nnovation fund to counter hate & extremism in the UK
Sarah Macshane Zahed Amanullah Moustafa Ayad Tim Hulse Contents
1. Acknowledgements 1
2. Forewords 2
3. Executive Summary 4
4. Theory of Change 16
5. ISD Support 18
6. Impact Overview 20
7. Thematic Area & Project pages:
Counter-Narrative Campaigns 24
Education 30
Technology 40
Community Action 44
Arts & Sports 58
8. Appendix & Endnotes 64 Acknowledgements
The Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism came about thanks to our partnership with Google.org. This fund would not have achieved its aim and objectives without the 22 successful grantees across the UK who actively participated in this programme and contributed to its evaluation by sharing their learnings and the impact of their projects. We received more than 230 submissions from the UK, all of which focused on supporting communities working to challenge polarisation, hate and extremism locally.
The breadth and depth of the submissions were not only remarkable, they also showcased local ingenuity and innovation in confronting this global challenge. Google.org and ISD were taken aback by the strength of every organisational submission. We are grateful to all of the community groups across the UK that took the time to design and develop every submission.
Finally, we thank our ISD colleagues – especially Laura Saarinen (for her dedication throughout the year), Sasha Havlicek, Natasha Hanckel-Spice and Hannah Martin – for their input, guidance and support throughout the programme.
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 1 2 Forewards Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) Dialogue Strategic for Institute Sasha CEO Havlicek, and Founder and community leaders. leaders. and community engagement models for youth, teachers, use of and technology non-traditional innovationdemonstrated through their that projects community-level of range a to deliver chosen were UK the across applicants 230 over from organisations Twenty-two work. important this for mechanism grant funded sector private scale, large first the was It that. just to do ameans as &Extremism Hate the £1million Innovation Fund to Counter launched 2018,In Google.org and ISD experience. they harms offline and on the to response their in influencers and groups, initiatives, community support to collaboration sector civic and private for need the championed long We have to limit the impact on communities. but also creating response mechanisms trends, these analysing and detecting only not in curve the of ahead been have staff programmatic and analysts Our polarisation between citizens. to inflame community tensionsandcreate divisionand Islamophobia, andextremism. By doingso,theycontinue sector astheypromote xenophobia, anti-Semitism, continue tochallengethegovernment andthetech In theUnitedKingdom,fringegroups andideologues liberal democracy continue unabatedacross Europe. The riseofcoordinated attacksonthefoundations of No one can do this alone. alone. this do can one No and organisations. other community national municipalities, governments, with this all to coordinate need still beyondprojects one we’ll locality. And successful up to scale ameans and initiatives, of types these to fund sector tech and private the in organisations evaluating the impact of more this work, in measuring and support need further We more. to do aneed still is there But efforts. future similar to inform used be can here seen insights and data the that hope our is It measured. were outcomes what and deployed, development how were process, outputs and design the challenges, to specific Itorganisations. responses outlines impact created by pioneering these and work the details report This Ronan Harris, Managing Director, Google UK & Ireland
At Google, we’re serious tech optimists, but we are also realistic about the challenges we can face online. Tools built to help people communicate, access information and build businesses – can also be used for harm. We’ve doubled down on our efforts to develop technology responsibly and thoughtfully.
We’ve put our best people and We also understand our responsibility technology to the task of fighting the to think beyond our corner of the abuse of platforms – and we’re making internet. We know we cannot fix any of progress. Where once we relied on these issues in isolation, that’s why we users to flag content to us, today the created this fund: to support a societal vast majority of terrorist content we response and work together to fight hate. remove from YouTube is first identified by We’ve been both uplifted and moved machines. We now have 10,000 people by the quality and creativity of the work focused on tackling harmful content on going on in our communities across the our platforms. We’ve built systems to UK to counter hate and extremism. ensure we can quickly review and act on content referred to us from Europol and a network of safety experts. There’s much more to do, but do not doubt our commitment to this work.
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 3 4 Executive summary and extremism across theUK. Google.org, andhelpeddeliver innovative solutionstohate first-of-its-kind pilotprogramme, by fundedandsupported communities. Over thecourse of2018,ISDmanagedthis to prevent theriseofhateandextremism onlineandin civilsocietyastheywork launched inlate2017tosupport The Innovation Fund toCounterHateandExtremism was Introduction completed by 31 December 2018. and 12 month all project durations, 6month for to £100,000 £8,000 from ranged Grants country. the across funded and local original national initiatives 22 with £15 and than more at million valued 2018, projects with early and 2017 late in applications for call to our responded organisations UK-based 230 insight More andcommunity than action. both to leverage best how regarding todesigned build on ISD’s understanding response was This community-led knowledge and lived local realities. based on their community extremism and hate of challenge the address would felt they projects to propose invited were grantees themes, project dictating than Rather extremism. and hate polarisation, of challenges to the responses society civil of set targeted and innovative, effective, amore enabling technologies, and cutting-edge projects, community new unique approaches, educational to support designed was fund This foundations, and the private sector. governments, by – supported efforts society civil greater of beginning the marks mechanisms delivery the hope that this funding approach and ISD and Google.org society. civil within existed always has that innovation and the breadth ofdemonstrated expertise grantees successful crimes, to hate responses bystander for campaigns as asmarginalised well neighbourhoods, engaging youth in historically reality, tovirtual boxing workshops From programmes using educational In the space of 6six months 232applications were submitted
organisations were selected and22 with funded projects worth million
£1 Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 5 21 projects delivered 371 activities, Executive summary Executive reaching6,123,302 online and over15,000 offline 9in months. 21 projects were delivered across 5 thematic areas:
Counter- Narrative Campaigns Education
Technology
Community Action Arts & Sport
6 The organisations British Future selected were: ARC JAN Trust The Challenge Communities Inc. Limehouse Boxing Academy HOPE not hate Luton Tigers The Open University Praxis Community Projects ArtReach New Horizons In British Islam Paddington Arts Vivacity Youth Cymru & My Genderation Faith Associates Tees Valley Inclusion Project Global Education Derby Asian Mums Network Mother & Child Welfare Organisation Faiths Forum for London
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 7 8 Executive summary and in the Christchurch 2019 attack 2017, in attacks terror Bridge 2016, London the June in EU Referendum the as such events offline attacks,aswitnessedbytheChristchurch attack. crimes. We have alsoseenlinksbetween onlineextremism and latest figures show a40%increase in religiously motivated hate the numberofhatecrimesreported five years ago.Moreover, the reported, a17%increase compared to2017andmore thandouble and Wales from 2018showed thatover 94,000hatecrimeswere States, Canada,Germany, andtheUK.OfficialstatisticsinEngland Europe withnotableincreases America, intheUnited andNorth hate andextremism. Hatecrimeincidentshave beenrisingacross The globalcommunity isbeingconfronted byasystematic risein Why did we do it? Home Office. Home UK to the according 99 percent, than more jumped have 2012, crimes hate Since recorded Through networks of municipalThrough networks stakeholders, responses by communities and society. civil level local in resides challenge societal to this solution the of part abig that We recognise extremism. and hate polarisation, of challenges the targeting offline and on initiatives global and national, local, leading as well as analysing, researching, adecade than more spent has ISD villages. and of this global phenomena on towns our cities, effect the understanding requires environment this newfaces is multifaceted. Understanding UK the challenge extremist the of extent The framework. aworking into developed to be yet have returnees children and women for policies However, Office. Home UK the by provide to estimates according Syria, and Iraq in conflict the join fighters foreign 800 than more had UK The conflict. the from returnees with challenges to European governments dealing brought has (ISIS) Syria and Iraq of State Islamic around The territorial the defeat world. of the countries many by faced to those similar are faces UK the that extremism and hate The and issues challenges around polarisation, 1 Spikes in hate crime came after after came crime hate in Spikes 2 . range of innovative community-based solutions. range of solutions. innovative community-based groupscommunity have come together to a trial UK of aplethora and Google Google.org, alongside ISD initiative, this Through UK. the hate in communities and across extremism of effect polarising the with effectively more to compete skills and tools the with society civil equip to to developed specifically was fund This extremism. and hate polarisation, confronting in face villages and towns cities, that challenges local-level the understood long has ISD (CSOs), organisations society civil of anumber and in municipalitiesstakeholders across the UK, of arange with experience this on Based issues. these to responses local supporting of forefront the on been has ISD attacks, extremist of survivors and groups, and formercommunity extremists I think projects like Remember Together can make a difference because the students now have a better understanding of this country’s history, about how different groups of people, who knew nothing about each other, worked together in the most difficult of circumstances to overcome adversity.
