ORPHEUS’ partners organised different webinars in their respective fields throughout the duration of the project. The target audience of these webinars are members (youth workers, educators, policymakers) of organisations engaged in supporting youth content creators, and content creators interested in providing and sharing narratives preventing violent extremism in any form, as well as students and scholars interested in these topics.
The Prevention Pyramid as a basis for developing methods tackling the risks of violent extremism
ORPHEUS is a project tackling the risks of violent extremism. One of the basic concepts is the Prevention Pyramid where different levels of prevention are combined and distinguished. We target the interplay of offline and online causal factors; positive networks for young people; legitimate channels for expression and inclusive alter-narratives. This webinar describes this Pyramid model as a framework for developing innovative methods for tackling the risks of violent extremism. What are the strengths and the pitfalls, the pros and the cons of this model?
The majority of explanation models for violent extremism describe a process consisting of sequential steps. These linear process models are well-known and broadly used but fail to grasp the unpredictable and diverse paths and timings towards violent extremism. In a forthcoming publication, Prof. Dr. Rik Coolsaet develops an explanation scheme based on the long historic path of terrorism studies since the 1960s. Just as the ‘founding mother’ of terror studies Martha Crenshaw, Prof. Dr. Coolsaet reiterates the integration of the individual micro-level into an overall approach including the meso-level of groups as well as the macro-level of the societal context. In this webinar Prof. Coolsaet explains his model and applies it to both jihadi and far-right terrorism.
Dr. Paul Stocker is a historian and expert on the radical right in Britain and Europe. He is author of English Uprising: Brexit and the Mainstreaming of the Far Right. Conspiracy theories are not new. Some theories are harmless, but others are very concerning. The risks are that young people may have been exposed to misleading and hateful content and engaged with extremist individuals. Therefore increasing the vulnerability to risk, harm and exploitation. This webinar describes what conspiracy theories are, and how they are used by the Far Right. Dr. Stocker also dives into the subject of common antisemitic and Islamophobic conspiracy theories, ending the presentation with what we can do to counter harmful conspiracy theories.
Key words: Far Right, conspiracy theories, antisemitism, Islamophobia
The Extreme Right on Social Media
Against a backdrop of widespread concern regarding the extreme right’s increasing use of social media, this webinar examines the results of two recent studies on the social media online activities of a popular UK extreme right group ‘Britain First’. First, the way in which the groups constructed themselves on mainstream social media as ‘imagined political communities’ is discussed. Analysis of a circa 5-million-word dataset reveals that Britain First strategically mobilised a number of topical news events and systematically denigrated (‘other’) immigrants and Muslims. The second discussion is about the change in their visual strategy as they were removed from the world’s largest social mediaplatform Facebook and migrated to a less regulated-platform – Gab.
Key words: social media, Extreme Right, Britain First, anti-immigrant
Safe Spaces: Lockdown Edition
In this webinar, practitioners and young people will take you through their shift from offline safe spaces to an online environment, the challenges they're facing and future opportunities. This video session will take a closer look at the importance of safe spaces for vulnerable young people to express their grievances. A space where young people can meet, discuss sensitive topics, assisted by professionals they trust. Moreover, due to the covid-lockdowns, the focus on online safety is more important than ever to protect young people from online grooming.
Islamic Reform Movements: Islamism, Salafism and Jihadism
The postcolonial Islamic world has been a turbulent place. Many revolutions and counter-revolutions have taken place. These have led to different movements that today are also present amongst the Muslim population in the West. Misunderstandings of the different theories and practices however are very common. In this webinar, we wish to provide a brief introduction to the development of the 3 main modern Islamic Reform Movements and an elaboration on the differences and similarities.
Online alter- and counter-narratives for combating violent extremism
In the age where digital social media are often blamed for increasing polarisation and rise of extremism, there is undisputable need for support for social media creators willing to counteract these trends. This webinar presents scholarly perspectives on narrative approaches for the prevention of violent extremism. Criteria of effective alter- or counter-narratives to narratives promoting violent extremism will be considered, and supported by practical examples.
Key words: social media, polarisation, alter-narratives, counter-narratives, violent extremism
Utilising the Positive Effects of Social Gaming
As a young boy, Cristian has always been fascinated by technology, games and their ability to tell a story. Throughout his career, he has worked as a gaming event planner focusing on connecting people based on their love for the culture. As a social youth worker and expert in criminology, he believes in the power of potential and that what (young) people have in common will always have more strength than what divides us. In this webinar Cristian takes you on a journey through online and offline experiences of social gaming, provided with examples. What is social gaming and what are the powers and functions of social interactions during gaming?
Key words: social gaming, gamingculture, social bonding, social interactions
