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Facebook has launched a new campaign against hate speech

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Facebook and Melia Robinson/Tech Insider

Facebook has launched a new campaign against hate speech called the Online Civil Courage Initiative.

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Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg announced the new initiative in Berlin on Monday night, as it is also supported by the German Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection among other independent non-governmental organizations from Germany and Europe designed to tackle radical and extreme speech.

"We have repeatedly emphasized that Facebook is no place for the dissemination of xenophobia, hate speech, or calls for violence," Sandberg said in a press release. "With this new initiative, we are convinced to better understand and respond to the challenges of extremist speech on the internet."

Facebook has already pledged more than $1 million toward the campaign, which will focus on helping organizations that are already tackling hate speech, building "best practices" for those groups and researching the various sources of hate speech.

Facebook is encouraging people to share stories and ideas on the new organization's official Facebook page by using the hashtag #civilcourage to show their support for the initiative.

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"The best cure for bad ideas are good ideas," Sandberg said. "The best remedy for hate is tolerance. Counter speech is incredibly strong — and it takes time, energy, and courage."

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From left: Sasha Havlicek of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue; Gerd Billen, the state secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection; Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook; Peter Neumann of the International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence; and Anetta Kahane of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation. Facebook

You can learn more about Facebook's Online Civil Courage Initiative here and here.

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