Shortly before leaving for New York, Gariwo's president Gabriele Nissim imagined our mission to the United Nations moved by an almost naive strength. ‘Because what has inspired us in all these years,’ he wrote on these pages, "has always been the courage to dare, breaking the mould and trying to do things; trying to make projects starting only from personal responsibility, not from the strength of someone else's power, just to try to set something new in motion".
It was with this spirit that we arrived at the Glass Palace for the World Day Against Hate Speech celebrations. In a world plagued by nationalism, oppositions, violence and discrimination, the United Nations Office for the Prevention of Genocide, together with the Representatives of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco, wanted to unite, to make people listen, to bring together realities and countries united by their commitment against hate speech, to try to create shared good practices and a culture of dialogue and peace. On the occasion of the International Day for Combating Hate Speech, which for the past four years has been commemorated on 18 June, Gariwo Foundation, co-sponsor together with the University of Essex of the main events organised at the United Nations headquarters in New York, was invited especially to present the educational work of the Gardens of the Righteous as a universal practice to combat hatred.
Current events and the conflict in Iran caught up with us from the very first meetings: as the agencies reported on developments in the war, the flags in front of the UN headquarters slowly lowered, leaving the Glass Palace alone before its own banner. A warning, perhaps, of how despite the difficulties and the need for change, international organisations are fundamental to the world. Faced with the exponential growth of deaths, refugees, conflicts and violence, no one seems to be able to do anything about it any more, while the perception of an emptying of credibility of the international bodies is consolidating. And yet, it is to the United Nations that one turns as soon as a crisis opens - or worsens, as in these days -. That lone blue flag should perhaps restore our awareness of the calamity of war and the importance of any system designed to avert further runs towards the abyss.
Inside the Palace, despite the urgencies dictated by the international situation, every debate was consistently marked by a shared will and urgency to act together—especially against hate speech. The common concern was to protect young people from this phenomenon and its repercussions tied to artificial intelligence, by working together toward a common solution. From Monday, June 16, to Thursday, June 18, in what may become a full week dedicated to combating hate speech, Member States and invited civil society organizations addressed the issue of hate speech, exploring possible solutions and new challenges. Special attention was given to the role of social media platforms and artificial intelligence: just as they can fuel violence, misogyny, racism, and in extreme cases, mass atrocities—as Gregory Stanton reminded with the tragic example of Rwanda’s use of “hate radio”—they can and should be used as tools to bring about positive impacts on society, particularly on younger generations.
Virginia Gamba, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, opened the week of discussions, also speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, urging everyone to converge on the greater goal: “teaching children to unlearn hatred”, with a view to working together for a moral legacy. During one of the panels, “AI and Social Media Platforms: Forms of Discrimination, Hate Narratives and Antisemitism,” the key word was accountability—not only of governments, but also of the private sector, made possible through synergy between public institutions and civil society. Numerous Member States shared their reflections and intentions on this topic: from Kenya and Rwanda to Armenia, Austria, Australia, and others, all reiterated the need to involve and value the private sector and grassroots initiatives that are already working to create inclusive spaces. In this context, the work of Gariwo and the Gardens of the Righteous fits perfectly as a form of “politeia”—concrete tools for educating through the stories of the Righteous, moral examples that preserve human dignity and foster hope. These are stories that, while recounting human tragedy, are ultimately positive and centered on the memory of Good.
Another important thread of discussion was the link between sports and hate speech, as highlighted in the action plan “The Game Plan”, a programmatic document produced by the UN Office on Genocide Prevention. Time was given to organizations and initiatives where sport emerged as a vehicle for promoting non-violent discourse, dialogue, and social cohesion. A striking example was the panel co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of Germany, in collaboration with the World Jewish Congress, featuring testimony from the renowned football team Borussia Dortmund, which has long been active in a campaign aimed at countering antisemitism through sport and memory.
For us, this was not only an honor but also a significant opportunity to share how the Gariwo Foundation promotes the stories of the Righteous and the creation of the Gardens of the Righteous as educational tools capable of reversing today’s growing trend of hate speech and contempt for others. Thanks to the invaluable contributions of some Gardens—such as the one in Neve Shalom–Wahat al-Salam and the one in Kamonyi—and through the words of the Righteous—like Khalida Popal—we brought our message to the representatives of all United Nations Member States. We conveyed the strength of our network and some key points from our work on the Righteous: educating for personal responsibility, combating hate in daily life, fostering gratitude in society, encouraging active participation, and creating a responsible, democratic, and engaged community.
Alongside us were many figures and organizations—from Genocide Watch founder Gregory Stanton, to Borussia Dortmund’s leadership, to Emir Suljagić, Director of the Srebrenica Memorial. Each brought their own experience and perspective, united by a shared spirit: to build a network of ideas, practices, and synergies to combat hatred and give concrete meaning to the famous “Never Again” declared after every genocide.
We came to New York with a clear goal: to make the Gardens of the Righteous a concrete tool to counter hate and build peace, working alongside those who make global decisions today—by forging agreements, securing political support, finding sponsors and allied countries willing to carry forward with us a universal and practical message. This begins with Italy’s role in the diplomacy of Good, and with the creation of an alliance with the Permanent Mission of Italy and Ambassador Massari.
The need and urgency to act are evident not only from the data in UN reports but also from the reflections shared during interventions and statements by Member States, and above all from the private meetings we had the honor to hold with the permanent missions of Italy, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Armenia. This is where Gariwo comes in: the Gardens of the Righteous are much more than mere commemorations. They are training grounds for responsibility and daily antidotes to hatred. They teach every young person that, in the face of injustice, one can choose to do the right thing. As Raphael Lemkin said, preventing horror is everyone’s duty.
It was therefore a deeply moving experience to let the words of the Righteous resonate within the United Nations. But it was also an opportunity to propose a new dream: to establish March 6 as the International Day in Memory of the Righteous and of all those who defend human dignity.
During the final remarks at the Gariwo presentation event, Special Adviser Gamba addressed a question posed by the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria: “What can we, as the United Nations, do at this point?” The response was powerful: we can work to create an International Day not only for the Righteous but also for all those who stand up for human dignity—a day focused on remembrance and the safeguarding of humanity. “In the Gardens of the Righteous (of Gariwo),” Gamba said, “it is not about victims or condemnation. The past often divides, while a shared future, a common goal, unites—and this is well expressed in the philosophy of Neve Shalom–Wahat al-Salam. It’s not just about planting trees. It’s above all about the bond between the life represented by the tree and the common goal fostered through the care of the Garden space.”
