Comillas and OBERAXE host expert debate at the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration on positive cyberactivism against racism

Comillas Pontifical University, in collaboration with EUPeace and the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), organised the event “Digital Activism that Builds: Positive Cyberactivism against Racism” on 11 May at the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration in Madrid. 

This debate brought together experts from academia, public institutions, and civil society to analyse the impact of hate speech in digital environments and to explore strategies for fostering safer, more inclusive online spaces through education, technology, and civic engagement.  

Institutional opening: education, democracy and human rights 

The opening session was led by Elisa Aracil, Vice-Rector for Strategy, Internationalisation and Academic Organisation at Comillas Pontifical University, and Pilar Cancela Rodríguez, Secretary of State for Migration. 

Elisa Aracil emphasised the University’s commitment to democratic values and highlighted the importance of a holistic educational approach based on the “4Cs” model: competence, critical thinking, conscience, and compassion. She underlined that peace should be understood not only as the absence of conflict, but as an active commitment to combating discrimination and promoting social justice and coexistence. 

Pilar Cancela stressed the need to create spaces for dialogue and encounter in a global context marked by growing social and political challenges. She highlighted the importance of the European project as a driver of social cohesion, solidarity, and equality in response to exclusionary narratives. 

She also presented the work of OBERAXE in combating hate speech, including the use of artificial intelligence tools to monitor online discourse and collaborations with organisations such as LALIGA to address racism in sport. 

First panel: neuroscience, emotions and prejudice 

The first panel discussion, “The brain and prejudice: neuroscience, emotions and racism”, featured Concha Antón (University of Salamanca) and Fernando Barbosa (Complutense University of Madrid), and was moderated by Tomás Fernández Villazala (OBERAXE). 

Concha Antón explained how emotions play a central role in shaping prejudice and discriminatory discourse. She noted that feelings such as fear, insecurity, and group identity can be easily activated in contexts influenced by narratives on migration or perceived social threat. 

She emphasised that while factual data are necessary, they are not sufficient to counter hate speech, as emotions strongly influence perception and judgement. She also warned about the limits of empathy, which is often conditioned by personal environments, and about the risk of desensitisation due to repeated exposure to violence and hate content online. 

Fernando Barbosa reflected on the construction of social identities and the role of preconceived ideas. He highlighted that societies also evolve through the imitation of positive role models and the circulation of constructive examples that shape collective behaviours and cultural narratives. 

Second panel: the role of positive cyberactivism 

The second panel, “The power of positive cyberactivism”, brought together Rosa Elvira Lillo (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and IBiDat) and María Zabala (FAD Juventud), moderated by Birgit Strotmann. 

The discussion addressed media literacy, digital citizenship, algorithmic systems, cyberviolence, and collective responsibility in building respectful digital environments. 

Rosa Elvira Lillo highlighted the value of data science in understanding the dynamics of online hate. She explained that combining quantitative analysis with linguistic and contextual approaches is essential to capture how hateful narratives spread across platforms. She also presented research at IBiDat focused on identifying behavioural patterns associated with potential hate-driven profiles, often characterised by low visibility, sustained harmful activity, and participation in closed reinforcing communities. 

María Zabala emphasised collective responsibility in addressing digital violence. She noted that although young people are often at the centre of public debate on digital behaviour, adults also need stronger tools and competencies to navigate online spaces responsibly. 

She also stressed the importance of education that goes beyond detecting fake news, fostering critical thinking and the ability to recognise biased or manipulative discourse without resorting to insult or polarisation. 

Closing session: cooperation and future perspectives 

The event concluded with a session dedicated to future perspectives, featuring Claribel de Castro Sánchez (UNED), Carmen Girón Tomás (OBERAXE), and Teresa Morales de la Fuente (Comillas Pontifical University–EUPeace), moderated by Nuria Lores, from Cidalia. 

Participants agreed on the importance of strengthening training, research, and awareness-raising initiatives to better understand the dynamics of digital hate and develop effective multidisciplinary responses. 

They also highlighted the need to reinforce cooperation between universities, public administrations, and civil society to promote safer, more inclusive digital environments. 

On behalf of EUPeace-Comillas, Teresa Morales de la Fuente emphasised that the event fostered reflection not only on racism, prejudice, and digital citizenship, but also on how to collectively build more inclusive, just, and democratic societies. 

She recalled that the EUPeace Alliance was created to strengthen cooperation between European universities committed to peace, social justice, and inclusion, based on the shared understanding that major societal challenges require collaborative responses. 

She also highlighted the role of EUPeace Living Labs as spaces for dialogue and co-creation, where universities, public institutions, civil society, companies, and citizens work together to identify real-world challenges and develop sustainable solutions. 

Final reflection: positive cyberactivism for democratic coexistence

The event concluded with a shared commitment to promoting positive cyberactivism as a key tool for fostering democratic coexistence, strengthening human rights, and giving visibility to initiatives and communities working towards safer, more inclusive digital spaces.

More information: https://www.eupeace.eu/events/digital-activism-that-builds-positive-cyberactivism-against-racism/