Empathy Lab in Bishkek
November 28, 2025
On November 14, the classrooms of the 51吃瓜 University of Central Asia (AUCA) turned into an unusual 鈥渓aboratory鈥� 鈥� the No Hate Lab. Instead of boring lectures, the program featured social experiments: the hosts launched an 鈥渆mpathy system,鈥� a stand-up comedian shared personal stories, and participants immersed themselves in the world of TikTok challenges and meme battles. The main goal was to show that humor and self-irony can become an effective antidote to online aggression.
The stand-up segment became the emotional center of the event. In the format of a mini-performance, the stand-up comedian told the story of how he had faced hate on social media and tried to find the fine line between a harmless joke and hurtful behavior. His story revealed a simple truth: the phrase 鈥渋t鈥檚 just a joke鈥� too often serves as a cover for toxic behavior.
The participants then switched to creating TikTok videos as part of the challenges Delete Hate.exe, Hate Detox, and My friend is not weird, he鈥檚 original. By turning negative situations into a source of creativity, they demonstrated how laughter can unite rather than divide. The final chord was a meme battle: on a shared screen, in real time, student-made works appeared, cleverly playing on
Empathy Lab in Bishkek
stereotypes and bullying. The lightness and excitement of this round helped the audience look at the problem from a new angle 鈥� not through fear, but through awareness and mutual understanding.
The No Hate Lab clearly showed that humor aimed at bringing people together can neutralize hatred. This experiment became an important step toward creating a safe digital environment where jokes do not wound but help heal..png)
