Peer 2 Peer: Challenging Extremism

The Power of Student Innovation

Current Challenge
Violent extremists, as dened by the U.S. Government (USG) refer to individuals who
support or commit ideologically-moKvated violence to further poliKcal objecKves.
There is no prole of a violent extremist and the ideology and goals of violent extremists
vary tremendously based on local contexts and personal drivers. While violent
extremists are shaped by a variety of factors and local condiKons, in the age of social
media, violent extremist narraKves are no longer conned by borders and can have
internaKonal appeal. This challenge uses social media to push back against violent
extremist narraKves to provide a posiKve, alternaKve, or counter narraKve to all forms of
violent extremism.
The Peer to Peer: Challenging
Extremism (P2P) compeKKon
provides an opportunity for
students, while earning credit, to
create and acKvate their own
social media campaigns to
challenge violent extremist
ideology, propaganda and
recruitment by creaKng posiKve,
alternaKve, or counter narraKves.
In addiKon to moKvaKng students
to become involved in pushing
back against hate and violent
extremism, the challenge also
builds a community of interested
and engaged young people living
shared values to counter hate and
violent extremism from all over
the world.

Fall 2016 Project Brief

Why Social Media Ma9ers: The

Internet - and specically social
media - has emerged as one of
the key ways in which violent
extremists engage with the public
in order build support for their
messages, and recruit or inspire
willing parKcipants to either
travel abroad to ght or commit
violent acts at home.
While Islamic States (ISIL) use of
social media is the most
sophisKcated online terrorist
communicaKons operaKon to
date, invariably other violent
extremists will learn and borrow
from its approach.

ISIL is sophis*cated in its use of

digital technologies to spread its
message.

Violent far right extremist groups

in Europe also use online social
networks to spread their
message.

Previously, violent extremists mostly

engaged through password protected
websites and chatrooms; now they
directly engage broad populaKons
through commonly used social media
plaTorms. By leveraging
sophisKcated social media
capabiliKes and strategies they have
dramaKcally amplied their reach.

Extremists use Twi>er, Facebook,

Ask.fm, Kik, Whats App, You Tube,
SoundCloud, JustPaste.it, Instagram,
Snapchat and other digital plaJorms
to promote their messages,
disseminate pictures and videos, and
directly engage poten*al recruits.
Violent extremists also uses bot
networks (networks of hijacked
computers) to disseminate messages
and hijack hashtag campaigns to tap
into trending topics in Twi>er that
have nothing to do with violent
extremism. Supporters, for example,
have used World Cup and Ebola
related hashtags to reach broad
audiences.

Fall 2016 Project Brief

Tech Sector and Government CVE

Eorts: The tech sector is a key
government partner in the ght
against proliferaKon of violent
extremist messages.

Governments have held high

level mee*ngs with technology
companies, including Facebook,
Google, Twi>er, and MicrosoR to
discuss cross-sector collabora*on
to counter violent extremist
content online.

Twi>er takes ac*on against

violent extremist accounts, but
users oRen just add a digit to
their old account and can a>ract
hundreds of followers in just a
few hours, highligh*ng the
dicul*es in disrup*ng their
eorts.

The Response: One of the best

ways to respond to the
proliferaKon of violent extremist
content online is to mobilize
individuals to create social media
campaigns that challenge
extremist rhetoric and refocus
aWenKon on posiKve alternaKves.
This includes eorts at awareness
building, educaKon, building
cohesion, and directly countering
violent extremist narraKves. This
challenge seeks to be a part of
that soluKon, by empowering the
very people violent extremist
groups are trying to recruit
young people to provide an
alternaKve to hate and violence.

Your Challenge
Student teams are challenged to consider not only how they might counter current
messaging and violent extremists use of digital technologies (a posiKoning of being
against something), but also how to empower posiKve alternaKve narraKves, models,
and pathways that advocate for something, such as cultural and religious freedoms,
economic producKon, opportunity through the power of innovaKon, and living in a civil
society, for example.
Research indicates that narra*ves of hope and posi*ve empowerment are just as
important as directly countering extremist messages.
Students can use technology and digital tools to inspire and enable both online
and oine acKviKes. Because the Internet is not constrained by physical space
and geography, iniKaKves, products, and tools could aect people on and o
campus. The priority, whether online or in person, is to demonstrate a\tudinal
shi] and behavior change within the target audience.