Teacher, Walthamstow School for Girls, London
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 9 10 Executive summary We setthree mainobjectives for thefundat outset: How didwe doit? Objectives 3 2 1
through technology Enabling innovation resilience Building Empowering newvoices
Based on the work ISD has seen to date, activity communities – both locally and globally – in to counter hate and extremism in our societies order to understand the challenges of hate and has been limited to a few organisations with extremism. Together with a range a groups in limited reach and capacity. Over the past the UK, ISD worked with community members, few years, we have seen that there are many activists, municipalities and organisations to not community organisations throughout the UK only counter extremist narratives both online and willing to contribute to solutions through their offline, but to also offer alternative programming own initiative and not necessarily by the way that can build community resilience. of strictly defined proposals from government Finally, ISD wanted to ensure that grassroots agencies. These organisations often have innovation in technology was tapped to its full regional expertise, responding to local potential. This involved considerable outreach manifestations of hate and extremism. to build awareness of the willingness to fund To encourage the widest variety of new tech solutions from scratch. Similarly, the approaches, we designed the grant to allow funding mechanism designed to deliver this smaller scale proposals of £5,000. An extensive programme was an innovation unto itself. research and outreach effort was made to Google.org’s partnership with ISD provided the engage overlooked regions of the UK. We fund with the network connections to a range wanted to ensure that worthy organisations not of CSOs across the UK. normally included in proposals to counter hate Each proposal was judged on a point scale were made aware of the grant and encouraged alongside a number of criteria including to apply, either alone or in consortium with innovation in partnerships, concepts, other qualifying organisations. approaches or technologies, and meaningful, ISD’s current partnerships have also realistic impact goals. A selection of projects demonstrated a wider need to build resilience was then reviewed and discussed by an advisory and awareness among vulnerable communities board which included youth, technology, alongside tackling extremism more directly arts, academia, legal and civil society experts through grassroots-led interventions. ISD (reference Appendix), and who reached an has worked with historically marginalised independent consensus on successful projects.
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 11 12 Executive summary Transform Youth Actionproject. collaborating todeliver the projects withtwo organisations awarded grants todeliver 21 In total,22organisations were and triallingnewapproaches. projects utilisingtechnology for innovative grassroots-level andresourcesbuilding support was abletomobilisecapacity civil societystakeholders, ISD with Google.org andarange of Through acollaborative approach What needstohappennow? What didwe learn? Learning and Insights future partnerships. future partnerships. inform can believe we that Fund Innovation from findings of aseries are here Listed UK. the in extremism and hate polarisation, of challenges contextual to the response level agrassroots to mount required stakeholders of amultitude engage better key to is process This UK. the across groups community by used responses local-level the and groups society civil by technology of use a number of insights and into learnings the with Google and ISD provided itself fund The religious leaders. citizenship, youth, and engaging supporting digital of concepts issues, refugee and migrant helpedsociety deliver programmes addressing of section cross adiverse spanning members Young and community people, practitioners, marginalised communities. from historically over 9,500 reached projects seven offline, those Of offline. people 15,000 than more audience of more than 6.1 million people and reached a projects All combined online 1. The private sector must take of scale, and cost effectiveness, through a more proactive approach to the development of measurement and supporting communities: evaluation tools. Grassroots organisations By creating a unique partnership model will need to be at the heart of this sector-wide between the private sector and civil society effort to design effective and responsive to support communities challenging hate tools, and approaches for measuring impact and extremism, private sector grant-making of their programming. By understanding frameworks can support organisations local contexts of programming, and applying beyond traditional government funding iterative design principles for impact mechanisms. The private sector similarly measurement, organisations can enhance plays an important role in supporting local their measurement and evaluation practices. capacity, primarily by enabling local level 3. Build the capacity of community actors to access previously inaccessible organisations to use the latest resources for targeted community technology: interventions, and enhancing capacity The majority of organisations who applied building expertise. By enhancing the capacity to the fund developed new methods to build of CSOs to respond to their local challenges, resilience and empower new voices through private sector actors can enhance the ability innovative community-based projects. Only of community organisations to monitor and a few recognised the capacity of technology evaluate impact, while also building the skills to assist their programming. This suggests of CSO staff in communications, outreach that CSOs need more support in designing, and technology. This multi-stakeholder developing and utilising technology to approach is key. support their programming. The groups 2. Support and fund the development experimenting with new mediums, such of a gold standard and best as VR, and mobile applications, required practices in monitoring and help from technologists and programmers evaluating impact: to build up their core competencies. Community organisations require support Through immersive training programmes, to develop standards and practices for technology firms can support organisations monitoring and evaluating impact. This is trialling new technologies to support their particularly true for grassroots organisations community work. who may not have the resources or the in- 4. Invest, and support, hyper-local house expertise to support the development responses to hate, polarisation, of these standards and practices. Yet, being and extremism: able to demonstrate impact is critical for Community dynamics are often driven by organisations in securing funding and hyper-local divisions and power imbalances. support for local initiatives. Private sector Hence, grassroots responses to polarisation, should work in tandem with civil society hate and extremism are often tailored groups in order to develop community specifically to target hyper-local issues. wide consensus on the measurement and However, funding for niche, hyper-local evaluation practices and tools required to fill programming is limited. This must change. this impact measurement gap. Technology By supporting a number of hyper-local companies can play a proactive role in initiatives, funders will lay the groundwork for assisting community groups by leveraging scaled and targeted responses to these sets the technical capacity of their staff to of challenges. More importantly, the long- further develop the core competencies term role they play in building resilience helps of CSOs. Similarly, technology companies create a stronger, more cohesive society. can assist CSOs in developing economies
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 13 5. Foster greater community of programming, messaging innately organisation collaboration: becomes local. Community groups and Local organisations have the ability to work members of the wider community should together across diverse sectors to maximise not only feed into design, but they should be their impact. Grantees chosen represented embedded into a programme’s development, the arts, sports, technology, education and then naturally involved in its delivery.
