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One Missed Penalty Away from Hate
By Anthea Kasonga
The 2026 FIFA World Cup claims to unite the world. Yet before kickoff, referees were warned about social media threats. Monitoring found thousands of abusive posts, and police braced for online abuse. Hate speech was not unexpected; it was anticipated.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup unfolds across the United States, Canada and Mexico, football's biggest tournament claims to promote unity.
For five weeks, billions will watch nations compete. Communities will come together. Cultures will share a global stage. It is the story football loves to tell about itself: that sport can bridge divides that politics cannot.
Yet before many teams had played their opening match, another reality had already emerged.
The infrastructure designed to counter hate speech is now built into major tournaments themselves. Before a ball is kicked, monitoring systems are in place, police investigations are prepared, and support services are established for playe...Read more
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Where We Stand: Gender, Language and the Politics of Hate 23 February 2026 | BELvue Museum, Brussels
A one-day symposium bringing together researchers, journalists, civil society organisations and policy experts to examine how gendered hate spreads through language, media and political discourse — and how communities resist it.
Keynote speaker Shada Islam, acclaimed journalist and MDIG board member, led a programme of six panels exploring hate speech, online radicalisation, platform responsibility and European regulation. The event was organised as the closing event of the EU-funded CHASE project, with support from the King Baudouin Foundation.
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Where We Stand: Gender, Language and the Politics of Hate
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