#defyhatenow
#defyhatenow is a nonprofit initiative founded around 2015 that delivers community-based, data-driven programs to counter hate speech, disinformation, and online incitement to violence across Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Kenya, serving journalists, youth leaders, community organizations, and grassroots audiences through field guides, fact-checking platforms, and digital skills training funded by grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- Headquarters—
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What #defyhatenow does
#defyhatenow is a nonprofit initiative founded around 2015 that delivers community-based, data-driven programs to counter hate speech, disinformation, and online incitement to violence. It operates field programs in Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Kenya with 11-50 employees, headquartered in Yaoundé with country offices in Juba and Addis Ababa. The organization targets journalists, youth leaders, community-based organizations, university students, and grassroots audiences through thematic focus areas including education and psychosocial support, social media monitoring and citizen data, policy development, activism and campaigns, and open tech emergency response.
The core product portfolio is anchored by the Social Media Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide — a comprehensive Creative Commons-licensed toolkit (ISBN 978-3-949253-02-7) with printed materials, flashcards, posters, games, multimedia USB content, and facilitator guides tailored to African conflict contexts. Supporting products include Digital Skills Training courses (Social Media Literacy Basics, Security & Privacy Basics), BrailleRAP for visually impaired accessibility, the #237Check fact-checking platform for Cameroon, the #AFFCameroon fellowship program, PeaceLetters bilingual newsletters, and a Gender-Based Violence guide module. The technology stack relies on social media analysis and citizen data collection tools for tracking hate speech patterns; no proprietary AI/ML systems are disclosed.
The business model is entirely nonprofit and grant-funded, with no commercial revenue generation. Programs, field guides, and digital skills training are provided free of charge. Core implementing partners include r0g_agency for open culture and critical transformation gGmbH Berlin (the founding strategic partner) and Association Civic Watch in Cameroon; programmatic partners include UNESCO, Google, AKPC, Fana Radio, and the Solomon Tandeng Muna Foundation. Distribution combines free digital downloads (self-serve), physical field guide kits through community-based partners, online training platforms, and partnership-driven dissemination. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, organized through campaigns such as #PeaceJam, #ThinkB4UClick, #Women4Peace, #Music4Peace, #PenNotGun, and #DiasporaDialogues. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and no funding rounds are on record, with the 2025 MIL South Shore Award (for #AFFCameroon / #FactsMatter237) as the most recent external recognition.
#defyhatenow firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- #defyhatenow
- Legal name
- #defyhatenow
- Website
- https://defyhatenow.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- #defyhatenow is a nonprofit initiative founded around 2015 that delivers community-based, data-driven programs to counter hate speech, disinformation, and online incitement to violence across Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Kenya, serving journalists, youth leaders, community organizations, and grassroots audiences through field guides, fact-checking platforms, and digital skills training funded by grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
#defyhatenow industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Peacebuilding and Media Literacy Services
- NAICS
- Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy (BPAGAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Counterterrorism & Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) Cooperation (BPADAFAG), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Cyberbullying Prevention, Reporting & Case Management (EDAFALAG), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)
Keywords
#defyhatenow business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: Operates as a nonprofit initiative funded through grants and donor support. Supported by partners including r0g_agency and Association Civic Watch. No commercial revenue generation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Digital Skills Training |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
#defyhatenow product offering
Product offeringCore offering
#defyhatenow delivers community-based, data-driven programs to counter hate speech, disinformation and violent extremism across conflict-affected African contexts (Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya). Its core deliverables include country-specific hate speech mitigation field guides, an online Digital Skills Training curriculum, the #237Check fact-checking platform, the BrailleRAP accessibility tool, and the #AFFCameroon (Africa Fact-checking Fellowship). The offerings are distributed free of charge to community organizations, journalists, youth leaders and the general public.
Product overview
#defyhatenow is a peacebuilding initiative that operates at the intersection of peace, technology, people, and art to develop lasting solutions for sustainable peace. The organization provides community-based and data-driven solutions to counter hate speech, disinformation, and online incitement to violence. Its core offerings include the Social Media Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide (a comprehensive toolkit with printed materials, games, and multimedia content), Digital Skills Training programs (free online courses in Social Media Literacy and Security & Privacy Basics), fact-checking initiatives (#237Check and #AFFCameroon fellowship), and supplementary resources like PeaceLetters newsletters and a GBV Guide. The organization operates across Cameroon, Ethiopia, and South Sudan with thematic focus on education, social media analysis, policy development, activism/art campaigns, and open tech/emergency response.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Social Media Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guide (Cameroon)
Quantifiable outcome
- Trained journalists on conflict-sensitive reporting across multiple workshops in Cameroon
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use #defyhatenow
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
#defyhatenow technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
#defyhatenow partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- r0g_agency for open culture and critical transformation gGmbH BerlincorePrimary implementing partner that developed and conceptualized the #defyhatenow initiative. Provides strategic direction, field guide development, and operational support. Concept developed by Stephen Kovats & Susanne Bellinghausen.
