RIYADH: The secretary-general of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Muaammar, announced that the center will allocate approximately €1.5 million ($1.7 million) for initiatives aimed at combating hate speech through the center’s global programs in 2020, in partnership with UN and global organizations and through its five platforms in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Arab world. This came during the joint press conference accompanying the international meeting, organized by KAICIID under the title “The role of religion, media and policies in combating hate speech” in the presence of the members of the board of directors of the center and the assistant secretary-general of the UN and the acting adviser on the file of combating hate, Adama Dieng. “The center aims to enhance the positive role of religious leaders and their institutions in countering hate speech and contributing to social cohesion at local and regional levels. To this end, I can announce that KAICIID is investing nearly €1.5 million in 2020 toward the implementation of the recommendations and action plan agreed by this conference,” Bin Muaammar said. The initiatives will include social media campaigns against hate speech and training for vulnerable groups such as women and people seeking refuge to counter the phenomenon, support for existing efforts and help in launching new national initiatives to counter hate speech and a tailored training program for media experts, journalists and social media influencers on the responsible use of their channels. The center will be investing a significant amount into gathering and presenting polling data to help inform and shape its programs while at the same time improving its contribution to discussions at policy-making levels.