The Croatian song “PA PA PA” by Hiljson Mandela quickly became a hit on Instagram, reaching an international audience. The track was shared on Instagram by well-known sports journalist and influencer Fabrizio Romano, who has over 40 million followers worldwide.
What makes this news even more interesting is the very theme of the song, which addresses hate speech. This hit by the popular Croatian trap artist was created as part of Croatian Telecom’s corporate social responsibility campaign “PA-PA to hate speech”, which calls on everyone, especially young people, to stand up against hate speech.
Hiljson Mandela is one of the most listened-to local musicians among young people. He has previously spoken openly about youth mental health, and in his new song he sends a message to choose words that build, understand, and connect, and together say “PA-PA” to hate speech. This is a significant social issue that young people encounter both online and offline, as confirmed by research conducted by Croatian Telecom in July 2024.
The research showed that every second young person (52%) has personally experienced hate speech, while as many as 69% have witnessed hate speech directed at others. The most common targets are people singled out because of their sexual orientation, physical appearance, or national and ethnic background. More than three-quarters of respondents (77%) consider hate speech a serious problem, and as many as 81% believe that hate speech endangers young people’s mental health.
These alarming figures highlight the urgent need for action against hate speech in society, which is precisely the goal of HT’s national campaign “PA-PA to hate speech.”
You can listen to the song “PA PA PA” here:
