Indonesia has undergone dramatic changes since its economic crisis in 1998, including a transition from authoritarianism to democracy and subsequent successful democratic elections. In more recent years, extremist groups in Indonesia have been gaining more support within national, regional and local elections. Cities such as Surabaya have suffered an upsurge in violent terrorist attacks. Online platforms have become a significant arena for hate speech, attacks on minority groups and for galvanizing support for extreme ideas by both violent extremist and politically-motivated groups. In this context, government agencies and non-government organizations are seeking to design interventions that counter the impact of extreme narratives online as well as build resilience to such damaging messaging. This report summarizes the findings from a research to inform Search for Common Ground (Search) and other stakeholders in developing an implementation strategy to reduce the influence of violent extremist narratives online, particularly targeted at youth and ex-juvenile offenders in Indonesia via social media.
May 11, 2020
