Iamhere (social movement)

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Iamhere international, also written as #iamhere or #IAmHere, is a social movement that fights hate speech and misinformation on social media using counter-speech. It started in 2016 as a Swedish Facebook group called #jagärhär (meaning “I am here”) founded by journalist Mina Dennert. The umbrella organization is based in Sweden and coordinates groups in many countries. Each affiliate uses its own language name, such as #IchBinHier in Germany or jesuislà in France; in English you’ll see names like #iamhere India or #iamhere in other countries.

Members find hateful or misleading posts and post them in the group as an “action.” Other members respond with respectful, fact-based counter-speech and hashtags to make the discussion constructive. The goal is to interrupt hate, protect people who are targeted online, and promote civil debate. Members are encouraged not to argue with trolls, but to offer calm, accurate viewpoints. The movement is active in many countries and is said to organize about 10,000 actions per year. By 2021, there were more than 150,000 members across roughly 16 affiliated groups spanning about 19 countries.

The movement has gained attention and praise. Mina Dennert won the Anna Lindh Prize in 2017 for promoting just and democratic ideals. German group #IchBinHier and other affiliates have earned awards as well. Researchers and media have covered iamhere, noting that counter-speech can raise the level of civility and constructive discussion online, though members can face threats and doxxing. In 2020–2021, studies and EU reports highlighted iamhere as a successful example of counter-speech and online civic intervention, and Facebook itself called it one of the world’s largest citizen-driven anti-online-hate movements in 2021.