Recognising Student Contributions to HATE-LESS in Estonia
On 1 September 2026, EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE held a small certificate ceremony at Tallinn Tõnismäe Reaalkool in Estonia. The certificates were awarded to the students who participated in the HATE-LESS cascade training and worked together to create a participatory video about bullying, peer pressure, and the role of classmates.
The ceremony marked the completion of a process that began several months earlier and allowed the students to discuss their online experiences, explore the HATE-LESS.EU Toolkit and communicate their ideas through video.
The Training Behind the Certificates
EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE organised the two-day training on 6–7 May 2026 with 30 students at Tallinna Tõnismäe Reaalkool.
During the workshop, EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE President Ruta Pels introduced the Erasmus+ programme, the HATE-LESS.EU project and the six core modules of the HATE-LESS Toolkit.
Participants also reflected on the digital environments they encounter every day, discussing social media dynamics and sharing real situations they had experienced or observed.
Youth worker Igor Kalakauskas facilitated collaborative activities in which the students discussed possible scenarios and developed ideas for a participatory video. This gave them a way to examine harmful behaviour while considering how young people can respond when a classmate is targeted.
Why Is There a Hummingbird on the Certificates?
The hummingbird shown on the certificates draws on a simple story about individual contribution. In the story, a forest is burning while the animals stand nearby, overwhelmed by the scale of the fire. A tiny hummingbird, however, continues flying back and forth, carrying small drops of water towards the flames.
Although one hummingbird cannot put out the fire alone, its actions represent the value of making a contribution rather than remaining passive. This message connects closely with the themes explored by the students in their participatory video, particularly empathy, kindness, and the importance of responding when someone else is being targeted.
The hummingbird therefore serves as a fitting symbol on the certificates: even small actions can contribute to a more supportive environment, both online and offline.
Turning the Discussion into a Participatory Video
The students’ completed video presents three role-play scenarios based on situations that can occur between classmates.
In “Not a Cool Bag”, a student is mocked because of his belongings, while a classmate intervenes and encourages an apology. “Invisible” considers what happens when a young person’s creative work is ignored by their peers. In “A Funny Video”, students record a classmate falling and initially treat it as a joke before recognising that filming and sharing humiliating content is a form of bullying.
By showing the harmful behaviour alongside possible responses, the students examine empathy, kindness and active bystander intervention. Their video demonstrates how classmates can notice what is happening, question the behaviour and support the person affected.
⇒ Watch the participatory video on YouTube.
Thanking the Young Creators
The certificate ceremony recognised the time, ideas and creativity the students contributed throughout the process. The hummingbird on each certificate offered an additional reminder that individual contributions, however small they may seem, can still make a difference.
Thank you to the students, EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE, and Tallinn Tõnismäe Reaalkool for contributing to this HATE-LESS.EU activity.
Funding Agency: JUGEND für Europa
Learn more about HATE-LESS: https://hate-less.eu
Project: 2024-1-DE04-KA220-YOU-000244181
Disclaimer: Co-financed by the European Union. The opinions and points of view expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or of the JUGEND für Europa (German National Agency for Erasmus+ Youth, Erasmus+ Sport and the European Solidarity Corps).
