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The Euro-Arab Foundation takes part in the HATEDEMICS Conference “Internet in 2026: Disinformation, Polarisation and Hate”

Last Thursday, February 19, the conference “Internet in 2026: Disinformation, Polarisation and Hate” took place at the Palacio de la Prensa in Madrid. The event, held within the framework of the European project HATEDEMICS, was organized by Maldita.es (MALDITA), the Centro de Estudios Andaluces (CENTRA), and the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies.

The conference brought together journalists, academics, analysts, and representatives of civil society organisations with the aim of reflecting on the current state of the Internet, (mis)information processes, and the rise of hate speech in the digital environment.

The event was opened by representatives of the three partner organisations involved in the project. Speakers included Clara Jiménez, co-founder of the Maldita.es Foundation; Eladia Illescas, researcher at CENTRA; and José Luis Salido, researcher and project coordinator at the Euro-Arab Foundation.

During his speech, José Luis Salido stressed the need to promote initiatives such as HATEDEMICS, which aim to curb the proliferation of online hate speech through the use of technological tools, applied research, and civic education. He also highlighted the importance of cooperation among specialised organizations as an essential way to strengthen digital resilience and safeguard democratic quality in the face of polarization and disinformation.

Analysis and Proposals to Address Online Hate

The first panel of the conference addressed the challenges and possible solutions to online hate speech. The panel featured Mario Lara Delgado, Head of Section at the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE); Ángeles Blanco, Board Member for Cooperation and Hate Crimes at FELGTBI+; and Cristina de la Serna Sandoval, Director of the Department of Equality and Anti-Discrimination at the Fundación Secretariado Gitano. The session was moderated by F. Javier Montilla, representing the Euro-Arab Foundation.

Key issues discussed during the debate included the relationship between hate speech and hate crimes, the causes behind the increase of such discourse in digital environments, the consequences of discrimination both for those who experience it and for society as a whole, and the measures needed to combat this phenomenon. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of existing legislation, its proper enforcement, and the fundamental role of prevention and education.

Project Presentation and Practical Training

The remainder of the conference included a presentation of the HATEDEMICS project by CENTRA, as well as several roundtables featuring journalists who shared their experiences in tackling online disinformation and polarisation. The challenges of accessing high-quality information in today’s digital ecosystem were also discussed.

The event concluded with a workshop presenting the platform and educational materials developed within the framework of the project. The aim was to provide practical tools for identifying hoaxes and fake news, recognising content generated by artificial intelligence, and understanding the cognitive biases that influence information consumption.

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Final Conference of HATEDEMICS in Granada

On March 26, the final conference of HATEDEMICS will take place in Granada under the title “Strengthening Europe’s Response to Online Hate Speech and Disinformation.” The event will be held at the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology at the University of Granada, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It will be organized in a hybrid format (in person and online) and will bring together policymakers, academics, civil society organizations, technology professionals, young people, fact-checkers, and journalists, offering a unique opportunity to exchange perspectives and reflect on current challenges and future strategies at the European level.

This one-day conference represents a key milestone in the HATEDEMICS project’s efforts to address online hate speech and disinformation. By combining artificial intelligence and human expertise, the project has developed innovative tools to monitor, detect, and counter harmful narratives, while promoting ethical, inclusive, and democratic digital spaces.

The conference will present the project’s main results and will feature roundtables, presentations, and interactive workshops where participants will be able to test the AI-based tools created to detect disinformation and hate speech.

Registration to attend the event is now open and can be completed through this link.

Download the event agenda.

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HATEDEMICS: Conference “Internet in 2026: Disinformation, Polarisation and Hate”

The MALDITA Foundation, the Andalusian Centre for Studies, and the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies are co-organising the event “Internet in 2026: Disinformation, Polarization and Hate”, which will take place free of charge at the Palacio de la Prensa in Madrid on 19 February. The event is part of the European project Hatedemics, funded by the European Union, and brings together civil society organisations, experts and academics to discuss current challenges on the internet—such as the spread of hate speech and polarising content—and to explore possible solutions.

Registration is available through the following form:
https://bit.ly/4tmUBVK

More information:
https://maldita.es/nosotros/20260205/fundacion-malditaes-co-organiza-la-jornada-internet-en-2026-desinformacion-polarizacion-y-odio/

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The Euro-Arab Foundation Participates in the 4th Training Session of the European Observatory of Online Hate

The fourth training session of the European Observatory of Online Hate (EOOH) took place in Madrid on October 21, organized by Violence Prevention Network International and led by the VPN Academy training team.

The session was attended by more than 40 representatives from politics, civil society, and law enforcement agencies, hailing from 28 different organizations across 10 EU Member States. The event also featured researchers from the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, whose work is specifically focused on the analysis and fight against hate speech within the framework of various European projects in which the Foundation participates.

The final session will take place in Belgium, from November 26 to 27, 2025.

