Quelling Hate Speech, Xenophobia: Women Leaders Take Message To Classrooms

In an initiative to combat societal division at its roots, two leading voices for peace have taken their message directly to students. Dr. Kate Tande, CEO of Hwalana for Peace and Development, and Emily Miki, CEO of the Dennis Miki Foundation, in collaboration with the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism (NCPBM), engaged students of New Wave Bilingual Secondary School in MokindiNgeme in a highly interactive discourse on the pervasive dangers of hate speech and xenophobia. The session, which held on March 19, 2026, transformed the school into a forum for critical reflection, challenging the next generation to become ambassadors of tolerance, love and unity. The dialogue centered on how these two destructive behaviors manifest in the very environment where young people learn to socialize and lead. Dr. Kate Tande defined the core concepts, emphasizing that hate speech is far more than just harmless words. She explained it as any form of expression-whether spoken, written, or behavioral that insults, threatens, or discriminates against individuals based on inherent aspects of their identity, such as tribe, religion, nationality, or social background. Emily Miki elaborated on xenophobia, defining it as an irrational fear or hatred of people from other contexts or communities. She pointed out how this...