The United Nations Department of Public Information’s Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme will organize a seminar titled “Cyber Hate: Danger in Cyber Space” from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on 16 June 2009 in conference room 2 at New York Headquarters. This seminar, to be opened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, will explore the impact of hate-related discourse on the Internet, particularly on youth, and ways to counter it.
Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, will welcome keynote speaker Mr. Hemanshu Nigam, Chief Security Officer, News Corporation and MySpace. Mark Weitzman, Director of the Task Force against Hate and Terrorism and Associate Director of Education for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, will present an overview of hate speech on the Internet, including Holocaust denial. The morning session will highlight the effects of cyber hate and cyberbullying on youth and ways to confront the problem, to be presented by the Anti-Defamation League. The afternoon segment will focus on prevention and regulation issues, with a number of experts. The seminar will conclude with a discussion on and delivery of recommendations for safe and responsible dissemination of online information that is respectful of all groups. This event is part of the Unlearning Intolerance Seminar Series, which examines different manifestations of intolerance and explores means to promote respect and understanding amongst people. For information please contact Kimberly Mann at 212-963-6835 or mann@un.org. Registration for non-UN grounds pass holders at unlearningintolerance@un.org.
