Duration: January 2023 – May 2024
Location: Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta
Partner: Campaign, Indika Foundation, SEJUK, Solopos Institute
Status: Completed
Overview
The CREDIBLE project aimed to strengthen the capacity of young influencers and media professionals to promote religious freedom and tolerance in Indonesia. Over 17 months, the project built a network of youth and media actors who collaboratively developed inclusive content and campaigns addressing hate speech, misinformation, and discrimination targeting religious and ethnic minorities. Through capacity-building, collaboration, and media engagement, CREDIBLE sought to amplify positive narratives and foster greater understanding and respect for freedom of religion or belief (FORB).
Context
Although Indonesia’s constitution guarantees religious freedom, discriminatory regulations, politicization of religion, and online hate speech have deepened intolerance and polarization. Minority groups—such as Ahmadiyya, Shia, and local belief followers—continue to face restrictions on worship and stigmatization, while conservative online narratives dominate digital spaces. With eight in ten internet users under 36, youth remain both the most vulnerable to radical narratives and the most powerful agents of change. Recognizing this, CREDIBLE equipped young social media influencers and media actors to identify, counter, and replace intolerant messaging with narratives grounded in pluralism, empathy, and human rights.
Objectives
- Strengthen the capacity of youth influencers and media editors to detect hate speech and produce content promoting religious freedom and inclusion.
- Foster collaboration among social influencers to respond collectively to online intolerance and promote tolerance and respect for human rights.
Key Activities
- Capacity-building trainings for youth influencers on digital literacy and FORB content creation.
- National and local workshops with editors, journalists, and CSOs to strengthen media collaboration.
- Social media fellowship supporting youth-led campaigns and community initiatives.
- Development of a youth content hub and regional learning platforms with cyber guardians.
Impact
CREDIBLE significantly improved participants’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward promoting tolerance and religious freedom. Over 63% of youth influencers demonstrated increased understanding of detecting hate speech and developing inclusive content, while 72% expressed greater support for pluralism and interfaith collaboration. The participatory training approach—featuring interactive discussions, creative exercises, and peer learning—encouraged empathy and understanding among participants from diverse backgrounds, including religious minorities, conservative youth, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ communities.
Through the media component, Search and SEJUK engaged 146 editors and activists from national and local outlets, fostering collaboration between journalists, minority representatives, and CSOs to promote balanced and ethical coverage of religious issues. The fellowship program mobilized 20 youth influencers who produced 103 social media contents, reaching over 5.7 million people and engaging 1.3 million users. They also organized 20 offline community events, reaching more than 1,200 participants across four provinces.
While the project exceeded its outreach targets, reflections highlighted the need for more sustained, people-to-people engagement and greater resource support to ensure long-term behavioral change. Nonetheless, CREDIBLE demonstrated the power of youth-driven storytelling and cross-sector collaboration in countering hate and fostering a more inclusive, pluralistic Indonesia.
