PAVE Training Module 2

Section outline

• Once you’ve decided on your target audience and understand where they spend time, you need to craft a message that will best resonate with them - a message with a purpose! Whatever narrative you decide to use, make sure that you are able to make your message persuasive to help change or influence attitudes. In order to be successful, keep in mind that you are not talking TO your audience, rather, you are engaging WITH. 

  No one wants to be told what to do or feel like they are being lectured or antagonized. People want to feel as though they are in a space to engage in dialogue and their own critical thinking. For example, creating a message that says “your belief is wrong” or “engaging with extremists is bad” without offering a positive alternative or a well-thought-out explanation is unlikely to have a strong or lasting impact. Consider also how you want your audience to react. Do you want them to see the message and personally reflect or bring awareness to a cause or issue? For instance, strategic messaging on social media communicated to the rest of the world what was happening on the ground during the Arab Spring uprisings. Or do you want your message to convey a “call to action”. A call to action asks audiences to do something immediately in response to your message and makes it clear why it is important. This could be as simple as getting them to share a video, sign a petition, or get involved more directly in the campaign or cause. Calls to action should be creative but also realistic.

  For example, the Hours Against Hate was a US State Department-led campaign that aims to promote pluralism across society through offline social activism and online awareness-raising. The campaign urges youth to volunteer their time by pledging one hour to do something for someone different to them and encouraging others to do the same. 

  
  

  

  Photo Source: Hours Against Hate. https://www.hoursagainsthate.com/.

  
  

  So, what elements could your message include?

  • Facts from credible sources to deconstruct, discredit and demystify extremist messages. This can include using community, religious, political or other influencers who are trusted by your target audience to share or reiterate the facts.
  • Emotional appeals highlighting the impact of extremism and violence. For example, #NotAnotherBrother was a counter-speech campaign aimed to reach potential foreign terrorist fighters, and their networks, in order to dissuade from extremism and terrorism by challenging ISIS’ utopia narrative. Watch the campaign video here: .

  Source: Not Another Brother. “#NotAnotherBrother.” August 3, 2015.  https://youtu.be/IjIQ0ctzyZE.

  
  

  • Satire and humor to deglamorize and undermine the rebellious appeal of extremist groups.  For example, a project in Portugal under the name “No Hate Ninja’s’ produced a five-minute video: “No Hate Ninja Project – A Story About Cats, Unicorns and Hate Speech”, explaining why hate speech spreads so easily online and why that is a problem. Watch the campaign video here: https://www.coe.int/web/no-hate-campaign/videos1.

  

  Source: Council of Europe. “Ninja Project.”  https://www.coe.int/web/no-hate-campaign/videos1.

  • Positive stories and messages from people within your audience, or for whom the audience admires. This can include emphasizing positive values such as diversity and acceptance. For example, Average Mohammed is an animated video campaign created by Mohamed Amin Ahmed, a Somali-American living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The short cartoons are targeted to young Muslims in order to build resilience early and counteract the narratives of Islamic extremism. The videos cover a wide range of topics including violent extremism, identity, religious tolerance, and being Muslim in the West. Watch the campaign video series here:

  Source: Average Mohamed. “Stories Outreach Curriculum Resources.’’  https://www.youtube.com/c/AverageMohamedForPeace/videos.

  • Select activity Reflection Questions Part 5

    

    Reflection Questions Part 5 Quiz

    

How is Our Target Audience Currently Interacting with Extremist Content?

Jump to... Main learning site Session 1: Objectives and Expected Results How Does the Internet Support and Create Opportunities for Extremist Narratives and Radicalization? Digital Recruitment in Today's Society What Tactics Do Violent Extremists Use to Radicalize Individuals? Who Do Violent Extremists Target in Radicalization and Recruitment Online? How and Why Do Youth Become Key Targets for Radicalization and Recruitment? Gendered Lens: How and Why Do Women Become Key Targets for Radicalization and Recruitment? How Does Religion Influence Online Recruitment and Radicalization? What About Policymakers? How do They Support Radicalization and Resilience Factors? Additional Resources for Session 1 Session 2: Objectives and Expected Results What Could An Extremist Narrative Look Like? How Can We Address Online Radicalization and Recruitment? What is Counter or Alternative Messaging and How Can it Be Used to Prevent Radicalization? Building a Strategic Campaign Guidelines for Creating an Effective Campaign Mapping Your Target Audience How is Our Target Audience Currently Interacting with Extremist Content? Tactics to Disseminate Your Campaign Messages Your Counter or Alternative Narrative Campaign is Launched - Now What? Evaluating Your Counter or Alternative Narrative Campaign Now It’s Your Turn to Make a Counter Narrative Campaign! Additional Resources for Session 2 Session 3: Objectives and Expected Results Being Safe When Using Online Spaces Safety Through An Inclusive Lens What if Someone I know is Talking to an Unsafe Person? Key Considerations for Building Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration and Trust to Prevent Online Radicalization and Recruitment Additional Resources for Session 3 Print Your Course Certificate

Tactics to Disseminate Your Campaign Messages