DUBAI: The UN’s Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization is dedicating this year’s International Day of Education, on Jan. 24, to countering hate speech.

The organization said social media makes it easier for hate speech to spread, which affects the safety of people around the world, and teachers have a critical role to play in efforts to combat it.

“Our best defense is education,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s director general.

A recent Ipsos survey of people in 16 countries found that 67 percent of internet users had encountered hate speech online. It also found that 56 percent relied on social media as their primary source of news, compared with 44 percent who prefer TV news. However, 68 percent of internet users said they believe disinformation is most widespread on social media platforms, and an overwhelming 87 percent were concerned about the effects disinformation will have on upcoming elections in their country.

“It is our collective duty to empower learners of all ages to deconstruct hate speech and lay the foundations for inclusive, democratic and human-rights-respecting societies,” Azoulay said. To achieve this “we need to better train and support teachers, who are on the front lines,” she added.

Coinciding with International Day of Education, UNESCO has organized a one-day online training event on Jan. 24 that will deconstruct hate speech with the aim of helping teachers understand how to better spot, tackle and prevent such activity.

In addition, ministers, education experts, and educators from around the globe will gather at the UN headquarters in New York to discuss the central role education can play in efforts to achieve sustainable global peace.

Last year, UNESCO published “Addressing Hate Speech Through Education,” a guide designed to help decision-makers strengthen public policy.

The organization said it is also ramping up its efforts to promote anti-racist guidelines and address racism in textbooks, as well as a global initiative to combat antisemitism in, and through, education.

The UN General Assembly adopted Jan. 24 as International Day of Education in December 2018, in celebration of the role of education in efforts to achieve global peace and sustainable development.