Virtual world Habbo and the Matthew Shepard Foundation (MSF) have teamed up for a new anti-hate education program.

MSF, through its “Erase Hate” project will host an ongoing series of conversations among users in the Habbo.com InfoBus starting July 7. The Habbo.com’s InfoBus is a virtual room designed (as the name would suggest) as the inside of a high-end bus. Habbo users gather in the InfoBus “to discuss issues of concern among young people in a safe environment.”

Judy Shepard, Executive Director of MSF said that the partnership with Habbo will allow the foundation “to have ongoing conversations with young people about what they can do in the fight to replace hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance.”

It’s an important message, and with 9.5 million users in 32 countries, Habbo has a reach not matched by many others in this space.