Club de Madrid (CdM) presented its project ‘Leaders Telling a Different Story’ at a stand organized by the EU Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (EU-Devco) at the Paris Peace Forum 2018. This venue consists of a new annual event based on a simple idea: international cooperation is key to tackling global challenges and ensuring durable peace.
Overall over 70-80 organizations learned about ‘Leaders Telling a Different Story’ aims at strengthening national and regional counter-narrative strategies and producing a multi-dimensional response to violent extremist messaging. By channeling the collective expertise of policymakers, media experts, practitioners and CdM Members – former Presidents and Prime Ministers – conducting qualitative research and content analysis, and high-level policy and technical dialogue, this initiative developed evidence-informed policy recommendations on how to deliver more effective alternative/counter-narratives that can challenge the mentality of vulnerable groups and ultimately reduce recruitment by extremist groups.
The audience at the stand listened to the results of the project on how to prevent violent extremist narratives, including creating a platform for debates where governments and civil society can work together to develop counter-narratives. The recommendations stem from an evidence-based analysis of focus groups and technical analysis of the messages of radical groups in three countries: Nigeria, Tunisia, and Lebanon.
See the outcome document with policy recommendations here.