Executive summary Executive and community sectors. Throughout the ISD worked together with local organisations lifecycle of the Innovation Fund, we created to ensure that their projects would resonate opportunities for our grantees to come with the people they were trying to reach. together and network as well as for ongoing 7. Invest in scaling up local collaborations beyond the lifecycle of the community-level programming fund. Open University and Youth Cymru that tackles polarisation, hate are currently collaborating on virtual reality and extremism: programs to ensure young trans’ people’s There is a need to support grassroots voices are heard, and Communities Inc organisation efforts to scale impactful and New Horizons worked together to initiatives beyond the boundaries of their bring their ‘Stand by Me’ campaign to communities. This requires support from towns across the UK. Beyond these limited the private sector – as well as government – collaborative efforts, there is an overall need beyond initial short-term investments such for organisations working across sectors, and as pilot programmes. If the private sector and themes, to combine their efforts in order to government are committed to supporting maximise their impact. grassroots responses to polarisation, hate, 6. Create audience-driven and extremism, scaling successful pilots programming: is a first step. Google recognised this from Community initiatives should be driven by the onset of the programme, and has now their audience’s lived realities. This requires reimagined the Innovation Fund as part organisations to design, develop and deliver of its UK and Europe-wide Google Impact initiatives in collaboration with audiences Challenge on Safety. By investing in scaling to ensure they are resonant and relevant to up local initiatives, funders will foster further local audiences. By placing audiences and grassroots innovation at the community level. their respective communities at the center
These seven key insights and learnings are central to supporting a more innovative and tech-enabled response to the issues of polarisation, hate and extremism in the UK and beyond. Supporting CSOs with the technical know-how as well as the expertise to deliver new, and innovative responses to these challenges requires both longer- term commitment by tech companies, and enhanced mechanism for cooperation between civil society. By fostering private and civil society collaboration, enhancing the capacity of civil society organisations to deliver tech-enabled responses, as well as leveraging collaborative civil society networks to support innovative offline programming, the private sector, CSOs, and practitioners can begin to enable new voices and to build resilience across a range of communities.
14 The process that I have undertaken alongside many others with the development of Humanequin has honestly changed my life. Workshop participant
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 15 Our theory of change The Innovation Fund was built on a theory of change to support civil society in delivering innovative, tech-enabled responses that would leverage new community voices and ultimately build up the capacity of organisations to challenge polarisation, hate and extremism locally. To do so, the fund was designed to take input from technology firms such as Google, and experts, researchers and practitioners from ISD, in order to support the innovations of civil society groups from across the UK.
The theory of change was predicated to assist civil society groups with the on ISD and Google.org delivering support design of counter narrative campaigns, to organisations through: as well as project-lifecycle technical expertise support. The ISD team n Education expertise, specifically supported the monitoring and evaluation in media literacy, critical thinking, efforts of grantees by developing resilience building and digital contextualised M&E frameworks for a citizenship number of projects, while helping assess n Preventing and countering violent the impact of the programming. extremism expertise Underpinning our support was a clear n Counter-narrative campaigns expertise need for funding in civil society in the UK for projects tackling issues of n Monitoring and evaluation polarisation, hate and extremism. While (M&E) expertise there are a number of government- n Technology support in relation to supported funding opportunities for this tech-enabled programmes work, there was a clear gap in funding opportunities from technology firms and n Logistical and management the wider private sector to support local To implement this support, ISD created community groups as they developed a rapid-response grants management and delivered responses to the issues framework capable of quick deployment, that underpin polarisation and extremism which would support grantees with their today. It is clear from the civil society innovative projects. Similarly, ISD worked response to the fund that more is needed with a range of stakeholders in the public to support innovative, rapid-response and private sector in order to develop civil society projects intended to tackle a rigorous, impartial and ethical review hate and extremism. This support was process that selected the most relevant central to our theory of change and the and resonant ideas from community primary objectives of this fund. In the Civil groups across the UK. Through Society Strategy: Building A Future that this framework, ISD then designed, Works for Everyone,3 HMG pinpointed the developed and delivered two workshops need for unlocking “the full potential of
16 the private and public sectors to support ultimately delivering innovative projects social good.” The report also noted the in their communities. And secondly, need for an “evidence base of what works through the advisory support given and promote improvement of civil society grantees. Guided by ISD’s expertise in activities and services.” Both of those education, technology and campaigning elements, private sector involvement to counter extremism and hate, and and support, as well as an evidence-base supported by extensive training and for impact measurements were key focus capacity building efforts, the Innovation areas for the Innovation Fund. Fund developed new educational approaches, unique community projects Our theory of change centered on these and cutting edge technologies, laying main elements. Namely, the targeted the foundations for a more effective, support of civil society – through innovative and cohesive national civil resource-mobilisation mechanisms society response to hate and extremism and technical expertise – required to in the future. assist community groups in creating and
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 17 ISD support We offered the below types of support: 1 Counter-extremism expertise 2 Education expertise 3 Monitoring and Evaluation expertise 4 Social media marketing / counter-narrative expertise 5 Showcase
Based on responses to the surveys completed by grantees a significant portion of them felt that the support offered by ISD increased knowledge and/or skills that would help them run similar projects (94%) and secure funding (94%) in the future.
