This week the Online Hate Prevention Institute’s staff gathered in Melbourne for meetings and staff training. The gathering marks a transition in a major project supported by the Australian Government through the Safe and Together Community Grants Program.

In the first phase of their work, staff have been familiarising themselves with many forms of online hate, collecting data, deconstructing the hate in articles, and contributing to reports.

In the second phase they will be providing training both online and in-person to give others the skills to recognise and safely respond to online hate. They will also be supporting a few sessions run by OHPI’s EXIT Project to support those working with people at high risk of radicalisation.

Training will start in October and will take place in Adelaide, Bendigo, Bundaberg, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and online. Other locations may be added. We will be contacting government agencies, local government, educational institutions, and community groups in these cities who may be interested in partnering with us to deliver these sessions to local communities. Thanks to the Government grant we can offer 9 training sessions for free, with further sessions available on a fee for service basis. Those interested in partnering with us, particularly agencies and groups in the cities listed, should contact us.

Thank you to the Australian Government’s Safe and Together Community Grants Program for supporting the staff training, La Trobe University for hosting the training, and Promo Link for the excellent job on the new OHPI branded tops and hoodies for our staff.