Our lives are made up of stories. The stories define who we are and what we think of the world around us.
A genuine story has the power to shift perspectives. It can bring about the truth in a space filled with lies, it can move hardhearted people, it can make strangers come together to defend it, and it can scatter hate.
An extremist narrative is a system of stories that collectively provides a coherent worldview for the purpose of supporting individuals, groups, or movements in the furthering of their illegal violence and violence-assisting activities).
(RAN collection, 2019)
Although the link between extremist ideas and violence is contested and variable, exposure to extremist narratives is undeniably critical to the process of radicalisation.
(RAN collection, 2019)
A sense of belonging
The language used tries to empower the reader
An easy solution for complex problems
Often they blame a selected group for the problems of a society
It is not easy to recognise extremism online. Radicalised people and extremist organisations often try to build a community by providing young people with different types of social events: for example concerts or sport events.
At first glance, you might not even be aware what it is about, that you became a target of a recruitment process.
Now that you know what extremism is and how to recognise it online, it is high time to be BRAVE and start your own mission: fight against extreme narratives.
To that end you can design either “counter” narratives or “alternative” narratives.
Counter narratives directly dispute and reject what extremist organisations find to be the one and only truth.
For example, they might share posts about how the activities of Roma/Jewish/Muslim community undermine the values and destroy the culture of the country. They spread messages which fuel adverse emotions, enmity, hatred and try to convince you that you, your whole generation and the entire society are in danger.
At this point, nothing else helps, but FACTS and ARGUMENTS which strip the messages of emotions and contradict to the allegations by realities
Extremist narratives tend to pick the doomsday card and try to convince you that danger is everywhere.
But: Did it ruin your Christmas that you have new neighbours, who settled down in your country, because they find a new job here? Couldn’t you bake your favourite cake that you prepared as a child together with your grandmother? Ohhh, no.
Shifting responsibility
Spreading fear is always the easy way to highlight some difficulty and finding a group to blame is seemingly the solution. But such approach shifts the responsibility to others only without solving the problem. Because you do not have to take responsibility for your own life. It is easier to blame someone else.
Alternative narratives help us to change the whole situation. Basically, it is not about getting into debates with extremist posts, articles and videos. Instead of arguing why they are wrong, you create an alternative which reflects your way of thinking.
Do not communicate in such a way that “I am against exclusion”.
Change the game. By reacting to an extremist post, let everyone know that you are here for promoting human rights for everyone, that you support minority groups or stand up for the excluded ones.
Please check our Playlist for Democracy, and the personal story of 20 people who work hard day after day to build a safe and happy environment for all of us.
Being BRAVE doesn’t mean being reckless. You should always know your own strengths and weaknesses and be aware of your capabilities. Be aware of the risks of online bullying which may lead to verbal attacks, or even threats to physical violence. Be BRAVE, but also, be SMART!
Radicalisation eventually may lead to physical violence. This should be stopped, and the sooner the better. The earlier you step in the better chance you have to counter radical views in a calm manner. Having a relaxed discussion will make de-radicalisation easier as opposition will be less aggressive.
If you stand up against radicalisation as a community, your actions will be more powerful and visible. Families are at the core of any individual’s resilience… Friends and teachers are also helpful. Police involvement might also be necessary. Think about who specifically can help you stand up and fight back. This could be someone close to you or close to people with extreme views.
Your priority in building counter-narratives should be to sow seeds of doubt. Find out what they value and why this has a radicalising effect on them, and then use their values to build a new narrative. Not all extremists are motivated by the same factors, but there is always a pattern. It starts with intolerance towards others and then continues with the organisation of in-groups and out groups. But if you understand the extremist’s perspective, you can change it.
Maintaining contact on a regular basis is necessary to a successful intervention. Counter-narratives are a long-term strategy. Remember that success is seldom achieved overnight. Extremists often lack community outside their radical groups, so providing them with an alternative is very valuable. Be realistic with your expectations to avoid disappointment.
Radical communities help reinforce hate towards “out-group” members. But conversation with ‘others’ works better when we trust each other. Find views you agree on, and be respectful of differences. This way it will be obvious that you are acting in good faith. It is far easier to change someone’s mind if they respect you, so give them a reason to respect you.
What do you want others to know? What story will make the world a better place? What is your view of things? It is up to you to make your voice be heard. Start creating your story that will make the misleading or hateful messages evaporate like smoke. Own the narrative.
Learn more about narratives in our video and get a better understanding on what extremism is. The video helps you to recognise when you face extremist ideologies online or in the real world and provides you with ideas on how to react to them.
Find out what polarization is and how threatening with refugees has changed Poles’ attitudes towards refugees.
In this video you will discover what an extremist narrative is and you will understand how the extremist narratives are created. It includes the definition of Extremism, examples from day- to-day life and the types of extremist narratives (simple & emotional) and their methods.
This is the first video from Do One Brave Thing tutorial series on developing counter-narrative campaigns.
In this video you will discover what it actually means to create an effective counter-narrative campaign and the 5 main steps it involves: Structure, Characters, Context, Character Development and Meaning. The video also goes more into depth, presenting each of these steps and how to implement them in order to have a successful counter-narrative campaign.
This is the second video from Do One Brave Thing tutorial series on developing counter narrative campaigns.
From the 3rd video you will understand why and when it’s important to do a brave thing and counter extremist narratives. The definition and threat of Group Polarisation also comes up and it’s explained with real-life examples, in order to give a context, but also guidance to youth on how to counter extremist narratives.
This is the third video from Do One Brave Thing tutorial series on developing counter narrative campaigns.
Now that you understand the meaning of extremism, how you can identify it and most importantly, how you can counter it and you decide to start and draft your campaign, this video will help you plan and use your resources effectively.
This is the fourth video from Do One Brave Thing tutorial series on developing counter narrative campaigns.
Our previous videos have shown you how to create an effective counter narrative campaign, now we show you how to maximize the impact of your campaign.
The actual steps on how to do this, are listed during the video:
This video is a part of the #DoOneBraveThing tutorial videos series, designed and recorded in the course of Do One Brave Thing project, funded by the European Union’s Internal Security Fund — Police.
What do we mean by “polarisation”? Can polarisation lead to extremism? What are extremist narratives and why do they work? In the first video of the #DoOneBraveThing series, Aleksandra Sawa, Institute of Social Safety’s expert, talks about polarisation and extremist narratives.
What kind of stories (narratives) do extremists use? What emotions do they play on? In the second video of the #DoOneBraveThing series, Jacek Mazurczak, Institute of Social Safety’s expert, presents 5 kinds of narratvies that extremists often use to attract an audience and push their message.
Can we prevent radicalization with social campaigns? What makes a campaign work? How do counter-narrative campaigns differ from those based around alternative narratives? In the third video of the #DoOneBraveThing series, Aleksandra Sawa, Institute of Social Safety’s expert, talks about delivering effective counter- and alternative narratives
How to design your own social campaign? How to narrow down your target audience, how to choose the right platform? In the fourth film from the #DoOneBraveThing series, Aleksandra Sawa, Institute of Social Safety’s expert, talks about important aspects to take into consideration when planning your own social (micro)campaign.
How to choose the best social media platform for your campaign? How to maximise the reach and engagement on your posts? In the fifth video from the #DoOneBraveThing series, Agnieszka Banaś, Head of Social Media in the WALK group, talks about how to maximise the potential of various social media platforms for your social (micro)campaign.
