a particular group allows a gradual increase in the degree of expressed hatred; this can allow violence in the form of structural and political exclusion all the way to genocide. As chapter one discussed, dividers and connectors are only potential sources of polarization, and are only made possible when political leaders use them to persuade and mobilize their constituents. There are many political, economic or social reasons that motivate religious leaders to target a group in society and turn their supporters against that group. What is important to remember is that religion plays a significant role in the lives of many people, which suggests that the exploitation of religious beliefs or religious identity groups in hate speech can influence the adherents of those religions. From this we can argue that methods aiming to promote education and awareness would be key in preventing this. Encouraging tolerance and a critical approach to what leaders say, or what content on Facebook claims, will prevent the mobilization of citizens based on misinformation. This study highlighted the primary factors that allow hate speech to thrive as: lack of education, particularly as the school curriculum does not encompass the study of minority religions or ethnicities; a strong sense of nationalism or belonging to an identity group (in this particular study, Bamar and/or Buddhist identity group), which is exploited to achieve emotive responses towards the anti-Muslim propaganda; and the exploitation of existing social and economic disenfranchisement. Chapter three considered these factors and suggested initiatives such as interfaith Facebook campaigns, creating spaces for dialogue, media and digital literacy training, and using social media to bring attention to discrimination and the abuse of human rights, such as the various ‘hashtag’ campaigns which give the otherwise voiceless a voice. But what makes an online anti-hate-speech campaign successful? Re-posting supportive anti-hate messages has positive elements; it show good intent at the very least, which may effectively make the targeted group feel that they are not alone. However, supportive campaigns such as the recent ‘#prayforParis’ posts often go viral for a couple of days and then fade out, with no real or long-term impact. What is needed with Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites is a proactive attitude towards countering hate from the youth. If the youth are actively engaged in promoting peace and tolerance online, its visibility will grow and present itself to those who are - 64 -