UN: Hate speech is a human rights issue in Finland* - Fazer takes a stand against hate speech
Fazer wants to cut down the amount of hate speech and will aim towards this in its operations through concrete actions. The message is carried by Karl Fazer Milk Chocolate, also known as Fazer Blue, which has an autumn campaign called Pieni pala rakkautta (Small piece of love). The campaign interrupts mean speech online with the help of artificial intelligence and reminds people of the detrimental effects of verbal harassment.
There is a long tradition of reconciliation in Finland. Resolving conflicts and respecting others are skills that are practised at daycare centres and schools. Finnish peace mediation, on the other hand, helps solve difficult conflicts in the most challenging crisis areas of the world. Learned from a young age, mediation may develop into an important civic skill, facilitating meeting people in difficult situations.
"Conflicts that seemed so far away before are now, suddenly, a part of our everyday life. Spreading hate speech online can easily create conflicts between different groups of people. Hate speech is used both to insult others and promote one's own agenda,” says Advisor Hussein Al-Taee from the Crisis Management Initiative, an organisation working to prevent and resolve conflicts.
The UN has also expressed its concern about the matter and has stated in its report* that hate speech is a human rights issue in Finland. "We believe that hate creates hate and that violence creates violence. The best way to fight them is through respectful dialogue, which is now needed even more. Angry speech can be allowed, but it should not cross the line of discrimination or harassment," says Al-Taee.
Lovebot Blue seeks out mean speech and interrupts it for us
"Karl Fazer Milk Chocolate, also known as Fazer Blue, is a brand that the Finns love, and they also expect it to be a pioneer in social matters. With the 'Small piece of love' campaign we want to help stop hate speech and reduce it. Words can be used as weapons, but all of us have the chance to make a different choice," says Marketing Director Risto Kalsta from Fazer Confectionery.
Intervening in hate speech may seem difficult, as people fear that they will become the new targets. To aid in this work, Fazer has created Lovebot Blue, which uses artificial intelligence to seek out insulting discussions online and interrupt them. "We wanted to test the opportunities brought by AI. In this experiment, however, a real person also moderates the bot's findings," Kalsta says.
In addition to Lovebot Blue, anyone can participate by reporting hate speech that requires interference through www.fazer.fi/pienipalarakkautta. The Karl Fazer milk chocolate tablet will also honour this theme by carrying the name Pieni pala rakkautta ( 'Small piece of love') during this autumn.
Love, acceptance and eating together highly visible themes
During the autumn, Karl Fazer Milk Chocolate will speak about the harmfulness of hate speech through its own channels and report about the operations of Lovebot Blue. Intervening in hate speech is strongly linked to the values of Fazer and its methods.
Fazer is committed to the UN's Global Compact principles and is involved in the #Ykkösketjuun campaign that was launched this autumn, which focuses on respecting human rights in business operations. The company values a respectful atmosphere and ensures its implementation in the work community. Anti-harassment work has included, for example, training and new guidelines for supervisors for preventing harassment. Fazer also supports the work of Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). CMI looks for solutions to the world's conflicts through dialogue and peace mediation.
"Our operations are based on Nordic values. We value peace, honesty and accepting others as they are. We want these values to be visible in our operations, especially as actions. This autumn, we have, for example, highlighted the importance of eating together to the development of communication and trust. Solving everyday conflicts is a theme that is also exhibited at our Fazer Experience visitor centre," says Nina Elomaa, the Director of Corporate Responsibility of Fazer Group.
- On 3 May 2017, the human rights situation of Finland was also reviewed in the UN's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) performed in connection to a Human Rights Council in Geneva. In this review, hate speech and violence toward women and children in Finland were brought up.
Further information:
The Fazer media phone line is open Mon–Fri from 8 am to 4 pm, tel. +358 40 668 2998, media@fazer.com
Liisa Eerola, Director, Confectionery Communications and Group Partnerships, tel. +358 44 710 8860
liisa.eerola@fazer.com
Printable Fazer Blue Small piece of love images
www.fazergroup.com/pictures ”Media_Press” – Fazer Sininen Pieni pala rakkautta
Fazer Group
Fazer is an International family-owned company offering quality bakery, confectionery, biscuit and grain products, plant-based meals, non-dairy products, on-the-go food & drinks as well as food and café services. Fazer’s mission is Food with a Purpose. The Group operates in eight countries and exports to around 40 countries. Fazer’s success, ever since its establishment in 1891, has been based on the best product and service quality, beloved brands, the passion of its skilful people and the Group’s responsible ways of working. In 2017, Fazer Group had net sales of 1.6 billion euros and nearly 15,000 employees. Fazer’s operations comply with ethical principles that are based on the Group’s values and the UN Global Compact.
Makes the world taste good