Intention to undertake further/additional work with other organisations involved in this fund
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30% No, certainly not No, probably not 20% Maybe 10% Yes, probably
0% Yes, certainly Mid Post
18 Reported increase in relevant skills and/or knowledge to run these sorts of projects better in the future
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30% No, certainly not No, probably not 20% Maybe 10% Yes, probably
0% Yes, certainly Mid Post
Perception that increased skills and/or knowledge will make grantees more likely to secure funding in the future
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30% No, certainly not No, probably not 20% Maybe 10% Yes, probably
0% Yes, certainly Mid Post
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 19 Impact overview During the application phase, applicants were asked to think carefully about how the impact of their work would be measured. Over the past decade, ISD has learned that measuring the impact of projects intended to counter hate and extremism is not an exact science.
This becomes more complicated when offline cases, surveys were taken before considering the diversity of projects and after to measure attitudinal shift ultimately funded, their scope, their among the target audience. Furthermore, target audiences and, most importantly, anecdotal data from each project, the methodologies proposed to deliver including specific individual reactions, can the intended impact and how the highlight the possibilities of deploying the collective impact of the entire funding project to a wider audience. We also chose initiative would be accomplished. to highlight press coverage of individual projects and the fund in general, as this To address this, ISD worked with each indicated the wider interest that some grantee to determine appropriate metrics of the grantee approaches might elicit if and means of measurement, both online adopted elsewhere. and offline where applicable. In some
20 21 projects were delivered across England and Wales as well as online – reaching millions across the UK
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 21 Media mentions Asian Voice Gem 106 (radio) across the Autograph Gallery (blog) ITV News 21 projects BBC Asian Network ITV East Midlands BBC Digital Jewish Chronicle BBC Look North Jewish News BBC News (online) LBC radio BBC Radio 4 Local Government First BBC Radio Cambs Notts TV BBC Radio Derby Real People Magazine Digital BBC Radio Right to Remain (website Gloucestershire article) BBC Radio Leeds Salaam Radio BBC Radio London SaphirNews.com BBC Radio Nottingham ShamelNews BBC Radio Somerset Sky News BBC Radio Stoke The Guardian BBC Radio Wiltshire The Hindu (online) BBC World Service The i Newspaper Boxing News The Independent Brighter Futures (blog) The Islam Channel British Forces The Metro (online) Radio & TV Broadcasting The Sunday Telegraph Capital FM Wales Arts Review CapX Wicid TV Care Talk Magazine Yahoo! News UK CentenaryNews.com Community Voice FM Dawn Radio Print Derby Telegraph Dundee Messenger East London Guardian East London Press Eastern Eye Financial Times
22 TOTAL: 14,179
Audience 6,623 breakdown Local6,599 community youth across all projects – offline
6,599 local community
6,623 youth 251 school staff, youth workers 81parents 81 parents 251 school staff, youth workers 86 religious 86 religious 15 prisoners
32 migrant, refugee, migrant, refugee, asylum seeker 492 32asylum seeker activists
492 15 prisoners activists
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 23 THEMATIC AREA
Counter-Narrative Campaigns With the proliferation of hateful and extremist content online in recent years, developing effective counter-narratives has become increasingly necessary. Counter-narratives are messages that offer either a positive alternative to hateful and extremist propaganda or help deconstruct and delegitimise hateful or extremist narratives in order to challenge those ideologies. Did you know – A Synagogue in Bradford was set to be sold because of a badly These projects are examples of damaged roof until the city’s Muslim positive alternative narratives with community raised enough funds to save it. both the potential to scale and to be used across a range of sectors I had attempted to engage and challenge and issues. prejudicial views online in the past, but did not feel confident that I was doing this in the right way …. The most important thing about this training, however, are the skills which I took away. A large part of the training focuses on how to challenge hateful language online and challenge it in a constructive, kind, and most importantly, Overarching statistics: persuasive manner. This training has had a fundamental effect on the way I perceive online discourse and the way in which I 5,126 ,105 people reached online conduct myself within the online sphere. Programme Co-Ordinator at Co:Create 92,032 online engagements Over 30 pieces of content used
beneficiaries reached through 461campaign training activities
young people, religious figures media34 mentions and56 community leaders Involved as of the campaigns advisors in campaign development campaigns6 launched
24 New Horizons In “One thing that British Islam unites us is Muslims against anti-Semitism that both Jews and Muslims To help tackle anti-Semitism, New Horizons in British are against Islam has collaborated with Muslim and Jewish activists Islamophobia and to create a series of online materials and events. totally against Through training, the project risks. It also inspired and engaged anti-Semitism.” helped young people to build young Muslims in discussions Project participant tools of resilience such as critical around identity and tradition thinking, understanding of fake in order to provide a positive, news, exploring conspiracy contextual vision of what it means theories and understanding online to be a Muslim today.
OUTPUTS
social media:
159,191 targeted individuals reached online 6,751 engagements
average engagement rate for the campaigns4.24% – far higher than the industry standard for non-profits of 0.23% https://www.rivaliq.com/blog/2018-social-media-industry-benchmark-report/ 5.8% is also used as a Facebook wide average rate”
steering committee – formed to guide project and made up of Rabbis, Imams, participated in practitioners and community a campaigning leaders. Number: 12 in workshop for person, 24 online young Muslims 1OUTCOMES 18 95% of beneficiaries reported 63% increase in beneficiaries they would act as digital ability to run social media activists and campaigners campaigns against hate and polarisation
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 25 British Future “ The children, their teachers Remember Together and headteachers thoroughly enjoyed an interactive lesson learning together about this Remember Together was a new initiative by British shared history as part of their Future and the British Legion that unites people linking year. The plan created from different backgrounds to learn about a shared by British Future to lay the First World War history. It included the story of the shared wreath at the Cenotaph 400,000 Muslims who fought for Britain in 1914-18. was communicated much more widely through social media and Events were filmed and used that the act of remembrance in turn drew families from both to tell the story of shared is particularly resonant with remembrance to an audience this age group (over 45). After schools to the event, which is of over 600,000 people who feel watching the films, opinion something Bradford Council more anxious about diversity polls showed a positive impact valued highly.” and the integration of Muslims on people’s attitudes towards Project Partner in Britain. Research shows British Muslims.
26 OUTPUTS
401,450 targeted individuals reached online 6.93% average engagement rate of campaign – far higher 27,821engagements than the industry standard for non-profits of 0.23% OUTCOMES
average11% reduction in people who feel Western society can never be 5 compatible with Islam Remembrance videos. Targeted at ‘anxious middle’ (45+, outside London, interested in history, WWI) 27 Signatories to a public letter to the Telegraph supporting the campaign
Aim: Reduce scepticism of immigration through shared remembrance Tested videos with UK representative, 2,000-respondent survey before public launch Respondents split into groups. Treatment watch video, control do not.