Focusing Your Campaign

The following list of issues represents possible areas teams might choose to
narrow the focus their campaign:

Counter and alternative narratives / Enhancing social Inclusion through Civic

Engagement / Outreach to peers or family members who may be best placed to
notice early warning signs of radicalization / Countering Islamiphobia and other
forms of discrimination / Defector stories / Rehabilitation and reintegration of
violent extremists / Promoting credible religious voices/Migrant, refugee,
immigration integration issues / Cultural heritage preservation / Community
policing to counter violent extremism / Resilience building

Fall 2016 Project Brief

Program Objec8ves
To design, pilot, implement, and measure the success of a social or digital iniKaKve,
product, or tool that:

Mo*vates or empowers students to become involved in countering violent extremism.

Catalyzes other students to create their own ini*a*ves, products, or tools to counter violent
extremism.
Builds a community of interest/network focused on living shared values that counter violent
extremism through ac*on.

Target Audience
The target audiences for this project may include any of the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Uncommi>ed popula*ons
Silent majority
Civic-minded individuals
At-risk youth
The uncommi@ed popula8ons have formed no opinion about the violent extremist
narra*ve and therefore have not been involved in preven*ng or promo*ng it.
The silent majority are those who oppose violent extremism but currently are not ac*ve
in raising public awareness or broader preven*on eorts.
Civic-minded individuals are interested in the public good but not necessarily focused on
preven*ng radicaliza*on and/or engaging in grassroots countering violent extremism
(CVE) eorts.
At-risk youth are those who are exposed to the violent extremist narra*ve and vulnerable
to radicaliza*on.

Program Requirements
1. Weekly Journal: Each team must keep a weekly electronic journal that tracks
prototypes including: what worked, what didnt, and why, which will be used to
provide a retrospecKve upon program compleKon. This journal will be submiWed
each Friday throughout the term.
2. CreaKve Brief: Using the template* provided, teams must submit a creaKve brief and
creaKve samples for review to EdVenture Partners prior to any implementaKon.
(detailed below)
3. Final Submission: (Detailed below also see scorecard) w/ expense log and all creaKve
working les.

Fall 2016 Project Brief

Final Submission Items

At the end of the program, each team is required to deliver a submission for
review which should detail these items: (See scorecard)

Digital presence for the ini*a*ve, product, or tool. Teams could set this up through a
full website, Facebook, Instagram, Twi>er, or any number of other digital plaJorms.
The selec*on of a plaJorm will depend on what is most appropriate for a teams
specic ini*a*ve, product, or tool as well as the country and target audiences. Teams
should provide an explana*on of why they selected their digital strategy and plaJorm.

A summary of any opposi*on to the ini*a*ve, product, or tool by inuen*al

individuals, groups, press, or social media outlets, and details about how the team
addressed this challenge. Projects that address violent extremism might provoke
nega*ve reac*ons from some quarters (including poten*ally from extremist groups
themselves), and we expect that at least some of the teams might face this challenge
and need to nd ways to navigate it.

A detailed summary of the prototype tes*ng process, challenges, successes, and

failures along the way, campaign results.

A detailed assessment of program impact that should include measures of

performance and eec*veness focusing on aetude and behavior shiR.

A plan for long-term campaign viability that should address:

Status: Current status of the campaign, including whether it is completed,
con*nuing, or expanding in the near term.
Partners: Poten*al partners (academic, non-prot, governmental, private
sector) that could support the con*nued implementa*on of the campaign.
Transferability: Assessment of the poten*al for the campaign viability if
transferred to another geographic loca*on and/or implemen*ng agent.
Barriers: Poten*al barriers to campaign con*nua*on and/or expansion (i.e.
infrastructure, resource, nancial barriers).
A two-page English-language program overview brochure that can be used to
market each teams ini*a*ve, product, or tool with public partners and nongovernmental organiza*ons that may be interested in providing resources to
support the par*cular ini*a*ve.

