State of Hate Symposium

Registration

2 PM - 15 Minutes

Welcome

2:15 PM - 15 Minutes

Session 1 - Who Draws the Digital Line?: Online Harm and the Fight for Free Speech

2:30 PM - 45 Minutes

Focus: Theory & Understanding

The core academic conversation. This will provide context for the entire day, exploring the question of legal protection amid the uptick in online abuse.

Speakers:

• Becca Farnum, Academic and Activist
• Bamo Nouri, Academic and Journalist
• Piers Benn, Academic and Philosopher

Session 2 - Stopping the Spiral: Policy, Platforms, and Hate

3:30 PM - 30 Minutes

Focus: Advocacy & Societal Impact

JRS UK will explore how political rhetoric and policy, online hatred, and real‑world hate crime feed one another - and how this harms people seeking sanctuary. Grounded in our community’s experience and independent research, we’ll show how dehumanising language, digital abuse and policy are inextricably linked - and why interrupting this cycle is essential to a more just and peaceful society.

Speakers: Jesuit Refugee Services UK (JRS UK)

• Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer
• Mark Dunn, Community Projects Coordinator

Session 3 - Data-Driven Defense: Tackling Online Hate Targeting Athletes

4:15 PM - 30 minutes

Focus: Data & Technology

Provides quantitative and qualitative evidence of the problem. Signify's expertise in using machine learning to detect and action online abuse in sports will offer concrete, real-world solutions and statistics.

Speaker: Jonathan Hirshler, Co-Founder and CEO, Signify

Session 4 - The Human Toll: A Fireside Chat Regarding the Impact of Online Hate

5 PM - 40 Minutes

Focus: Personal Testimony & Empathy

The human element grounding the academic and technical discussions. This will provide emotional weight and underscore the severe mental and professional consequences of online abuse.

Speaker: 

• Wayne Barnes, Partner at Squire Patton Boggs
• Laura Wolfe, Founder of Road3 and Road3 Concierge

Final Panel - How Do We Build a More Tolerant World in The Age of Online Anonymity?

6-8:30 PM - Doors Open at 6 PM, Panel from 6:30-8 PM, 8:30 PM Close

Focus: Policy & Cross-Cultural Solutions

A high-profile concluding event designed for a wider audience. Speakers from Fordham and the British American Project will discuss the problem of online hate – and, crucially, introduce possible paths forward – from a variety of professional perspectives.

Speakers:

• Lewis Iwu, CEO and Co-Founder, Purpose Union (Moderator)
• Anthony Davidson, Dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, Fordham University New York
• Liz Kanter, Public Policy Expert, Former TikTok Director Government Relations Lead
• Preeti Shetty, CEO of Upshot and Director at Brentford Football Club
• Charlotte Proudman, Barrister
• Sam Fowles, Barrister and author

Food and drinks will be provided for the evening panel.

Session 1 - Who Draws the Digital Line?: Online Harm and the Fight for Free Speech

Becca Farnum, Activist and Academic

Becca Farnum is an activist-academic whose teaching and research highlights the role of collective action in redressing systemic injustice, especially related to environmental racism. Using musical peacebuilding methodologies, she works with the Jerusalem Youth Chorus on a dialogue project bringing together Israeli and Palestinian communities to build meaningful, equitable relationships amidst power imbalances. More locally to London, Becca serves as a Trustee of Calthorpe Community Garden, where she is currently supporting an anti-hate crime initiative.

Becca graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in anthropology and international relations before moving to the UK as a 2012 Marshall Scholar. She holds an MSc in Water Security and International Development from the University of East Anglia; an LLM in International Law from the University of Edinburgh; and a PhD in Human Geography from King's College London.

Bamo Nouri, Academic and Journalist

Bamo Nouri is an award-winning senior lecturer in International Relations at the University of West London, an Honorary Research Fellow at City St George’s, University of London, and a One Young World Ambassador. He is also an independent investigative journalist and writer with interests in American foreign policy and the international and domestic politics of the Middle East and writes regularly for the Amargi and the Conversation. He is the author of Elite Theory and the 2003 Iraq Occupation by the United States.