Question: Average British Agree -8% Western society can (25-30% of respondents) Disagree +7% never be compatible with Islam Anxious middle Agree -12% (50% of respondents) Disagree +11%
Rejectionist Agree -13% (20-25% of respondents)
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 27 HOPE NOT HATE Project Counterbalance “Nick recently delivered the Since it was founded in 2004, HOPE not hate (HNH) has become one HOPE not hate ‘Online Difficult of the largest and most successful Conversations’ workshop to political action groups in the a group of employees from country. To disrupt the work of across South Yorkshire Housing the far right, HOPE not hate has Association. I decided to developed bespoke software tools to identify hateful content on social attend because it seems to me media. Its Project Counterbalance that hateful and prejudicial also uses online activism, rhetoric is at its worst and most professional video production and concentrated online. I wanted training workshops to challenge to know how to do my bit in mistrust and racism, and help to build communities that are challenging this.” inclusive, celebrated and shared. Workshop participant
28 OUTPUTS
Social media: Four campaigns to combat the far right online. #DayForFreedom Video: Tommy Robinson in “The Bill” video #FreeTommy March. #BrexitBetrayel 1.25% average engagement 4,565,464 rate for the campaigns Targeted individuals (5x the average) reached online
57,engagements 0 81
App: Designed an early activists warning system that scans 276 far right groups for HOPE group: A community social media attacks of anti-hate activists who would be trained to have difficult conversations online and push back against the far right
OUTCOMES
The consistently high-quality content, delivered regularly to produce it, has put HNH in a good position moving into during times when the demonstrations and related 2019. It has provided HNH with another high-level training information are trending on Twitter, has repeatedly allowed workshop to add to our offering. Most importantly, it has HNH to contribute in shifting the narrative around far-right enabled the organisation to proactively upskill anti-racist events, highlighting misinformation and extremism, activists around the country, and draw their attention and cementing HNH as the go-to organisation for towards the significant threats posed by the “alt-right” relevant information. online. With a great deal of energy by anti-racist activists going into offline demonstrations, there is an urgent The development of the “Online Difficult Conversations” need to direct attention towards producing attractive and workshop, and the process by which the organisation came compelling counter-narratives.
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 29 THEMATIC AREA
Education The role of education in countering hate and extremism is extremely important – both the online aspect and offline interaction with young people – for young people to understand the challenges they may face whilst in education and on social media. In formal and informal education across the world, too little is being done to teach young people effective digital and “offline” citizenship – beyond just the bare minimum of basic online and offline safety.
The examples below showcase a number of projects with a renewed emphasis on critical thinking and media literacy, as well as one which encourage positive attitudes I think I enjoyed it because and behaviours, including responsibility for social networks I learned something new and and the wellbeing of other people I learned new ways how to online and offline. keep myself safe online. Like, when I learned about radicalisation and learned the signs of someone being radicalised, now I could just members390 of the local go and tell someone and community trained point out the simple terms. Student, workshop participant
Overarching statistics:
6 education projects 171 activities run 69,736educational Beneficiaries reached through4,425 education activities resources distributed
30 “The [students] are Association for far more confident Real Change … we trained you Get SMART all, we trained 40 of you [teachers]. And Get SMART was a social media awareness and resilience that’s a big deal for training initiative. It was aimed at young people with a 15-year-old… So learning disabilities and other needs, such as autism, it’s made me think mental health issues and long-term health problems. that we can push
Working in collaboration with developed and delivered by and the boundaries even Petroc College in Barnstaple, and for young people which included more than we already Brook Green Centre for Learning learning about risks of online do with them.” in Plymouth, the project was radicalisation and how to prevent it. Teacher, school in Plymouth
OUTPUTS
Training programme Youth-led workshops
youth-led12 meetings to develop lessons for school staff on how to teach 39 resilience to young people School staff beneficiaries with learning disability
Youth-led lessons plans and evaluation shared with
44,000 ARC England staff
OUTCOMES
Outcome 1 Outcome 2 Students assessed through School staff assessed through pre/post focus groups pre/post interviews
Majority of participants experienced School staff experienced a: a large: Increase in understanding of Increased understanding of potential digital citizenship, radicalisation and risks and vulnerabilities of learning grooming / Increase in likelihood of disabled youth online / Increased reporting / Increased understanding understanding of how to support 1of vulnerability factors 2 learning disabled youth online
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 31 Luton Tigers Case study We are the World T has Aspergers; in his usual lessons, he sits at a desk at the back of the class supported by a teaching Luton Tigers endeavours to create communities assistant… I invited him to tell the where young people’s voices are listened to story at the front of the class, and and where expression is encouraged. without any notes he spoke. T was
We are the World took primary school children on a journey, a great story teller and I told him so. exploring what is wrong with the world through their eyes What was more impressive was T’s , and then using art and design, spoken word and dance to chicken story was on point – it spoke empower them to understand the world they live in and to about racism, hatred and rumours; discuss the world they would want to see instead. about togetherness and ended with We are the World supported children to develop a script the line ”we are more alike than of their collective voices, and produced a film to share unalike.” His classmates now are with adults as a way of starting a conversation about how asking if he can sit with them during children can change the world. It also aimed to influence regular lessons. adults to change their ways too.
I spoke to my dad about being worried about terrorism and we used Google safe search to help me do my homework for Luton Tigers. Student, workshop participant
32 OUTPUTS
hours98 of teaching 303 time over dialogue classes with young people to build their confidence and their 56 lessons belief that they can change the world while helping them to have difficult conversations (terrorism, extremism, bullying, etc.) and build resilience
pieces350 of work submitted that expresses pupils ideas, e.g. speeches, poems, posters, etc.
OUTCOMES
The three schools which engaged in the film-making process noted a noticeable difference in both the level of agency and how anxious children felt. n There was a slight increase in young people’s optimism about the world in the future. n However, there is a significant change in pupil’s sense of agency with positive expressions increasing to 57% and negative perceptions down from 31% to 22%.
The most significant change however appears to be in terms of an impact on levels of anxiety with positive responses increasing to 23% and a fall of negative responses to 60%.
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 33 Paddington Arts “Our young people Faith, Identity and Belonging face so many choices and are under a lot Paddington Arts is a youth arts organisation committed of pressures at their to developing talent and creativity in the community. age… these speakers Its Faith, Identity and Belonging project was aimed at helped our students young people between 16-24 years old. understand their
Two speakers who have previously photography and creative writing journeys and to been involved in extremist competitions, which was marketed open up the debate organisations or activities (one by You Press through social media. was an exceptional from an extreme right viewpoint Young people were encouraged opportunity!” and one from a Islamist extremist to submit a piece of poetry, prose viewpoint) were invited to speak to or photography based on their Assistant Principal Student Recruitment and Development, young people about the themes of reactions to the themes. These were BSix Brookehouse Sixth Faith, Identity and Belonging. These published online and awarded prizes Form College talks were delivered in parallel with for the best contributions.