Fall 2016 Project Brief

Measures of Success
The most eecKve way to analyze results is to establish a benchmark of exisKng audience
senKment, idenKfy the a\tude or behavior change that would show a messages impact,
and then use a combinaKon of tools to periodically examine progress. Intended outcomes
can include awareness building, knowledge creaKon, a\tudinal shi], or behavior changes.
Measurement tools should be tailored to the behavior or a\tude change the messaging
campaign is intended to aect and ought to be used before, during, and following the
campaign.
Common measures to analyze results include: polls/surveys, linking awareness to acKon,
media metrics, qualitaKve assessment of shi]s in audience responses, and extremist
reacKons.
Sample Peer to Peer: Challenging Extremism
success measures include:

Number of people who access the web portal

for the ini*a*ve, product, or tool.
Number of people who favorite the web
portal or digital plaJorm or otherwise
indicate their support for it.
Number of people who join the ini*a*ve,
par*cipate in its ac*vi*es, and/or download/
use a product or tool. Teams should also
measure the quality of involvement
(par*cipa*on in a single event vs.
volunteering for ongoing ac*vi*es, support
for marke*ng a product or tool vs. simply
downloading it once, etc.).
Number of students on the teams university
campus who are aware of the ini*a*ve,
product, or tool.
Number of social media references to the
ini*a*ve, product, or tool.
Number of students who create their own
ini*a*ves to counter violent extremism as a
result of their exposure to the teams
ini*a*ve, product, or tool.

Fall 2016 Project Brief

Number of organiza*onal partners and/or

sponsors for the ini*a*ve, product, or tool.
The degree to which the project is selfsustaining. Examples of poten*al measures
include nancial base for con*nued
opera*on; number of individuals or
organiza*ons that have agreed to con*nue
the ini*a*ve, product, or ini*a*ve; number
of independent spin-o ini*a*ves and
their reach; and products or tools that
members of the target audience have
created and plan to con*nue using (this is
not an exhaus*ve list of poten*al
measures).
The degree to which the project inspired
others to take ac*on to counter violent
extremism and moved from simply
informing about violent extremism to
inspiring others to do something.

About the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the United States federal agency
whose mission is to protect Americans from the threat of terrorism and other
disasters. This work includes prevenKng terrorism, enhancing security, managing
borders, administering immigraKon laws, security cyberspace, and ensuring
disaster resilience.
On September 28, 2015, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson announced
the creaKon of the Oce for Community Partnerships (OCP) to streamline and
head the Departments eorts to counter violent extremism domesKcally. OCP is
the primary source of leadership, innovaKon, and support for the improved
eecKveness of partners at federal, state, local, tribal and territorial levels.
OCP implements a full-range of partnerships to support and enhance eorts by
faith leaders, local government ocials, and communiKes to prevent
radicalizaKon and recruitment by terrorist organizaKons. OCP leads the
Departments countering violent extremism (CVE) mission with the following
objecKves:
Community Engagement. OCP works with the Oce for Civil Rights and Civil
Liber*es to facilitate community engagements to build awareness and promote
dialogue with community partners, which includes engagements with DHS senior
leadership.

Field Support Expansion and Training. OCP supports DHS eld sta across the
country to develop and strengthen local partnerships and to provide training
opportuni*es.

Grant Support. OCP is working closely with FEMA to issue a no*ce of funding
opportunity for community-based programs this summer. More informa*on will be
available on this website.

Philanthropic Engagement. OCP works with the philanthropic community to

maximize support for local communi*es, and encourage long-term partnerships.

Technology Sector Engagement. OCP engages the technology sector to iden*fy

and amplify credible voices online, and to promote counter or alterna*ve narra*ves
against violent extremist messaging.