Piers Benn, Academic and Philosopher

Dr Piers Benn teaches philosophical ethics at Fordham London. He is a visiting lecturer at the Margaret Beaufort Institute, Cambridge, and a visiting research associate at Trinity College Dublin. Previously he lectured in philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London, and the universities of Leeds and St Andrews. He has also lectured in medical ethics at Imperial College London and King’s College London. His interests include ethics, philosophy of religion (which he recently taught at the university of Roehampton) and philosophical issues connected with free speech and open enquiry. He has written for both academic and wider audiences and has made several appearances in the British media, including as a news reviewer for Sky News and GB News. In 2022 he contributed to Cambridge University’s free speech training initiative. His latest book, Intellectual Freedom and the Culture Wars, was published by Palgrave in 2020. He is the author of a recent essay on ethics, comedy and free speech for the journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy.

Session 2 - Stopping the Spiral: Policy, Platforms, and Hate

Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer, JRS UK

Mark Dunn, Community Projects Coordinator, JRS UK

Session 3 - Data-Driven Defense: Tackling Online Hate Targeting Athletes

Jonathan Hirshler, Co-Founder and CEO, Signify

Jonathan is CEO of ethical data science company, Signify Group. Since 2019, Jonathan has led the development and roll out of Signify’s specialist AI-driven proactive threat detection and protection service - Threat Matrix - an innovative initiative to protect players, athletes and high profile individuals from the poison of online abuse. Working with international federations, national leagues, player unions, clubs, law enforcement and directly with athletes, Threat Matrix has delivered a step-change in the way online abuse is tackled, creating real world action, effective deterrents and taking the onus away from the victim to take action. 

Session 4 - The Human Toll: A Fireside Chat with a Survivor of Online Hate

Wayne Barnes, Partner at Squire Patton Boggs

Wayne Barnes is an experienced criminal barrister and trial advocate with more than two decades of experience conducting complex, internal and corporate investigations across multiple jurisdictions.

Wayne is a former international rugby union referee and has presided over more Rugby World Cup matches than anyone else in history, including the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final.

With his professional rugby background as one of the world’s leading international sports officials and his specialist legal practice, Wayne is able to bridge the worlds of law and sport. He is regularly instructed by national governing bodies, professional sports organisations, commercial sponsors and rights holders on all aspects of sports law, governance, ethics and safeguarding. He has recently conducted investigations and reviews for the Football Association of Wales, the British Judo Association, and the British Horseracing Authority.

Wayne is a well-established speaker and presenter regularly sharing his insight into leadership, facing adversity, dealing with pressure and building effective teams with leading international organisations.

Laura Wolfe, Founder of Road3 and Road3 Concierge

Laura Wolfe is the founder of Road3 and Road3 Concierge. With over 25 years in the events industry, Laura's extensive experience has seen her work with an array of clients across a variety of sectors and has seen her specialise in both corporate and private clients from across the sports industry. Additionally, in 2011, Laura bought the rights to the Northwest Football Awards and has since built one of the most well respected, well attended, inclusive and diverse footballing awards events in the UK, celebrating success in both the women's and the men's game, both on and off the football pitch.  In 2018/19, Laura was responsible for managing Vincent Kompany's Testimonial Season, organising the largest testimonial game ever seen at The Etihad Stadium, attended by over 55,000 fans. Throughout the campaign, £850,000 was raised for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham's homeless charity.

Extremely well connected in both the events and sporting worlds, Laura is committed to giving back and has served as an ambassador to many charities. Laura is a proud mum of two boys and Teddy the Cavapoo.

Final Panel - How Do We Build a More Tolerant World in The Age of Online Anonymity?

Lewis Iwu, CEO and Co-Founder, Purpose Union (Moderator)

Lewis Iwu advises organizations on winning arguments and campaigns for social and environmental issues. He's worked with influential entities like Unilever, Sky, UN, Black Equity Organisation, F1, bp, Allen & Overy, Sanofi, and Pfizer. Lewis published a Masterclass with Malala Yousafzai on achieving social change. He's supported various campaigns, including NatWest's response to racial injustice and opposing the Super League in football. A global public speaking expert and former World Debating Champion, Lewis authored "Words that Win" and coached England to a World Championship. He coached 200 Labour candidates on public speaking and debating for the 2024 general election. Lewis was the founding Director of the Fair Education Alliance and worked at Finsbury and Brunswick. He's written for major publications, given a TEDx talk, and is a British Red Cross Trustee. Educated at Oxford, he holds a PPE degree and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of East London.

