regulation Act, Uganda Communications Act, Non-Government Organizations Act, and Public Order Management Act also contain provisions related to hate speech. International human rights law criminalizes hate speech, and Uganda is obligated to comply with various international instruments, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights (AfCHPR), and the ICGLR Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region (2006) and its relevant protocols.
Despite these legal measures, hate speech thrives as a profitable commodity on social media platforms, with owners capitalizing on the proliferation of willing and unwilling consumers. Laws alone are necessary but insufficient to curb hate speech. The United Nations has outlined four key principles for countering hate speech, which can be localized to Uganda’s context:
First, combat hate speech without compromising freedom of speech, opinion, or expression. Encourage more speech to challenge hate speech, preventing its dominance. Undermine hateful content with positive messages that promote tolerance, equality, and truth in defense of those targeted by hate.
Second, democratize the fight against hate speech. Combating hate speech should not solely be the responsibility of the state or the president. Every individual must take part in countering hate speech and refraining from making hateful comments online or offline. Act responsibly by refusing to share hate messages, fake news, or disinformation. Avoid forwarding or retweeting such content. Silence is not an option when it comes to hate speech. It is the responsibility of all to calmly but firmly speak out against it.
Third, empower digital citizens with accurate information to enable effective action. Hate speech often relies on perceptions, fiction, lies, and misinformation, which spread faster than facts and figures. Digital citizens must be mobilized and equipped with tools to discern truth from falsehoods and debunk lies and disinformation. Search engines and fact-checking resources are available to aid this process.
Fourth, address the root causes of hatred and hate speech. Identifying the underlying causes of hate speech is complex, as people hate for various reasons. Poverty, inequality, and feelings of discrimination have been identified as contributing factors in Uganda. It is crucial to invest in research to understand these causes better and report them to policymakers to develop effective solutions.
It is evident that Uganda must continue its path towards economic recovery, as a thriving economy diminishes the demand for discrimination. When economic and social interactions hold greater value, engaging in hatred becomes costly for both suppliers and consumers.
As Uganda confronts the alarming prevalence of hate speech, urgent and comprehensive action is required. The observance of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech serves as a stark reminder that hate speech has dire consequences for society. By prioritizing the principles outlined by the United Nations and upholding its obligations under international and regional instruments, Uganda can effectively combat hate speech. Only by doing so can Uganda safeguard its citizens and foster a more tolerant, inclusive, and prosperous future for all.
The writer, Mr. Nathan Mwesigye Byamukama, is the founder and Executive Director of the Regional Centre for Human Security –Great Lakes Region and a former regional director at the ICGLR
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