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Tolerance and Diversity in Myanmar
- Fighting intolerance through digital engagement.

The spread of misinformation circulating online can make it hard to tell fact from fiction when it comes to topics we are not familiar with, such as the religious beliefs and practices of others. In Myanmar, the digitally driven spread of misinformation and hate-speech has harmed people from all religious and ethnic groups across the country - particularly in the run-up to the 2020 elections. 

Cause

Social Cohesion & Community Engagement

Locations

Myanmar

Status

In-Progress

Content

Over the past several months our team has been conducting research and working with partners in Myanmar to identify the most effective ways of curbing the spread of misinformation and hate-speech. We found that misconceptions about some religions and their adherents are more common than others and, furthermore, that presenting people with corrective information on religious topics has an impact on their self-reported attitudes towards certain minority religious groups. 

To promote increased social cohesion and tolerance in Myanmar, we have designed an educational tool for people to test their knowledge on - and learn more about - world religions and freedom of religion. Its purpose is to address popular misconceptions with credible information and reputable sources. For this purpose, we expanded a proven DPS engagement framework - combining gamification with knowledge-based play - to incentivize people across the country to explore these topics.

Homepage for "Mr. Truth"