Free access to information comes at a price. Fake news, conspiracy theories, disinformation and antisemitism can rapidly spread today through various platforms. Fanatics, political extremists and malicious actors chip in to take their share and exploit the opportunities for their own gains by polarizing society thanks to applying the above mentioned phenomena.
The Hungarian Free Market Foundation, together with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, has launched a project to help media outlets and individuals in detecting, understanding and countering antisemitism. The project includes three major components, with the goal to explain the various forms of antisemitism and the measures that can be taken against them.
A guide, titled “Antisemitism: A Guide on Recognizing, Understanding, and Countering Antisemitism”, highlights the connections between antisemitism and the political extremes, explains what populist antisemitism means, unmasks myths, gives a historical overview of antisemitism, defines terms, and presents how disinformation and conspiracy theories can be linked to antisemitism. The guide also gives suggestions on how to tackle the phenomenon.
An interactive and visually stimulating online exhibition makes the understanding of the complexity of the issue more compelling. By showcasing its terrorist methods, the exhibition takes visitors to a fictional racist and totalitarian state.
In order to raise attention, the Free Market Foundation has started a language course titled “At Peace with English”. People who want to improve their English skills can do so by completing virtual intermediate-level exercises. The videos used in the language course present stories of persons helping Jewish people during WWII, explain disinformation and ways to combat antisemitism.
(This article was first published – in a slightly different version – at 4liberty.eu)
Cover photo credit: PA Wire / PA Images
Máté Hajba is the Director of the Free Market Foundation which advocates economic freedom, civil rights and tolerance. He is also the Vice President of Civic Platform which runs anti-racist campaigns and promotes democratic values.He writes for international press on issues such as intolerance in Hungary and international relations. To promote the concept of individualism, liberty, tolerance and free market, he co-founded a youth organization named Eötvös Club.
Photo credit: atlasnetwork.org