Activities OUTCOMES
Students257 involved 94% of students increased in dialogue sessions their understanding with formers about of why people join radicalisation extremist groups
34 Global Education Derby “This is a mind-opening Create the News programme which allows our students Create the News was launched by the Global Education to learn deeply about Derby, which works with communities to build a fairer the online world and more sustainable world. around them, the Create the News provided explore the nature of propaganda opportunities offered knowledge and skills to students as from multiple perspectives. and the potential they began to interact with social The students will meet together media. Through workshops, 11-14 to share their animations at a traps to fall down.” year olds were supported to script showcase event at Derby County Teacher, William Allitt School and produce short animations that Football stadium in Spring 2019.
At-risk17 youth trained in digital citizenship
Teachers6 trained in delivering digital citizenship education for at-risk youth
OUTCOMES
Two teachers have Fifteen young people received in-depth training have increased their which has increased their critical thinking skills in own knowledge, skills and order to analyse social confidence in developing media content, identify critical literacy skills in fake news, bias and their students propaganda techniques
2 Google.org and ISD 15Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 35 Faith Associates Muslim Digital Citizens Guide “This guide is really good, I am glad I Muslim Digital Citizen Guide The enhances could be a part of its the understanding of rights and behavioural development. We all responsibilities when online. have a responsibility The project was inspired and set up by Faith Associates, which recognises the key role that mosques, madrassas and to be model digital Islamic centres play in providing guidance. It also knows the citizens; this guide will difficulties that Imams and other key members of the Muslim community face when providing sound advice and support. help take us there.” The guide reminds Muslims of their Islamic responsibilities Workshop participant to act a certain way online through detailed scenarios that are relatable to day-to-day life.
36 OUTPUTS
8,2 36
digital copies of the guide distributed
One Muslim digital citizen toolkit and comic book version of the guide
2,000hard copies Youth consultations distributed to 5held with Muslim youth clubs, 1,912 mosques school students, mosque and Islamic centres groups to feed into the servicing 10,000 development of the guide Beneficiaries: 87 Muslim youth
OUTCOMES
Empowering Imams and madrasa the development of the guide. This teachers to train youth on digital extended our input of young Muslims citizenship from different communities which helped refine the design and content All the Imams involved in the of the guide. development of the guide (30) have decided to use the guide at some point Developing clear guidance of ‘digital mosques endorsed the guide as the basis for their Friday sermons to citizenship’ for the Muslim community 101– Lancashire Council of Imams promote the concept of being model globally. There was no current guide, & West London Mosque Forum digital citizens and the importance book or general guidance on how of behaving responsibly online. Islamic teachings relate to the digital age. This guide is a first of its kind in We received direct input from young starting the conversation. Muslim leaders in the community of the Imams we directly engaged in
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 37 JAN Trust OUTPUTS Another Way Forward
Another Way Forward is the vision of the JAN Trust, which is dedicated to empowering training6 workshops women to promote integration and prevent focused on extremism and hate crime. safeguarding from extremism Working to tackle extremism, Another Way Forward was an innovative campaign that educated and supported young girls at risk of radicalisation. Through informative workshops, a group of young ambassadors learnt about extremism and strengthened their own knowledge and views through open, meaningful discussion. Young ambassadors then learnt how to get their voices heard to enact change online. They also Sourced Youth created their own social media campaign videos with Ambassadors from a professional filmmaker. training who worked on CN videos Beneficiaries: 38 Female BAME youth
38 social media: “The project was extremely detailed and gave these young women an 795,285 targeted individuals reached online in-depth & exciting opportunity to learn about such a sensitive topic, 31,891 engagements as well as online campaigning. As their teacher, I could visibly see average engagement rate 4.01% them grow in confidence over the programme, utilising and developing their own creativity, teamwork and leadership skills to create their own online campaign videos. Another Way Forward is a unique, 49 one of a kind project that our Workshops taking place across 9 schools students really enjoyed.” to raise awareness of extremism, warning signs of radicalisation and safeguarding Teacher, Haringey Sixth Form Beneficiaries: 3,187
2,560 Young women reached through resilience-building school workshops
Youth-led7 campaigns developed by young In-centre drop in clinic: Seeking BAME women information about warning signs of radicalisation. Often for friends Beneficiaries: youth, female, local community Number: 267 Helpline: Seeking information about warning signs of radicalisation. Often for friends Beneficiaries: 123 members of the Local Community
OUTCOMES
Outcome 1 Outcome 2 Confident in ability recognise the warning Understand what online campaigning signs of extremism/ radicalisation is and how it can be used to positively effect hate and extremism Increase = 129% Change = 54% Increase = 87% Change = 46%
1 Google.org and ISD Innovation2 Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 39 THEMATIC AREA
Technology Technology solutions for improving baselines, enhancing scale, measuring the impact of methods, evaluating complex interventions and selection strategies are in need of more development at the community-level. The following projects demonstrate the use of tech for positive change within this space: the exciting and new use of VR to encourage students to experience how others may feel when confronted with a negative action; and a new app which takes the user on the journey of someone very different from you. It has great potential to engage children in discussions about moral issues that can sometimes be hard for them to bring up. The children were very keen and excited to use the technology. OUTCOMES Teacher, Milton Keynes
tech 2 projects 269 Participants included in testing and consultation activities
activities21 run
4Tech resources produced
40 The Challenge “Playing the game I totally felt On the Surface like I was talking with real people, as they could really be The Challenge is the UK’s leading charity my friends, knowing more about for building a more integrated society and them each day, sharing laughs developed On the Surface, a game that helps and worries. Suddenly I found the players to understand differences. On myself checking constantly the Surface is a real-time interactive story my phone to see if I had a new exploring the tensions and crunch moments message, because I needed of a group of teenage friends. to know what was happening, if they were ok. It was a lovely It is available on Google Play or to download from the App Store. The choices that players have to make during experience, and I even missed the game aims to teach young people the importance of them when it finished.”
empathy and how to understand others from different social Laura de Castro Saturio- Volunteer game tester or ethnic backgrounds.
OUTPUTS
Game Alpha test with
young25 people
Game Beta test with
1,168young people
OUTCOMES
Decrease in users making low Increase in users making high empathy 61empathy choices %when faced 72choices when faced with% victims of social with victims of social exclusion and exclusion and discrimination by day 6 discrimination by day 6 of the game of the game
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 41 The Open University “It has great potential Virtual Inclusion to engage children in discussions about To promote social inclusion among students and the moral issues that wider public, the Open University created three virtual can sometimes be reality scenarios depicting a day in the life of a young hard for them to person facing social exclusion and discrimination. This bring up. The children is the beginning of a cutting-edge approach to tackling were very keen and hate and extremism through the use of virtual and excited to use the augmented reality. The overall aim of the project is to technology.” foster greater empathy, tolerance, and solidarity among Teacher, Milton Keynes people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.
