HOW TO HEAL HATE WOUNDS, Dossier edited by Bianca Senatore
In this and three other articles, we take up part of the dossier ‘How to heal hate wounds’, published by Gariwo Foundation on the occasion of the Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025
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INTRODUCTION
In recent times, it feels as though the world has become harsher and more hostile. Confrontation, nationalism, and polarisation have replaced dialogue, cooperation, and reason. As this shift takes hold, the very concept of democracy begins to falter, eroding the foundations of society as we have known it.
One of the signs of this societal illness is hatred, which has evolved from being a symptom of widespread discontent into a dangerous affliction in its own right, infecting more and more people. When the world becomes a source of fear, we retreat into comfortable bubbles, where everything reflects our own views and nothing seems out of place. But when that bubble begins to crack, those who are different—those who think differently—become targets to be mocked, attacked, insulted, and even destroyed through the weapon of hatred.
Hatred wounds and perpetuates itself, much like a flame that draws strength from oxygen, spreading harm to anyone in its path: women, migrants, Jews, the LGBTQIA+ community. With this dossier, Gariwo aims to examine the wounds caused by hatred and offer a clearer understanding of the situation. But it also seeks to provide a kind of antidote, so that together, we can begin the healing process that has become ever more urgent.
Every 27th of January, on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we say “Never again.” With this work, the Gariwo Foundation seeks to reaffirm that to truly give meaning to that pledge, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to combating the disease of hatred. Understanding the origins of hatred, recognising its mechanisms, and healing its wounds are essential steps in ensuring that the atrocities of the past are never repeated.
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Hate speech: how to recognise it, how to fight it
We are living in uncertain times. While not every day, many of us often feel a sense of confusion and fear, as if the world could collapse at any moment amidst wars, climate crises, and daily violence. In this turmoil, fear—and thus hatred—take root, especially when stoked by powerful leaders, like Donald Trump, who has just assumed office in the White House.
Hatred is a part of human nature, that is something which cannot deny it, but it is also an attitude that can be controlled and shaped. We can choose to live in harmony, embracing dialogue, acknowledging our shared fallibility, this too part of the human condition, and always opting for peaceful solutions. Alternatively, we can give in to resentment, contempt, and betrayal, leading us to view others as enemies. Hatred is directed at Jews, Muslims, migrants, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and countless others. Once we open the door to hatred, it spreads like a black hole—consuming everything in its path and poisoning every aspect of our lives, from our senses to our language.
Hate online, or hate speech
Our everyday language has been shaped by numerous factors throughout our lives, including family background, geographical location, and cultural environment. But language is also alive, constantly evolving with us. It can become an incredibly powerful tool – whether used for good or harm. The psychoanalyst, Jacques Lacan coined the term ‘projectile-words’ precisely to highlight language’s ability to strike, wound and even destroy something or someone. This happens every second of every day, especially in the virtual world, where hate speech thrives. But what exactly is hate speech? The term emerged in the United States in the late 1980s, within legal discourse, to describe hostile expressions from one social group towards another, often already marginalised and discriminated against. Claudia Bianchi, professor of Philosophy of Language at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan, explains.
“Today, we use the term to refer to words, phrases, images, symbols, gestures, caricatures and behaviours that cause harm to historically oppressed and marginalised individuals and groups. Such groups are often defined by social characteristics - whether real or perceived – which are protected by law, such as race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation and disability. In essence, hate speech represents the social dimension of insult and hatred. It targets others not for what they do, but for what they are. These expressions of hate are direct forms of aggression - attacking individuals or groups because they are perceived as different or threatening. The aggression in these words is often a precursor to physical violence, even though the verbal assault itself is usually less obvious. Another significant, though less apparent, role of hate speech is its use as propaganda. When public figures, such as politicians, engage in hate speech, it helps normalise discriminatory beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours, presenting them as common, acceptable, or logical. This creates an unjust social hierarchy, stigmatising and dehumanising individuals or groups, while marginalising their feelings and actions. “From this perspective", Professor Bianchi continues, "hate speech not only conveys contempt and hostility toward individuals and groups, but also promotes and spreads these attitudes, inciting discrimination, hatred, and violence”.
When many politicians and people in positions of power use such insults, users often ask themselves, "Why can't others do the same?" And indeed, shielded by anonymity and the belief that they won’t be identified or held accountable, the so-called "keyboard warriors" unleash horrendous insults, incite violence, call for inhuman acts, and launch attacks on social media. We have all seen them, at least once, and perhaps some readers have even used hate speech themselves, since it has, by now, almost become a trend. It is as if the gravity of certain statements has diminished, and the acceptability of such behaviour feels, if not entirely understandable, at least permissible. This climate has undoubtedly been intensified by the rise of populism, which has gradually expanded the boundaries of what is considered acceptable and possible.
"The growth of right-wing political representation, though not a progressive right but rather a national-socialist one, has had repercussions I had underestimated", linguist and essayist Vera Gheno told Gariwo. “It has emboldened a certain type of person—those who, in this social, political, and cultural climate, feel even more justified in embracing a sense of "othering" that they already held. We have not become worse people because minorities are speaking out more, although some groups read it exactly that way: minorities continue to expose these issues, and instead of growing in awareness, we complain about them calling out violence. This is a deeply perverse cycle, one that has led to accusations of ‘woke’ and ‘cancel culture’, without recognising that these accusations are simply a way of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. "The greatest success of populism", Vera Gheno goes on to explain, "is convincing a nation that it is surrounded by enemies, both internal and external. And it is the easiest, and crudest way to solidify a community, to create cohesion within an in-group by blaming others. This fosters cohesion in that group and fuels the phenomenon of othering—generalised othering—but it is also the best way to do absolutely nothing. Populism works because it removes the responsibility of having to act for the good of society, since someone else is always to blame”.