About the EOOH

The European Observatory of Online Hate (EOOH) is a project supported by the European Commission dedicated to combating illegal hate speech and disinformation in the digital environment, aiming to promote a safer online space aligned with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Its strategy is based on a triple approach: Identification (using advanced AI technology to detect harmful content in multiple languages), Analysis (investigating the nature and trends of online hate), and Action (collaborating with law enforcement and civil society to report and address this content, strengthening cooperation and training key actors in the fight against hate narratives such as antisemitism, Islamophobia, and LGTBphobia)

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Hatedemics Workshop: Artificial Intelligence against Hate and Disinformation

The Faculty of Social Sciences at Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) hosted the workshop ‘Artificial Intelligence against hate and disinformation’ on November 19th. This training session, included in the European project Hatedemics, allowed for a practical and participatory exploration of how these phenomena operate in the digital environment and what strategies and tools can be used to detect, prevent, and combat them.

The meeting, co-organized by the Center for Andalusian Studies Foundation (CENTRA), the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies (FUNDEA), and the Maldita.es Foundation, all project members, brought together around thirty students of Sociology, Social Work, Political Science, Pedagogy, and Social Education, as well as professors and representatives from the third sector. They were all interested in delving into the risks posed by disinformation and hate speech in the digital environment and learning tools to identify and curb them.

The first part of the session, led by Vivian Rangel (Maldita Educa), focused on understanding the workings of the disinformation ecosystem: the motivations that drive it, the most frequent narratives, and the formats that make it especially persuasive. Through applied exercises, attendees learned key skills for detecting manipulated content, identifying warning signs, and applying verification strategies designed for critical information consumption.

Among the proposed tools, attendees practiced lateral reading to check the reliability of a website or a source. This exercise allows for a deeper contextualization of information online by answering these questions: Who authored the content? Is the author identifiable? Are they an expert on the subject? Is the information based on facts and data? What evidence is there? Has this information been corroborated by other reliable sources? What do those sources say?

Euro-Arab Researcher Lucía G. del Moral during her presentation

In the second part, Lucía G. del Moral (Euro-Arab Foundation) presented the progress of the Hatedemics digital platform, currently under development. This platform uses artificial intelligence to analyze hate and disinformation dynamics on social networks and offers training resources, exercises, and counter-narrative proposals with the aim of strengthening critical thinking. During the workshop, several of these functionalities were tested, especially the educational activities and pedagogical resources aimed at understanding, identifying, and counteracting online hate, and those focused on user training through the writing of specific composition exercises.

The Hatedemics Project

Hatedemics is a project funded by the European Commission (CERV-2023-CHAR-LITI-101143249) whose purpose is to combat hate speech and disinformation in the digital environment. Its main objective is to train NGOs, civil society organizations, media professionals, authorities, and young activists to effectively identify and respond to these phenomena, with special attention to their impact on the most vulnerable groups.

The project focuses on the intersection between hate speech and disinformation—two closely related issues often addressed independently—in order to promote a more comprehensive and coordinated response to these challenges.

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The Euro-Arab Foundation Addresses the Fight Against Far-Right Gender Narratives Among Youth

The Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies has participated in the online seminar “Understanding and Countering Gendered Far-Right Narratives Among Youth,” held on November 18. This workshop was organized within the framework of the European project YOU-DARE (YOUth Debunking the gendered Arguments of far-Right Extremism), an initiative funded by the European Commission.

The Foundation’s participation was led by Lucía G. del Moral, a member of its Research and Projects Department. The seminar served as a key space for the exchange of knowledge and the discussion of effective strategies to address one of the most complex and growing phenomena in the European political and social landscape: the use of gender narratives by far-right movements to mobilize and radicalize young people.

The YOU-DARE project, which began in February 2025 and will run until 2028, specifically seeks to generate knowledge and develop practical tools so that policymakers, civil society, and young people themselves can counter these divisive and anti-democratic discourses, promoting values of equality and respect for human rights.

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Pilot Test of HATEDEMICS AI Tool in Coria del Río

Young people, teachers, and educators will gather next Thursday, October 23, at the Museum of Andalusian Autonomy in Coria del Río to participate in the pilot test of the HATEDEMICS project. This initiative, in which the Euro-Arab Foundation is involved, aims to develop tools to combat hate speech.

A Two-Session Day

The initiative will take place over the course of a day divided into two training sessions.

  • In the morning, from 10:00 to 13:00, the activity will be aimed at a young audience.
  • In the afternoon, from 16:30 to 19:30, the session will be specifically geared toward teachers and educators.

The event will offer attendees the opportunity to learn first-hand about the tools being developed to identify and confront hate speech in various contexts. This pilot is a key step in the implementation of the project, and its results will help refine the strategy and materials ahead of the official launch.

The Museum of Andalusian Autonomy, an emblematic site for Andalusian history and culture, thus becomes the setting for this important educational and social initiative, highlighting the importance of education and dialogue in the fight against hate.

