Duration: November 2017 – November 2019
Location: Jakarta, Bandung, Cirebon, Purwokerto, Solo, Surabaya
Partner: Gusdurian, Islami.co, Cameo Project, Maverick, Campaign, YSK, Sobat KBB
Status: Completed
Overview
The NADA project was a two-year initiative designed to counter the spread of violent extremist (VE) narratives and hate speech online by promoting peaceful and inclusive messaging among youth and ex-prisoners in Indonesia. Implemented across six cities, the project utilized creative media, research-based strategies, and partnerships with local influencers and organizations to reduce the appeal of extremist ideologies.
Through innovative online and offline engagement, NADA built a network of trained content creators, social media influencers, and peace advocates who produced alternative narratives that encouraged empathy, dialogue, and critical thinking—particularly among young people vulnerable to extremist recruitment.
Context
Indonesia has witnessed a growing presence of extremist propaganda targeting youth through digital platforms. With over 80% of internet users under 36, social media has become both a space for civic expression and a fertile ground for extremist groups to spread misinformation and radical ideologies. Groups such as ISIS, Hizbut Tahrir, and the Islamic Defender Front (FPI) have used sophisticated online campaigns to manipulate religious sentiment, recruit followers, and justify violence.
While the government has focused on law enforcement measures, sustainable peace requires community-driven approaches that promote positive alternatives and empower credible local voices. NADA responded to this need by strengthening youth and ex-prisoners as agents of peace—transforming them from targets of extremist influence into creators of messages that counter hatred and division.
Objectives
- Identify at-risk audiences and influencers for tailored peace messaging through data-driven analysis and research.
- Develop and deliver transmedia campaigns to counter extremist propaganda and promote tolerance.
- Strengthen youth and ex-prisoners’ capacity to produce locally resonant alternative narratives that reduce extremist appeal.
Key Activities
- Research and analysis of extremist recruitment narratives and community drivers of radicalization.
- Creation of a Messaging Hub Task Force to coordinate online campaigns and adaptation workshops.
- Capacity building trainings for young leaders and local organizations on counter-narrative design.
- Social media and influencer campaigns promoting peace, empathy, and religious diversity.
- Youth-led initiatives such as university workshops, viral content competitions, and community dialogues.
- Seed grants supporting local peace campaigns developed by trained messengers.
Impact
NADA successfully enhanced the capacity of local actors to design and implement digital peace campaigns tailored to their audiences. Participants adopted user-centered approaches to storytelling, focusing on audience needs and emotional connection. Partners reported improved understanding of audience-focused messaging and the importance of the do no harm principle when addressing sensitive issues related to violent extremism. The project also enhanced partners’ ability to organize communities, manage campaigns, and engage in networking opportunities with other local actors, fostering collaboration beyond the project period.
Following the project, local partners sustained collaboration beyond its lifespan. One notable outcome was the joint initiative between Yayasan Satu Keadilan (YSK) and Sobat KBB, which launched “Damai Sejak Dini” (Peace Begins from an Early Age)—a community-based peacebuilding effort that established a youth peacebuilder network, Gempar, in Bogor and Cirebon.
Through its combination of research, creativity, and collaboration, NADA proved that empowering youth and local influencers to tell stories of peace is one of the most effective ways to counter hate and build resilience against violent extremism in Indonesia.