Fall 2016 Project Brief

About Facebook
Founded in 2004, Facebooks mission is to give people the power to share and
make the world more open and connected. People use Facebook to stay
connected with friends and family, to discover whats going on in the world, and
to share and express what maWers to them. Over 1.7 billion people use
Facebook on a monthly basis and approximately 84.5% of Facebooks
community is outside the United States and Canada.
Facebook Community Standards:
Facebook wants people to feel safe when using Facebook. For that reason, it has
developed a set of Community Standards (hWps://www.facebook.com/
communitystandards) - policies to help people understand what type of sharing
is allowed on Facebook, and what type of content may be reported and
removed. For instance, Facebook doesnt allow any organizaKon that is engaged
in terrorist acKvity to have a presence on Facebook. Facebook also removes
hate speech, which includes content that directly aWacks people based on their:
race, ethnicity, naKonal origin, religious aliaKon, sexual orientaKon, sex,
gender, or gender idenKty, or serious disabiliKes or diseases.
Facebooks community uses the plaTorm to speak out against hate and
terrorism - and to raise up moderate voices in response to extremist ones. In
addiKon to P2P, Facebook supports a variety of counter-speech iniKaKves
including commissioning research on what makes counter-speech eecKve and
training NGOs about best counter-speech pracKces.
Resources:
Research: Facebook commissioned a study from the UK think tank Demos to
study counter-speech on Facebook and the elements that make it successful.
Two waves of research have been published to date: hWp://www.demos.co.uk/
project/counter-speech and hWp://www.demos.co.uk/project/counter-speechon-facebook-uk-and-france/.
Facebook Nonprots site: Tools and Kps to help your cause and build your
community: hWps://nonprots.t.com/

Fall 2016 Project Brief

Program Flow
1. Assess the Message Landscape:

Review program secondary resources to

gain a deeper and more nuanced
understanding of violent extremism and
the messaging landscape.
Research to understand the violent
extremist narra*ve and messaging
strategy.
Research to understand the broader
context, to include socioeconomic
grievances, key inuencers, and current
counter messaging ac*vi*es underway.

3. Research:

Conduct a thorough audience

analysis to assess the drivers of the
target audiences percep*onssuch
as demographics, history, culture,
aetudes, social concerns, and
enduring values.

2. IdenKfy and Dene Target Audience:

Based on your ini*al introduc*on and

research of the topic, iden*fy the specic
target audience prole for your ini*a*ve,
product or tool.
Your specic target audience should be
aligned with the broader Target Audience
outlined above.
Choose a specic goal for your messaging
strategy, tailored to your target audience.
Possible goals include:
Among uncommi>ed audiences:
convince them of the importance of
taking a posi*ve stance against
extremism
Among silent majority audiences:
encourage them to become ac*ve in
preven*on eorts
Among civic-minded audiences:
inspire them to engage in grassroots
CVE eorts
Among at-risk audiences: discourage
mobiliza*on to violence

Fall 2016 Project Brief

4. Build the Media Plan:

Develop an integrated project plan

and messaging strategy aimed at
engaging your dened target
audience that includes tailoring the
message, nding credible
messengers, and selec*ng media
plaJorm/s.
Establish baselines in order to
measure the eec*veness of your
project based on pre- and postimplementa*on analysis.
Establish benchmark of exis*ng
audience sen*ment, such as preengagement surveys or polls).
Iden*fy behavior/aetude change
that would show message impact
based on intended outcome
(awareness building, knowledge
crea*on, aetudinal shiR, or
behavioral changes).
Create measures of eec*veness to
document the behavior or aetude
change (polls/surveys, linking
awareness to ac*on, media metrics,
qualita*ve assessment from the
baseline, extremist reac*ons).

5. Project Analysis:

Capture specic quan*ta*ve and

qualita*ve metrics to demonstrate
the posi*ve impact of your chosen
ini*a*ve, product or tool.

Be sure to reference the measures of

success outlined above.

Be sure to conduct campaign long

term viability assessment.

6. CompeKKon Submission:

Develop a submission detailing your

messaging goal and specic target
audiences; strategy for reaching
these audiences and media plan;
ini*a*ve, product, or tool; measures
of success (including change in
behavior or aetude shiRs); results;
and recommenda*ons for future
improvements.

Submission to include with your twopage program overview brochure of

your ini*a*ve, product or tool.

Fall 2016 Project Brief

10

Quality Check & Approval

Using the template* provided, teams must submit a creaKve brief and creaKve samples
for review to EdVenture Partners prior to any implementaKon and before any student
budget funds will be distributed.

EdVenture Partners will review the crea*ve brief and crea*ve samples for feasibility within
*me and budget constraints.
EdVenture Partners will review the crea*ve samples, appropriate team logo use and use of
professional and acceptable images / imagery.

* Your EdVenture Partners representa*ve will provide the template as well as more
informa*on regarding the quality check and approval process.