Anthony Davidson, Dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies

Anthony Davidson is a visionary leader, growth agent, consultant, and award-winning educator who draws upon a distinctive combination of experiences as a dean, professor and entrepreneur to establish excellence and build consensus while generating new growth opportunities. He is recognized as a strategic thinker whose multidisciplinary expertise enables him to solve complex challenges using innovative approaches that align with organizational objectives.

After 15 years of teaching and developing curricula at major universities, he was recruited by New York University where he became the founding dean of the SCPS division of programs in business. Dr. Davidson promoted lifelong learning by building connections among education and industry at all levels, from graduate and undergraduate to postgraduate and executive. He developed rigorous, cross-disciplinary, globally focused on-site and online curricula that were attuned to market demands resulting in it becoming the highest-performing division in the school.

Subsequently Dr. Davidson moved to Manhattanville College where he redesigned its graduate and undergraduate programs, each with a new focus and specific career path geared toward current and aspiring business professionals. It led to the creation of a School of Business of which he became the founding dean. The international appeal of the new curricula convinced the government of the Dominican Republic to fully sponsor 60 high-performing Dominican students to go to his school for their graduate education. Dr. Davidson also created and launched a widely-acclaimed Women’s Leadership Institute with annual conferences and a certificate program designed by women for women.

In August 2016, following a national search, Dr. Davidson was appointed as Dean of Fordham University’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies and within 4 months launched a Real Estate Institute with an impressive advisory council comprised of leading, industry-leading professionals. In addition to three Master’s degrees that have received industry acclaim and market popularity, it currently offers graduate certificates and several professional certificates, and has plans to introduce graduate programs in the area of Hospitality and Hotel Management with a focus on their intersection with real estate. After just one year, Davidson’s strategies resulted in the school’s first year-over-year increase in revenue and enrollments in many years, a trend that has continued to date and, along with other growth initiatives, resulted in a doubling of the School’s revenues after just three years.  Dr. Davidson is the author or co-author of numerous invited presentations and papers and has been featured as an expert in articles and on many television and radio shows in segments dedicated to business, e-learning, education, and professional development. He has a BBA in Marketing, an MBA in Business Policy/Finance and a Ph.D. in Management and Systems Science. Dr. Davidson’s research in the field of Total Quality Management helped earn him the prestigious Literati Award for Excellence for outstanding paper of the year

He sits on a number of advisory boards and lists several teaching awards and a doctor of humane letters among his various honors.

Liz Kanter, Public Policy Expert, Former TikTok Director Government Relations Lead

Liz Kanter is a Government Relations and Public Policy specialist with over 20 years’ experience. A dual national, Liz started her career in Washington DC before moving to London in 2001.  She has held senior leadership positions with high-tech brands including BlackBerry, SAP, Yahoo and TikTok.  She currently runs her own public affairs agency serving clients in the automotive, not for profit and sustainability sectors.

Preeti Shetty, CEO of Upshot and Director at Brentford Football Club

Preeti is the CEO of Upshot, a tech social enterprise that helps sport organisations manage, monitor and evidence the community work they deliver. A well-respected figure particularly in the sport for social change space, Preeti is a Non Executive Director of Brentford Football Club where she Chairs the EDI Steering Group and sits on the Sustainability Advisory Group. She is also the Vice Chair of international development charity, Street Child United, a Founding Advisor of Ready Sport Global, an emerging tech education and strategy consultancy and the co-founder of Valeur Sport, a platform aimed at building pay equity and transparency in the sports sector. In 2024, she was named one of the 50 most influential women in sport by the Telegraph. Preeti is passionate about the powerful blend of sport and purpose and leverages her expertise in data, technology and social impact to create a more equitable sports industry.

Sam Fowles, Barrister and author

Sam Fowles is a barrister specialising in public, constitutional, and international law. His work includes many of the leading constitutional and human rights matters of recent years including reversing Bris Johnson’s unlawful attempt to close down Parliament in 2019, defending sub-postmasters wrongly convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal, and exposing police brutality at the vigil for Sarah Everard. Sam’s most recent book, “Overruled: Confronting Our Vanishing Democracy in Eight Cases” was a Times “best book” of 2022. Sam is a Senior Fellow at Kings College London and a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre.

Dr Charlotte Proudman, Barrister

Dr. Charlotte Proudman is a distinguished British barrister and academic who has established herself as a leading authority in family law, particularly in cases involving domestic abuse, coercive control, and gender-based violence. Having recently opened her own family law firm, Proudmans, she combines her legal practice with academic research as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge.