Like, Comment, Discriminate: Racist Discourse on Dutch Instagram

The Sharing Perspectives Foundation and Build Up believe the answer lies in dialogue. By engaging in open and honest conversations and by posting alternative, unifying narratives, we can foster empathy and understanding while dismantling harmful beliefs and stereotypes. This theory forms the foundation on which we build The Digital Us: an online training program designed to empower young people to intervene in racist discourse on social media.

The Digital Us brings together people who have experienced racism online with those who have not. It offers young people a safe online space to engage in conversations around topics such as ethnicity, representation and privilege. Together, they learn how to best go about intervening in racist debates. Bystanders become upstanders, and the burden of addressing online racism is no longer solely on the shoulders of its victims.

This week is an exciting week for The Digital Us as the first group of participants will embark on their learning journey. To be able to guide them not only on how to intervene but also on where to intervene, we carried out a social media analysis. The findings of this research, which focused on Dutch Instagram, unequivocally reaffirms the relevance and importance of The Digital Us, with nearly 4% of the 309,083 comments in our dataset found to be likely racist.

The social media analysis also provides us with valuable insights, including:
– National news media attract the largest number of racist comments;
– News reports about crime are the most common and also attract the most racist comments;
– A disproportionate number of racist comments are posted under messages about Islam;
– Each type of racist commentary follows specific discursive patterns.
For more findings, check out the full report.

Drie keer nieuw met ‘The Digital Us’

Met enthousiasme kunnen we delen dat we in samenwerking met Build Up een nieuw initiatief lanceren voor Nederlandse deelnemers: The Digital Us. Dit project heeft tot doel social media te transformeren tot een meer inclusieve en toegankelijke omgeving voor jongeren in Nederland die geconfronteerd worden met racisme online. In een tijd waarin online vijandigheid en verharding van discussies toenemen, is het van cruciaal belang om een veilige ruimte te creëren voor jongeren om zich vrijelijk te uiten.

Achtergrond 

Jongeren die zich (publiekelijk) uitspreken over sociaal-maatschappelijke kwesties worden vaak geconfronteerd met haat en racisme, wat een ernstige bedreiging vormt voor hun welzijn en de vrijheid van meningsuiting. The Digital Us streeft ernaar deze situatie te veranderen door mensen die online racisme ervaren, samen te brengen met degenen die dat niet doen, maar wel willen leren hoe ze effectieve bondgenoten kunnen zijn om online interacties inclusiever en veiliger te maken.

Drie Kernactiviteiten

The Digital Us bestaat uit drie kernactiviteiten. In all deze activiteiten staan peer-learning, dialoog en activering centraal. 

1. Virtuele Uitwisseling: Onder begeleiding van facilitators zullen de deelnemers in online sessies het gesprek aan gaan met elkaar over onderwerpen zoals culturele afkomst, etniciteit, privilege en (on)veiligheid online.  Lees hier meer over de bewezen impact van de methodiek die Stichting Sharing Perspectives hanteert.

2. Trainingssessies: Na de uitwisseling worden de jongeren getraind in effectieve manieren om social media veiliger en inclusiever te maken, zodat ze als bondgenoten kunnen optreden. De training richt zich directe interventies op sociale media, waarbij gebruik wordt gemaakt van geweldloze technieken. Lees hier meer over de ervaring van Build Up op dit vlak, wereldwijd.

3. ‘Praktijkperiode’: Deelnemers zullen gezamenlijk online interventies uitvoeren om racisme tegen te gaan, onder begeleiding van ervaren coaches. 

Inclusieve Benadering

The Digital Us zet de kennis en ervaringen van jongeren centraal en garandeert dat de inhoud van de uitwisseling, de training en de ‘praktijkperiode’ nauw aansluit bij hun leefwereld. Om ervoor te zorgen dat het project optimaal aansluit bij de doelgroep, wordt een Adviesgroep van 10 deelnemers betrokken bij de start van. Daarnaast wordt er een innovatieve social media-analyse uitgevoerd om de verdere activiteiten doelgericht en betekenisvol te maken. 

Word Lid van de Adviesgroep

Wordt jij persoonlijk geconfronteerd met racisme online, heb je ervaring met racisme online vanuit je werk of ben je maatschappelijk betrokken en wil je iets doen tegen racisme online, meld je dan aan voor de Adviesgroep The Digital Us. Ben jij actief op sociale media en ben je tussen november 2023 en februari 2024 zo’n 10 uur beschikbaar voor korte (digitale) activiteiten en online sessies? Ben je bereid om mee te denken met het projectteam om dit project tot een succes te maken? Dan horen we graag van je!
Lees hier meer over de geplande activiteiten, vergoeding en aanmelding. 

Nieuwe Samenwerking, Nieuwe Focus

Stichting Sharing Perspectives  en Build Up zijn twee organisaties die zich inzetten voor een inclusievere samenleving door gebruik te maken van digitale middelen. Ondanks dat er al jaren spraken was van informele kennisdeling en onderlinge connecties is dit de eerste keer dat dat beide organisaties van start tot finish samen zullen optrekken. Het projectteam is enthousiast om van elkaar te leren en nieuwe ervaringen op te doen. Ter aanvulling van het team wordt er nog een parttime projectmedewerker gezocht. Bekijk hier de vacature. 

Voor Stichting Sharing Perspectives betekent dit ook een nieuwe uitdagende stap, waarbij de volledige focus van het project gericht is op ontwikkelingen in Nederland. We hopen op een succesvol project met impact dat in de toekomst ook als model kan dienen voor andere landen.

Blijf op hoogte over dit project; meld je nu aan voor The Digital Us mailinglijst  > 

The Digital Us wordt  mede mogelijk gemaakt met financiële steun van Fonds 21, Stichting Democratie & Media, VSBfonds en vfonds  (Nationaal Fonds voor Vrede, Vrijheid en Veteranenzorg).

FRAMES conference

During the event, we will reflect on the lessons learned and the achievements of this EU-funded project.  The keynote speaker will be Francesca Helm, a leading expert in the field, who will share insights on the impact of Virtual Exchange on student learning and engagement. The event will include panel discussions and working groups on various topics related to strategic coordination, resources, quality, accreditation, recognition and sustainability of Virtual Exchange and blended mobility, as well as opportunities for networking and sharing of experiences among attendees.

The event addresses academic staff interested in VE, officers in charge of mobility and internationalization, IT staff, as well as top management, senior staff with internationalization roles, and anyone interested in exploring the opportunities VE can offer to innovate mobility in Higher Education.

The one-day event will be held at the University of Siena (Italy) on 30 March 2023 

Please visit this website, for all details and registration: http://www.congressi.unisi.it/frames/

FRAMES is an EU-funded project working on the integration and accreditation of blended mobility and Virtual Exchange in Higher Education. The project is implemented by UNIMED – Mediterranean Universities Union, UNICollaboration, Sharing Perspective, University of Girona, University of Limerick, University of Siena.

Stimulating virtual international collaboration in education, ‘the Dutch way’

The subsidy granted to institutions is intended as a contribution to freeing up the necessary hours for a lecturer and/or educationalist to design or revise and implement a virtual collaborative project. Any institution that has been granted this specific subsidy is also offered a range of activities to build capacity for designing effective and successful virtual projects; from facilitated intervision meetings, to various training courses, online information sessions, an in-person conference, an online helpdesk and a community platform. 

To be honest, we’re not only sharing this information here to show our enthusiasm for such an initiative – as it strengthens the mainstreaming of quality virtual intercultural collaboration and learning in higher education sector. But we can also announce that the Sharing Perspectives Foundation has joined forces with experts from CINOP, University of Groningen, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and UNICollaboration as the implementing consortium of this pioneering initiative from the Dutch ministry!

Since the conception of this programme, we’ve been dedicating quite some time towards initiating activities, developing the VIS website, building relationships within the consortium and implementing the first rounds of training for educators. Our involvement in this programme is already proving to be a great learning experience on the current needs and challenges of educators and other HEI professionals in developing and facilitating international oriented virtual learning experiences. Working closely with VIS practitioners in our virtual trainings and following our quality assurance methods has already led to great improvements of our training materials and instructional approach.

So even if the activities under this support programme are only offered strictly to Higher Educational Institutions in the Netherlands, we certainly take everything we learn from this initiative on board to refine our methods in our other projects. Whether that is in our consulting activities, Virtual Exchange programme development for third parties, training organizations in virtual teaching or collaboration, or how to support partner organizations in our flagship VE programme. 

And off course, we hope to activate all higher education professionals in the Netherlands to learn more  and apply for the specific subsidy, to make this government funded programme a successful example for other countries to follow.