Branding Guidelines
Teams should create a brand for their iniKaKve, product, or tool that makes sense and is
appropriate for their concept, target audience, and country context. The brand should
appear on all related materials, including the web portal, social media, and creaKve
materials and products.
Teams control their own brands and therefore should not use the P2P program sponsor/
organizaKon (DHS, Facebook, etc.) as the project brand.
Important: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security seal or any other inter-agency
partner name, seal or logo should not appear on any student-generated creaKve
material.

Language Use in Campaigns

Teams are free to use English as well as other languages relevant to the target audience
idenKed for their iniKaKve, product or tool.
If a team elects to use one or more languages as a way to have their campaign cross
cultures and borders, they must explain the language use in terms of audience impact or
value added to the overall campaign.

Fall 2016 Project Brief

11

Program Budget

Final Submission Requirements

Each team will have the equivalency of a

$2,000 USD and $400 Facebook Ad
Credit budget for the challenge.

Submission for judging must meet the

following requirements:

Quality check and approval of your

crea*ve brief and crea*ve samples is
required before funds are distributed.
Funds may be used for:
Suppor*ng your teams research
Crea*ve and media concept
development and implementa*on
Produc*on and/or rental of
promo*onal elements in support of
project ac*va*on
Other resource needs
Budget funds should not be used to print
copies of the nal submission for the
en*re team.

PowerPoint or PDF le format only

30 slides / 30 MB maximum, including
one slide dedicated as the execu*ve
summary
This limit does not include your journal
or program overview brochure

Teams are also required to submit:

Working les of all crea*ve materials

produced for the campaign
Electronic copies of all press hits
generated and published crea*ve
materials
Digital photos from any ac*vi*es
Program journal (as detailed in the
Program Submission sec*on above)
Two-page program overview brochure
(u*lizing the template provided)
Opposi*on summary, if applicable (as
detailed in the Program Submission
sec*on above)
Expense log with receipts due with
submission

Mandatory: An expense log and

reconciled budget with ALL
corresponding receipts must be included
with of your teams submission. Failure
to provide a reconciled budget and
receipts may lead to your team being
disqualied from the compeKKon.

Your teams expense log and reconciled

budget does not count against the
regulaKons on the slide length and le
size of your teams submission.

Note: Teams may produce their

submission in their naKve language.

Note: If you have any quesKons

regarding the budget, appropriate use of
funds, or the budget reconciliaKon
process, please contact the EdVenture
Partners representaKve.

Fall 2016 Project Brief

Submission Deadline: All submissions,

expense logs and receipts must be
uploaded to EdVenture Partners no later
than Wednesday, December 7, 2016 by
5:00 pm EST.
* Prior to the submission deadline, the
EdVenture Partners representa*ve will
provide further instruc*ons on the
submission process.
12

Submission Judging
Please refer to the Judging Scorecard for complete judging criteria.
From the submissions, the top three (3) teams will be selected from eligible submissions
received on or before the Submission Deadline.
Submissions produced in a language other than English will be reviewed and scored by a
qualied speaker in the language of the submission.
Top three teams will be selected and noKed by Friday, December 16, 2016.
* See the Ocial Contest Rules for the complete judging process.

Compe88on & Awards

Teams will be compeKng for the chance to present their campaigns in Washington, D.C.
to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Oce for Community Partnership and
other intergovernmental agency senior leaders. Five students* and one faculty member
from the top three teams will be invited to present.
If a team selected to present in Washington, D.C. used a language other than English for
their campaign, they must develop an English language presentaKon for nal judging.
The top North American team(s) will receive:

All expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. for ve (5) students and one (1) faculty to present
their research, project, results and recommenda*ons.

Scholarship Awards:

$5,000 for rst place

$3,000 for second place
$1,000 for third place

Presenta8on Date:

Wednesday, February 1, 2017. (tenta8ve date)

* It is the faculty advisors decision to select which ve students from the team a>end the
nal presenta*on.

Fall 2016 Project Brief

13

Peer to Peer: Challenging Extremism

The Power of Student Innovation
Fall 2016 Project Brief

USE AND DISCLOSURE

Unless expressly stated otherwise, this document is confidential and intended for Peer to Peer: Challenging Extremism
program participant use only. This document should not be shared or accessed by any other unauthorized party
without the expressed consent of EdVenture Partners.
Copyright 2016, EdVenture Partners

Fall 2016 Project Brief

14