Misinformation and hate speech are issues that spread quickly on the internet, especially on social media. They can have harmful consequences on individuals, communities and society as a whole. This is why it is essential to raise people’s awareness and equip them against these dangers. MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) recently organized training in Bukavu, South Kivu, to raise awareness among women, youth, journalists and security actors. civil society on the harms of disinformation and hate speech.
The initiative, led by MONUSCO’s Office of Strategic Communication and Public Information, aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding and help them detect misinformation. During the training, participants learned to verify the veracity of information before sharing it, as well as to question the origin and intentions of messages. With this knowledge, they are now able to distinguish fact from fiction and contribute to the dissemination of correct information.
This training comes at a crucial time, as MONUSCO begins disengagement operations from South Kivu. It is essential to ensure that the population has reliable information in order to maintain stability and avoid the spread of hate speech or fake news that could compromise peace and security.
Participant Esther Mubalama, from the Women and Children Dynamics, underlined the importance of this training to counter the spread of false information: “We have seen a lot of information circulating on social networks concerning the actions of MONUSCO, which “she did, what she didn’t do, and what she should have done. This training showed us that sometimes we were sharing messages that were just plain bad information, without knowing it.”
By raising awareness among women, young people, journalists and civil society actors about the harms of disinformation, MONUSCO plays a crucial role in the fight against this scourge and contributes to promoting access to quality information. By encouraging the dissemination of positive messages, based on verified facts, this initiative aims to strengthen trust in the media and promote a healthier and safer online environment.
In conclusion, disinformation and hate speech are worrying problems in our modern society, but through actions such as the training organized by MONUSCO, we can all contribute to countering these dangers and promoting a culture of verified information and responsible. It is essential that each of us be vigilant and critical of the information we receive and share, in order to preserve the integrity of our communities and promote constructive and respectful dialogue.