#defyhatenow welcomes President Salva Kiir’s remarks condemning hate speech
The community peacebuilding initiative #defyhatenow welcomes South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s remarks condemning hate speech.
From the Facebook account of the South Sudan Presidential Press Unit: “The President last Friday during swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed governors urging them to sensitized citizen about peace, adding that hate speech against the opposition members is a red line under the implementation of the peace agreement because the main objective now is peace and stability in the Country”
#defyhatenow appreciates the step that President Kiir has taken to ensure that hate speech is condemned, particularly at a time when a peace agreement was recently signed and the parties are finalizing the modalities of its implementation. We hope that the remarks of the president will have a positive impact in reducing the hate speech rhetoric that hinders/delays/counteracts the peacebuilding process. We look forward to seeing the remarks implemented by the government and other parties to the conflict swiftly and we will continue to work with all concerned peace partners to ensure a hate-free South Sudan.
Most of South Sudan’s young people have access to Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, and most have posted hate speech that – in one way or another – have fueled the conflict. Join us in mitigating hate speech online by following the hashtag #defyhatenow and share your own peace messages.
About #defyhatenow
#defyhatenow is a project implemented in South Sudan through the Juba-based cultural innovation organization Junub Open Space (JunubOS), in conjunction with regional partners in Uganda, Kenya and Sudan. Supported by the zivik programme of ifa (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations) with means from the German Federal Foreign Office and managed by the Berlin-based r0g_agency for open culture and critical transformation, #defyhatenow is an urgent community peace-building initiative aimed at combating online hate speech and mitigating incitement to offline violence in South Sudan.
About Junub Open Space
Based in Juba, Junub Open Space (JunubOS) is a network of young South Sudanese entrepreneurs, makers, activists, and managers interested in identifying new models of economic development and seeks to create a resilient civil society in South Sudan. JunubOS was founded by a group of young people spirited to glow the livelihood of their surroundings with innovative ideas and boot startups in selected areas of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) namely Technology, Agriculture, Energy, Education, Entrepreneurship, Culture and Peace.