The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism is a left-of-center advocacy organization co-founded in 2020 by two former high-level Southern Poverty Law Center employees, Heidi Beirich and Wendy Via. ^{1 2}

The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism displays left-wing bias in its reports and other aspects of its work. It notes that it does not investigate and report on far-left extremism because, the organization claims, “such groups do not embrace agendas that attack individuals for their identity traits,” nor do those groups “advance rights-restricting agendas” or “function to undermine democratic rule.” ³

Background

The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) is a left-of-center advocacy organization founded by Heidi Beirich and Wendy Via in 2020.⁴

Both Beirich and Via held high positions at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a controversial watchdog of extremist groups that has been criticized for its financial practices and for characterizing non-violent conventional right-of-center organizations as equivalent to violent extremists. ^{5 6 7}

Political Activities

The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism displays left-of-center ideology and bias in its reports and other aspects of its work. The organization notes that it “works to expose far-right extremism,” as well as “organizations that threaten democracy in other ways,” including anti-government organizations, and “conspiracy” organizations. ⁸

GPAHE released a “special report” titled “Democracies Under Threat,” which depicted various right-of-center leaders around the world. The report states that the decision by social media companies to de-platform and censor then-President Donald Trump was “too little, too late,” but it was “important and it should become the standard for other political leaders and political parties,” nationally and internationally, that have engaged in what the organization considers, “hate speech, disinformation, conspiracy-mongering and generally spreading extremist material. ” ⁹

The organization notes that it does not investigate and report on far-left extremism. The organization claims “such groups do not embrace agendas that attack individuals for their identity traits,” nor do they “advance rights-restricting agendas” or “function to undermine democratic rule.” It also states that “far-left extremist movements have not in recent years engaged in mass violence,” like the “far-right.” ¹⁰

People

Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, earned a Ph.D. in political science from Purdue University, and holds M.A. degrees in political science and economics. ¹¹ Beirich led the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, which publishes the organization’s Hatewatch blog and Intelligence Report. Intelligence Report identifies and tracks groups and incidents the SPLC characterizes as hate-based. As of July 2017, the Intelligence Project had 15 full-time and two part-time staffers. Its reports are regularly cited by left-of-center mainstream media outlets. ^{12 13}

Wendy Via, also a co-founder of GPAHE, holds a BA in Humanities from Auburn University. She is on the core committee of the Christchurch Call Advisory Network and was the chief communications and development officer at SPLC. Via also assisted in the launch of Justice for Migrant Women, a left-of-center organization that supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement, has called U.S. immigration policies “racist,” and supports permanent legal status for millions of illegal immigrants and other individuals currently in the United States under temporary protected status (TPS). ^{14 15 16 17}

Financials

The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism receives most of its revenue from contributions, gifts, and grants. The organization received a total of $396,128 in 2021, all of which came from contributions and grants. Its total expenses in 2021 amounted to $120,307, $39,000 of which was used for “executive compensation,” to pay $19,500 to both Wendy Via and Heidi Beirich. ¹⁸

The organization’s revenue went down slightly in 2022 when it received a total of $358,239, all of which came in the form of contributions and grants. GPAHE’s expenses amounted to $349,445 that year; $171,800, nearly half of which was used for “executive compensation” to pay Via and Beirich $85,900 each, while $51,591 was spent on other salaries and wages. ¹⁹

1. ^[1] “Wendy Via.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/wendy-via/.
2. “Heidi Beirich.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/heidi-beirich-ph-d/
3. “Far-Right Hate and Extremist Groups FAQ’s.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/faqs-far-right-extremist-groups-faqs/.
4. “About Us.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/about-us/.
5. ^[1] “Wendy Via.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/wendy-via/.
6. “Heidi Beirich.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/heidi-beirich-ph-d/.
7. O, “Tyler. “Conservatives respond as SPLC continues to brand them ‘hate groups’ despite terror attack, defamation claims.” Fox News. March 9, 2022. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/splc-hate-map-responses
8. “Far-Right Hate and Extremist Groups FAQ’s.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/faqs-far-right-extremist-groups-faqs/
9. Democracies Under Threat.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/reports/democracies-under-threat/.
10. “Far-Right Hate and Extremist Groups FAQ’s.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/faqs-far-right-extremist-groups-faqs/.
11. “Heidi Beirich.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/heidi-beirich-ph-d/.
12. ^[1] “Heidi Beirich.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/heidi-beirich-ph-d/.
13. Schreckinger, Ben. “Has a Civil Rights Stalwart Lost Its Way?.” Politico Magazine. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/06/28/morris-dees-splc-trump-southern-poverty-law-center-215312/
14. “Wendy Via.” Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://globalextremism.org/wendy-via/.
15. “Justice for Migrant Women – BLM.” X (Twitter). Accessed March 18, 2024. https://twitter.com/mujerxsrising/status/1268644587884761088?s=21&t=VZxjhNyp-8P6oYl98_YbSQ.
16. “Justice for Migrant Women – Racist Immigration Policies.” X (Twitter). Accessed March 18, 2024. https://twitter.com/mujerxsrising/status/1491168475590836225?s=21&t=VZxjhNyp-8P6oYl98_YbSQ.
17. “The Humans Who Feed Us.” Justice for Migrant Women. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://justice4women.org/the-humans-who-feed-us.
18. “Global Project Against Hate And Extremism.” Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/843459993.
19. “Global Project Against Hate And Extremism.” Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/843459993.