42 OUTPUTS
236 Youth consulted in the development and testing of the VR situations VR 3situations developed
OUTCOMES
Through workshops, 6 10young people 0 contributed to the design of the scenarios
young actors fed into of participants reported they gained the development of 84new knowledge and skills% as a result the scripts for the of the VR situations 20 VR situations
How could you help people who are excluded
Support the victim 72% of participants reported they would Confront the bullies 43% 89be likely to change their% behaviour towards exclusion as a result of playing Report to adults 35% the game
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 43 THEMATIC AREA
Community Action Solutions to counter polarising issues often lie deep within the communities they affect and across civil society. Communities who support, understand and respect each other are often those who thrive and grow in a positive way, and who also experience lower hate crime rates and hateful or extremist incidences. The following projects showcase a number of community-led actions which have countered hate and extremism. 28,252 Individuals received community action resources
Overarching statistics:
7 Community action projects 115 Activities run 6,103 Total number of 17 7, 628 beneficiaries reached through community Targeted individuals reached online action projects, young people and local community members
74 Pieces of content produced and shared online, including videos, podcasts, and infographics
44 “The workshop on Asian Mums internet safety was Network very useful and Internet Safety for Women informative for all us parents. We In communities where the risk of grooming, were set to work in exploitation, bullying and self-harm are high, the groups which were project aimed to keep women and children safe online. very helpful too The Internet Safety for Women project worked with and a means for us mothers, grandmothers and other women from hard- to socialise with to-reach areas and sought their advice on what they parents we have need to keep their children safe. not met before.” Workshop participant
OUTCOMES
Over parents, including50 mothers and grandmothers trained in online safety More than internet-safety80 survey responses
Engaged over ten new partners key partner who were interested in the project events delivered including, Greater Manchester Police in Manchester and MET Police, Manchester Mayor’s and London. Office, Prevent-funded projects, and Women’s Equality Party.
10 Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter2 Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 45 COMMUNITIES INC “I used to freeze Stand by Me and feel paralysed with fear, but now Communities Inc is a social enterprise that is passionate about building stronger communities. Its Stand by Me I remember ‘see initiative offered community members safe and simple report, support’ bystander interventions, encouraging a ‘see, report and and knowing that support’ response. Witnesses are asked to watch and there are things I observe, get themselves to a safe place to report the can do that do not crime or incident and then, if safe, check in with the put me at risk gives victim or try to help them. me confidence.” Stand by Me ambassador
Case study Stand by Me, a project by Communities Inc., was designed to galvanise and empower communities and the groups that serve them. This effort was recognised by Nottingham City Council who requested the production of a short concertina leaflet to circulate (20,000 of these were provided). At a recent national conference on tackling hate, the West Yorkshire police approached Communities Inc. and asked how they could bring it to their area. As a result of the Innovation Fund pilot, two funded organisations – Communities Inc. and New Horizons – are working together to bring Stand by Me to other towns in the UK.
46 Outputs
Up to 3 640 Ambassador training Cascade trainings workshops reaching 32 local which benefitted the community members wider community
Bystander27,788 intervention resources distributed, including guides, flyers, OUTCOMES badges, etc.
Increase in beneficiaries reported ability Increase in local community members 82to conduct bystander interventions% and 112reported ability to conduct bystander% react to hate incidents. interventions and support victims.
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 47 Praxis Community Projects “There’s nothing Challenging the Narrative that makes me different except Praxis Community Projects operates an advice service that maybe I’m for new migrants in the area of welfare rights and black and maybe benefits. Working alongside Brighter Futures (Praxis’ I wasn’t born here. young migrants’ group), it created a powerful podcast series entitled ‘Challenging the Narrative’, which aims I came here and to challenge stigma and hate. I got a visa. If you
The series helped to increase members produced six podcasts take that away, awareness of the issues that touching on themes including: I’m just like you.” young migrants face and the migrants’ representation in the impact these issues have on their media, refugee issues and what Podcast contributor lives. Through skills workshops it means to be a young migrant and recording sessions, Praxis in London.
48 OUTPUTS
43 Weekly meet ups 32 which focussed on increasing Young migrants were involved the confidence, resilience and in developing a podcast series skill building activities with on migrant issues in the UK young migrants
7Podcasts were made – they reached over 3,068 Individuals via the podcasts online and at events
OUTCOMES
Contributed to the Won award for recommendations best migrant of the UN Special representation at Rapporteur report London Migration on extreme poverty Film Festival in the UK
Increase in the reported confidence and resilience 66% of young migrants that took part in the project
Felt more listened to when they talk as result 100% of the project
% of school children who listened to the podcasts 75% reported they learnt more about migrant issues
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 49 Vivacity and partners StoryTheCity “Even though we are from different Using theatre practitioner Augusto Boal’s techniques backgrounds, StoryTheCity and Marshall Ganz’s storytelling methods, the challenges, in Peterborough trained leaders from various the hurdles and communities in methods of storytelling and dialogue. struggles we went Participants were invited to uncover to inform future generations about layers of their individual and the diversity of the city’s history, through meant that collective identities and taught to the digital stories will be exhibited we could relate mould their discoveries into stories at Peterborough Museum, as well for individual and collective film as added to the museum’s archive to one another.” shorts. They then took this model to celebrate Peterborough’s 900th Workshop participant and, in intercultural pairs, trained anniversary. Vivacity worked in people from across their own partnership with Peterborough communities – capturing stories Museum, Caravanserai Collection about life in Peterborough. In order and Soulfood Productions.
50 OUTPUTS
Films made telling the stories of local Peterborough residents from 90 minority communities
ethnic minority51 groups in Peterborough included in the film of local stories
Members of the local community attended museum exhibits and city 759 tours featuring the stories
OUTCOMES
Amplified voices from minority community through: n 90 story films produced, featuring51 ethnicities n Included in the Peterborough City Council Timeline of the city n Included in the Peterborough Year of Reading 2019 literary hub
Strengthened dialogue and facilitation skills of community leaders and helped to bring these skills to the local community: n 26% increase in confidence to train others in the relevant skills n 9% increase in the confidence of participants to open dialogue sessions with people of different backgrounds
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 51 “I thought my life Tees Valley was over when Inclusion Project they forced me into Halo Angels marriage. I was told repeatedly this is The Halo Angels project, run by Tees Valley Inclusion my life and there Project in Middlesbrough, provided resources to the is no way out. I’ve wider community in order to create a Halo Angels met women like me network, which sought to empower women and girls through the Halo at risk long into the future. The Halo Angels project Angels network. aimed to increase the resilience of women and girls I have not been who have experienced cultural practices that are judged, I have been harmful and illegal, such as honour-based violence. understood for the
Through a digital safe space, the project helped survivors – and first time. I feel my those affected – by providing access to remote support via a virtual voice counts.” advisor. It also offered training and skills to help improve confidence Participant, Halo Angels network to report hate crimes.