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The Euro-Arab Foundation Addresses Misogynistic Violence and Incel Communities at International Anti-Discrimination Conference

On June 12nd, Murcia hosted the International Conference Against Underreporting of Discrimination and Hate Crimes. Organized by Columbares, this conference was a crucial event for addressing the concerning reality of low reporting rates in cases of discrimination and hate crimes.

The event’s opening featured Rosa Cano, director of Columbares, who emphasized the urgency of combating intolerance in light of the worrying underreporting data. Also present were Ana Vanesa Valero García (Vice-Rector for Continuing Education at the University of Murcia), Leopoldo Olmo Fernández-Delgado (Secretary-General of the Ministry of Social Policy, Families, and Equality for the Region of Murcia), and Pilar Torres (Councillor for Social Welfare, Family, and Health for the City of Murcia). The Director-General for Family Diversity and Social Services of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and Agenda 2030, Patricia Bezunartea Barrio, participated remotely.

One of the standout presentations at the conference was given by José Luis Salido Medina, a researcher at the Euro-Arab Foundation, titled “The Violent Face of Misogyny: Manosphere and Incel Communities.”

During his presentation, the researcher delved into the incel movement, exploring its origin and context within the ecosystem of misogynistic movements and the so-called “manosphere.” The talk critically addressed the intrinsic relationship between hatred and violence, examining the common elements that underlie both and how these manifest specifically in the case of incel communities. Finally, Salido offered a concise reflection on a prevention paradigm specifically applicable to addressing misogynistic movements and the incel phenomenon, highlighting the importance of proactive strategies to combat these violent ideologies.

The conference also served as the platform for the presentation of the book “Breaking the Silence.” The result of research by Columbares, the book compiles testimonies from victims of hate crimes in various contexts (public spaces, social media, homes) and addresses topics such as LGTBIfobia, aporophobia, and racism. These accounts offer deep insights into the victims’ experiences, their reporting processes, and the consequences on their daily lives.

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Evaluating the HATEDEMICS Project’s Platform against Hate Speech

The Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies played an active role in the pilot session organised to evaluate the functioning of the HATEDEMICS project platform. This European initiative aims to develop innovative tools for the detection and analysis of hate speech online, as well as for the promotion of alternative narratives.

The test session, held at the Museum of Andalusian Autonomy on Thursday 22 May, was attended by staff from project partners, including the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, through its researcher Lucía G. del Moral; the Maldita Foundation, the Andalusian Studies Centre (organiser of the session), as well as education specialists, journalists and professionals from various NGOs and civil society organisations. Participants were able to interact with the functionalities of the tool, providing valuable comments and suggestions for its optimisation.

The Euro-Arab Foundation’s involvement in this project underlines its commitment to promoting coexistence, respect and the fight against all forms of intolerance and discrimination. Its participation in the evaluation of the HATEDEMICS platform is an important step in ensuring that this tool is robust and useful in combating hate speech in the digital environment.

The HATEDEMICS project, funded by the European Union, brings together academic institutions, civil society organisations and technology experts from various countries. The platform being developed will enable researchers, practitioners and the general public to better understand the dynamics of hate speech and contribute to its prevention and mitigation.

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The Euro-Arab Foundation takes part in the meeting of the Spanish Network against Hate Crimes

This Tuesday, the online meeting of the Spanish Network against Hate Crimes and Infradenunciation (REDOI) took place, a meeting that brought together various actors committed to the fight against this problem.

María Pina, President of REDOI, welcomed the participants and highlighted the main objectives of the network: to promote scientific-technical knowledge, disseminate good practices, offer practical content, foster collaboration and networking, and facilitate citizen mobilisation and awareness-raising. She also reviewed the trajectory of REDOI since its birth in 2022, its formal creation in 2023 and its current expansion phase (2024-25), marked by the organisation of conferences, congresses, dissemination activities and meetings.

During the meeting, testimonials from REDOI members were shared, reflecting the spirit of collaboration and the positive impact of the network. The current status of REDOI, a statewide network that works with an interdisciplinary approach to combat hate crimes and encourage reporting, was also presented. Lucía García del Moral, researcher at the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, reiterated her organisation’s commitment to REDOI and the importance of working together, joining the European funding initiative and supporting the possible integration of REDOI into a European network that is in the process of being set up.
Project

Future projects

Currently, REDOI’s work is framed within the project ‘BREAKING THE SILENCE’, funded by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, which also includes interviews with victims, a manual for reporting, the II International Conference and a podcast of testimonies.

In addition, a new international project promoted by Columbares was also presented during the online meeting, with the aim of expanding collaboration networks at European level in the fight against hate crime.
The meeting served to address the tasks that REDOI will implement in 2025, including the 2nd International Conference, the reorganisation of the network’s structure, the establishment of more efficient communication mechanisms and the expansion of the network itself.

The 6th REDOI meeting was presented, which will be held in a hybrid format on 12 June in the Assembly Hall of the Faculty of Education at the University of Murcia.