Learn more about Virtual International Collaboration projects on the website www.visinhetho.nl

Toolkit for Integrating Virtual Exchange in Higher Education

To support educational professionals with this mission, we are excited to present the ‘Toolkit for Integrating Virtual Exchange in Higher Education’. This one-stop-shop provides key information, inspiration, tools and case examples of the approaches that Higher Education Institutions can take to integrate and accredit Virtual Exchange. Whether you are an administrative officer curious to explore what Virtual Exchange integration can bring to your institution, or a teacher willing to find ways to accredit and sustain your Virtual Exchange activities in the curriculum; this product will help you with essential tools, activities and best practices. Visit this website to download the digital or the printer-friendly version of the toolkit, and explore additional multimedia assets like the FRAMES podcast .

“The Toolkit … has every chance of serving the purpose it was designed for and to live up to the expectations of both the project authors and prospective users. [T]he toolkit is a good, effective means of devising ways for integration and accreditation of virtual exchange in the institution of the user.”

– External project reviewer Professor Anna Turula,  Head of the Technology Enhanced Language Education Department at the Pedagogical University of Krakow, 

The Toolkit has been created in the framework of the FRAMES project, a Strategic Partnership funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union spanning over 2 years (March 2021 – February 2023). The project is implemented by a consortium composed of UNIMED – Mediterranean Universities Union (coordinator), UNICollaboration, Sharing Perspectives Foundation, Universitat de Girona, University of Limerick, and Università di Siena.

Innovating European Higher Education with Virtual Exchange

The FRAMES project (Fostering resilience through Accredited Mobility for European Sustainable Higher Education innovation) aims to make the European Higher Education Area more innovative, intercultural, and resilient. Implemented by a consortium composed of UNIMED, UNICollaboration, Sharing Perspectives Foundation, University of Girona, University of Limerick, University of Siena, the project will last two years with the support of the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The first activity of the project is to map existing experiences of Virtual Exchange that are integrated, and possibly accredited in the university curriculum. This will lead to scenarios and best practices for VE implementation to be promoted across European universities. Subsequently, a training series is designed for Higher Education staff focussing on how to to integrate VE as an integral and accredited part of their mobility approaches. The project will end with the publication and dissemination of a toolkit for VE integration, accreditation, and a strategic framework for Virtual Exchange as a mobility approach at an institutional level. 

We are excited to bring our expertise on Virtual Exchange into this project and to support the further integration and accreditation of Virtual Exchange into Higher Education Institutions across the European Higher Education Area. 

‘Designing and implementing virtual exchange – a collection of case studies’

Access the full publication ‘ Designing and implementing virtual exchange – a collection of case studies’, edited by Francesca Helm and Anna Beaven, here > 

How to adapt core learning elements to be effective online

In three sessions of 45 minutes on 3, 4, 5 November, we will provide step-by-step techniques, practical tips and unique exercises modelling online interactivity and student engagement. These interactive sessions are designed for professionals learning how to move their teaching practices into an online environment in an effective and engaging way. 

• Dates: 3, 4, 5 November 2020
• Time: 13:00 -13:45 CET
• Costs: FREE OF CHARGE

*UPDATE: the workshops on 3,4,5 November are full! You can express your interest in this form to get notified on next rounds.*

Agenda

Building Relationships: Overcome the barriers of technology-mediated communication to build meaningful relationships through discovery and dialogue.

→ 3 November 2020, 13:00-13:45CET 

→ Learn about the role of identity in relationship building and get introduced to a learner-led, dialogue approach.

Engaging Content: Optimise technology to present your content in an engaging way. 

→ 4 November 2020, 13:00-13:45CET

→ What are the key distinctions between on and offline teaching? How can you use technology to optimize learning? Discuss these subjects and learn how to adapt your content to be suitable for an online setting. 

Interactive Assignments: Design interactive assignments to strengthen reflective, collaborative and digital skills.

→ 5 November 2020, 13:00-13:45CET

→ Learn about designs and assessments around skill development. We will touch on different methods and keys to success.

Interested but not available on these specific dates? Show your interest for future sessions here >

Application deadline coming up!

This autumn, our flagship interactive online course will revolve around key debates on climate change. You get to discuss the social, political and environmental impact of climate change with youth from around the world. Learn from each other’s perspectives and develop important communication skills, critical thinking and other 21st-century skills.

Review the COURSE MANUAL HERE for more details about the weekly programme, assignments and requirements.

This course is open and free of charge to anyone between 18- 30 years old and is a resident in or with the nationality of, one of the Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange Project countries. Applications will close on September 28, 2020. 

Apply now via this webform-> https://exchangeportal.net/tp-student/register/ce-2020-fall