i REACT

r understand one and other communities in Sri Lanka in order to react to hate speech, and false information that create violent conflict, and ethnic tension. We are Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and Islam celebrating the diversity stand together to react to hate speech towards individuals or groups. We believe in togetherness, and enabling people to come together as inter-ethnic inter-religious groups and to inspire them to make collective decisions and drive them to action. This is a process working with social, cultural, structural attitude, and behavioural changes, and we trust that it comes with taking action to react with empathy. Our mission to react to #HateSpeech that victimizes an individual or group through exploring the untold story behind it, and creates awareness, enlightening the individuals letting the hate speech normalize. Our reaction to the hate speech aims to build #SocialCohesion among the diverse communities of Sri Lanka through storytelling, and story-mapping breaking the rituals to create innovation momentum to nurture THE LEADERS for social cohesion. Empowerment through #CapacityBuilding training on social media and digital peacebuilding to counteract hate speech, and to produce positive contents that promote social cohesion. A menacing wave of intolerance and hate-based violence is increasing across the globe, and Sri Lanka is no exception. Sadly – and disturbingly – such vicious incidents are becoming normalized which is a great wildfire. Though, the people especially the children and youth of Sri Lanka struggle to confront the post-war memories and recover from collective trauma. Before, healing the wounded memory, the Kandy Digana Incident, Easter Attack, Covid19, and several hate speeches targeting religions, and ethnicities were made even the disparities wider in Sri Lanka and as a result created the ethnoreligious political divide. We need to treat hate speech as we treat every malicious act: by condemning it, refusing to amplify it, countering it with the truth, and encouraging the perpetrators to change their behaviour. Now is the time to step up, and iREACT was born to counteract! Hatred is a danger to everyone – and so fighting it must be a job for everyone. Together, we can put out the wildfire of hate and uphold the values that bind us together as a single human family.