- Association Civic WatchcoreCameroon-based partner organization supporting #defyhatenow operations in Cameroon. Hosts peace day discussions and community events.
- Africa Knowledge and Policy Center (AKPC)corePartner in journalist training programs on conflict-sensitive reporting. Provides expertise and speakers for peacebuilding workshops.
- Solomon Tandeng Muna FoundationminorVenue partner hosting media for peace seminars and journalist training workshops in Cameroon.
- Fana RadiominorEthiopia radio partner collaborating on the 'Itiyoophiyaa Jibbarra Bilisa' program to build informed communities in Oromia through radio content.
- UNESCOcoreCollaborated with #defyhatenow and AKPC to drill Southwest Region journalists on peace-focused reporting.
- GoogleminorGoogle Masterclass training programs for journalists on fact-checking and digital skills in partnership with #defyhatenow.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
#defyhatenow competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Meedan: Digital technology nonprofit building open-source tools (Check) for content verification, fact-checking, and digital media literacy. Comparable in building shared infrastructure for journalists and fact-checkers and operating at the intersection of technology and information integrity.
- Global Voices: International community of citizen journalists and translators reporting on online discourse, free expression, and digital rights globally. Directly comparable in building community-driven responses to hate speech, censorship, and disinformation through grassroots contributor networks.
- Witness: International nonprofit using video and technology to support human rights defenders and counter abuse, including online hate and disinformation. Comparable community-based, technology-enabled approach to mitigating hate speech and supporting civic actors.
- Code for Africa: Africa's largest civic technology and data journalism initiative, operating fact-checking platforms, digital literacy programs, and citizen data tools across the continent. Highly comparable as a fellow data-driven, pan-African nonprofit addressing disinformation and media integrity.
- Africa Check: Leading independent fact-checking organization in Africa, training journalists and producing verified counter-disinformation content. Directly comparable mission around fact-checking, media literacy, and journalist training, with overlapping African geographic focus.
Broad incumbents
- Digital Action: Global digital rights organization (formerly Access Now) defending and extending digital rights of users at risk worldwide. Comparable digital rights and freedom of expression mission, with broader global scope and policy advocacy capacity.
- Internews: Large international nonprofit supporting independent media, counter-disinformation, and digital rights worldwide with significant Africa programming. Comparable as a media development and counter-disinformation funder, but operates at broader scale across many regions.
- ARTICLE 19: Global freedom of expression organization advocating for digital rights and countering online censorship and hate speech. Directly aligned mission on free expression and digital rights, with a much larger geographic and policy footprint.
Regional players
- PesaCheck: East Africa fact-checking organization covering Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and others with journalist training and verification work. Comparable fact-checking and digital literacy work, but primarily focused on East African financial/political claims.
- Dubawa: West Africa-based fact-checking initiative, part of international fact-checking networks, training journalists and producing verification content. Comparable fact-checking and media literacy mission but primarily focused on Nigeria and West Africa rather than Central/East Africa.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Customer concentration
#defyhatenow social profiles
Digital presence#defyhatenow financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
#defyhatenow leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
#defyhatenow funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
#defyhatenow M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about #defyhatenow
What does #defyhatenow do?
#defyhatenow delivers community-based, data-driven programs to counter hate speech, disinformation and violent extremism across conflict-affected African contexts (Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya). Its core deliverables include country-specific hate speech mitigation field guides, an online Digital Skills Training curriculum, the #237Check fact-checking platform, the BrailleRAP accessibility tool, and the #AFFCameroon (Africa Fact-checking Fellowship). The offerings are distributed free of charge to community organizations, journalists, youth leaders and the general public.
Is #defyhatenow a public or private company?
#defyhatenow is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was #defyhatenow founded?
#defyhatenow was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
How does #defyhatenow make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant Funding.
Who are #defyhatenow's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Meedan, Global Voices, Witness, Code for Africa and Africa Check. Broad incumbents are Digital Action, Internews and ARTICLE 19. Regional players are PesaCheck and Dubawa.
Does #defyhatenow have an API?
No public API is recorded for #defyhatenow.
What industry is #defyhatenow in?
#defyhatenow's product category is Peacebuilding and Media Literacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAL, Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPADAFAG, Counterterrorism & Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) Cooperation. Its NAICS code is 813311 and its SIC code is 8300.