Amman, April 8 (Petra) -- Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali on Wednesday patronized the closing regional conference of the project "Strengthening Mechanisms for Preventing and Responding to Online Hate Speech in Jordan," held with the participation of Minister of Government Communication and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani, alongside international partners and relevant institutions.
The event was organized by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue in Jordan, IDare for Sustainable Development, and Saba Hamlet for Gender Equality, with funding from the European Union, aiming to strengthen prevention and response mechanisms through research, capacity building, and enhanced stakeholder collaboration.
Speaking at the conference, Momani said addressing hate speech in the digital sphere has become a strategic priority that requires a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder approach grounded in partnership and the deployment of advanced awareness tools. He underlined the need to enhance public capacity to distinguish between credible content and misleading or inciting narratives.
He noted that hate speech has evolved into a complex and rapidly expanding challenge driven by digital transformation, stressing that online discourse now operates as an integrated system that shapes, amplifies, and reproduces narratives with significant societal impact.
Momani said that Jordan, under Royal directives, continues to advance a responsible media ecosystem based on professionalism, objectivity, respect for pluralism, and the preservation of human dignity. He highlighted the importance of media and information literacy as a cornerstone in building an informed and resilient society.
He also pointed to the project’s outputs, including research studies and reference frameworks, which contribute to establishing structured methodologies for addressing online hate speech. He said these efforts support national and regional policy development and enrich institutional responses to digital challenges.
Momani stressed that tackling hate speech requires maintaining a careful balance between safeguarding freedom of expression, as guaranteed by the Constitution, and addressing content that incites violence, discrimination, or exclusion. He underscored the need for coordinated roles among government entities, media organizations, social media platforms, and civil society.
He added that the Ministry of Government Communication continues to support initiatives aimed at fostering a constructive media environment, strengthening awareness tools, and implementing capacity-building programs to curb the spread of hate speech and promote moderation and tolerance.
For his part, European Union Ambassador to Jordan Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas said the project focused on identifying the needs of internet users and understanding the dimensions of online engagement to better protect individuals from harmful content and practices. He noted that the initiative aims to equip decision-makers with data-driven insights to support the development of effective policy frameworks.
Saba Yassin, Projects Director at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said the digital space has become a critical arena for shaping public opinion and narratives, warning that it can also facilitate division and the spread of hate speech, particularly amid escalating regional and global developments.
She added that harmful digital content can spread rapidly, directly impacting social cohesion and individuals’ sense of security and belonging. Yassin stressed that addressing hate speech requires a collective, cross-sectoral response integrating public policy, media, civil society, academia, and youth engagement.
A panel discussion held during the conference examined national responses to online hate speech, focusing on institutional coordination, regulatory frameworks, and prevention strategies. The session brought together representatives from security, media, and policy institutions.
The conference also featured thematic working groups that explored practical approaches to countering digital hate speech in Jordan and produced a set of recommendations, alongside a session presenting a national framework for addressing the issue.
//Petra// AJ
