Violent extremism is the beliefs and actions of people that help or use violence to realize ideological, spiritual, or political targets. Examples of violent extremism embody terrorism and politically motivated or communal violence, akin to tribal clashes and civil wars, amongst others. Combatting violent extremism stays a key aim for a lot of governments, worldwide improvement organizations, and native NGOs, primarily as a result of risk the sort of violence poses to lives and livelihoods. A part of the measures concerned contains gathering insights on points that would foster extremism amongst communities and deploying the required interventions, akin to educating communities and aligning safety actions.
The function of the cell phone in combatting violent extremism
With the rise and rise of cell phone penetration globally, cellular has turn out to be some of the efficient channels to ship and gather data, each of that are integral to combatting violent extremism. This may take course in quite a lot of methods and approaches, together with:
Growing and distributing counter-narrative content material by creating and distributing content material that challenges the narratives and ideologies of extremist teams and supplies different views. These supplies may be distributed by social media, messaging apps, and different cellular platforms.
Offering early warning and reporting programs that enable people to report potential threats and extremist exercise in actual time.
Providing de-radicalization and rehabilitation applications to people who’ve been radicalized or are prone to radicalization. This may contain creating cellular apps or on-line sources that present data, counseling, and different help to people who need assistance disengaging from extremist teams.
Constructing neighborhood resilience and selling social cohesion by mobile-based platforms that join folks and promote dialogue and understanding.
Offering schooling and awareness-raising concerning the risks of violent extremism and the way to counter it. This may contain creating cellular apps or on-line sources that present data and sources to assist folks perceive the problems and take motion to fight violent extremism.
Intelligence gathering on extremist teams, their leaders, and their actions.
Total, cellular know-how could be a highly effective instrument within the combat in opposition to violent extremism, however it is very important use it responsibly and ethically. Additionally it is important to work carefully with communities and different stakeholders to make sure that any efforts to fight violent extremism utilizing cellular know-how are efficient and sustainable.
Utilizing surveys to fight violent extremism
Surveys are some of the efficient methods to collect insights from folks on the bottom concerning just about something. In combatting violent extremism may be integral to gathering data and insights concerning the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of people and communities that could be prone to radicalization or involvement in violent extremist teams.
Surveys can be utilized to:
Establish threat components for radicalization akin to poverty, unemployment, lack of schooling, and publicity to extremist ideologies.
Assess the effectiveness of counter-radicalization applications and to establish areas for enchancment.
Develop focused interventions by gathering details about the particular wants and considerations of people and communities prone to radicalization. This data can be utilized to develop focused interventions that handle the particular points and challenges going through these teams.
Measure the influence of interventions designed to fight violent extremism. This may contain surveying people and communities earlier than and after an intervention to evaluate adjustments in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
Monitor and observe change in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors over time. This may contain surveying the identical people or communities frequently to evaluate adjustments of their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors over time.
Limitations of utilizing surveys to fight violent extremism
Whereas surveys could be a precious instrument within the combat in opposition to violent extremism, they do have sure limitations, together with:
Self-selection bias: Surveys depend on people to willingly take part, and people who don’t take part might have completely different attitudes or beliefs than those that do. This may result in self-selection bias, the place the outcomes of the survey will not be consultant of the inhabitants as a complete.
Social desirability bias: Surveys usually depend on self-reported knowledge, and respondents could also be inclined to offer socially acceptable solutions somewhat than their precise beliefs or behaviors. This may result in social desirability bias, the place the survey outcomes might not precisely mirror the true attitudes or behaviors of the inhabitants.
Privateness and safety considerations: Surveys can put contributors in danger if the info shouldn’t be saved confidential or if the survey is perceived as a approach for the federal government or different teams to collect intelligence on people and communities.
Given the sensitivity of violent extremism, it is very important be certain that the survey design is suitable and that the info is collected in a approach that respects the privateness and confidentiality of the contributors. Additionally it is important to research the info in a rigorous and unbiased method. Surveys must be performed in partnership with native communities to make sure that the survey is culturally and contextually acceptable and that the outcomes are utilized in a approach that advantages the neighborhood.
Working with GeoPoll to fight violent extremism utilizing cellular
GeoPoll frequently works with improvement organizations, governments and different stakeholders to succeed in all sorts of populations, even in areas which can be laborious to succeed in, for instance, because of violence and unrest. Utilizing our distinctive mobile-based strategies and international protection, we conduct distant surveys and assist ship one-way messages to folks in chosen geographies and demographics. To study extra about our work in combatting violent extremism and different options, don’t hesitate to contact us.