52 OUTPUTS
training4 workshops which reached 5 Community partners trained BAME women103 – they discussed reaching 84 community members what hate crimes are, how to report them and how to support victims. Also sourced ambassadors from workshops
Web portal and creation of platform for 3rd party reporting, available in English, 1Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic OUTCOMES
Trained BAME women on hate crimes and how to respond to them
Increase in beneficiaries self-reported 73% ability to report and deal with hate crimes
Increase in beneficiaries sense of personal 32% safety after the training
6Community Safety Partnerships established with Halo Angels
n Establish positive links between police and local communities
n Improves accessibility, helps police track local hate crimes, builds trust of local community
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 53 Mother and Child Welfare Organisation “Thank you so much Challenging Extremism and Radicalisation for this project. in the Somali Community It has changed my attitude toward my The Mother and Child Welfare Organisation focuses on providing son. Now I know physical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner-city mothers and children, as well as young people. what to look out
Its project to challenge extremism understanding of extremism and for. Now I can be a in Somali communities focused on radicalisation. The project used word real parent to him.” organising workshops, discussion of mouth, TV and radio to reach a wide Workshop participant groups and talks that enabled all cross-section of the Somali community generations of Somali society to and begin the difficult conversation discuss their fears, experiences and around highly-sensitive issues.
54 OUTPUTS
Community events benefitting 608 members of the local Somali 16 Youth events reaching 820 young people community and providing from the Somali community and focussed 9 training on the warning on cautionary tales about online grooming and signs of radicalisation radicalisation and positive counter messages
focus groups2 with British- Somali prisoners held in prison/ detention centres reaching 15 detainees/prisoners and offering them a space to have events at Islamic their voices heard 2Centres/Mosques benefitting 50 members of the local community – focussing on the concept of hate crime and extremism in order to increase overall awareness
OUTCOMES
Broke the silence that exists in the Somali community around extremism and radicalisation
Gave anti-extremism advice face-to-face to Somali nationals awaiting deportation from the UK to Somalia and highly disaffected young British-Somali men in prison who are at risk of radicalisation
Developed partnerships with youth organisations, mosques, HMP Wormwood Scrubs and Brook House Immigration Removal Centre
Provided a forum for young people to talk openly about their beliefs and engage with religious and legal experts on the consequences and meanings of radicalisation
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 55 Faiths Forum for London “With the worrying Turn to Love rise of hate and Turn to Love (TTL) is a campaign that began as a divisive rhetoric,the grassroots initiative. It combats extremism both training empowers online and in communities by providing a rapid communities with response team ready to be deployed during the skills and access to painful period of terror attacks perpetrated by ISIS a network to provide and its affiliates. Faiths Forum for London built a pool of volunteers who shared messages of unity positive messages and love in the face of extremist and far-right to counter hate.” groups spreading division and hate. TTL engaged Community activist and gender equality campaigner community groups and volunteers on how to deliver successful campaigns with the aim of increasing their presence and reach.
56 OUTPUTS
Rapid response and strategic9 communications training Muslims from the community including youth, women, community leaders, 126 Activists trained in rapid response religious leaders strategic communications techniques to terror
OUTCOMES
Built network of organisations and individuals capable of using strategic communications to respond to major incidents
organisations partnered with 19them to work together in rapid response activities
How likely are you to take part in future campaigns?
Very 74% Increase in beneficiaries likely 31reported ability to run% strategic communication activities after Increase 36% terror incidents.
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 57 THEMATIC AREA
Arts & Sports The use of arts and sports is often an effective way of bridging gaps between different groups of people within . People can find a common link through playing football, boxing or running. The same goes for going to see a film, a piece of art, or a theatre piece. Arts and sports sit at the heart of so many societies and their use is often overlooked as positive means to counter hate and extremism. The projects below offer examples of best practice through arts and sports.
24 ,174 Arts /sports 3 projects Targeted individuals reached online
activities54 run 2 ,192 Total number of beneficiaries (primary and secondary including youth, teachers, public, parents and local community)
58 Limehouse Boxing Academy KO Racism “It is a great project that teaches Using boxing as a vehicle of engagement, KO Racism young people was a project to teach 11-17 year olds about the perils about extreme of social media use and extreme groups online. groups online and Started by the founders of the and training to colleges, schools Limehouse Boxing Academy, the and other boxing and sporting how to stay safe.” project also aimed to use boxing clubs, reaching hundreds of young Workshop participant to unite communities, stamp people. Its educational programme out racism and encourage and features a presentation, a short celebrate diversity within the sport. film and a guest question-and- KO Racism has delivered workshops answer session.
Outputs
KO Racism” workshop delivered to 20 + members of the Limehouse boxing team and Spotlight youth centre at the Spotlight centre in Poplar.
Delivered the ‘KO’ racism workshops to 50 year 8s and year 9s at 4 separate groups from Bow School as well as 50 more young people on the Change Foundations ‘Street Elite’ programme in Tower Hamlets.
Delivered the ‘KO’ racism programme to the whole of the year 7’s at Bow School in East London. 100+ in attendance.
OUTCOMES 1 Film, KO Racism, released on YouTube and Vimeo 261 Youth received training on digital citizenship, racism and boxing
KO Racism presentations at 87% of beneficiaries reported the workshops the East London Film Festival, would impact how they behave online GB Boxing HQ, Sheffield Police Boxing club, Peterborough 3 which reached 100 members of the general public, 150 young people and their parents and boxing club members
Secured endorsements from members of the GB Olympic Boxing Team
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 59 ArtReach Creating Communities “The most powerful bit The project brought together community groups for me was at the end across Portsmouth who may be unaware of when the speaker… issues that affect the refugee and asylum seeker made us appreciate community. ArtReach delivered a series of sessions with artists who are refugees and asylum seekers, how we judge people and locally-based artists. by their appearance
To engage individuals with the were also run in community and how wrong we are issues in an accessible and spaces to create items to be to do that.” non-threatening way, a series of used in a community procession relaxed conversational sessions as part of Journeys Festival Participant, Coffee Shop Conversation took place in community International, which promotes, spaces across the city. Artist- celebrates and explores refugee led, family-friendly workshops experiences through great art.
60 OUTPUTS OUTCOMES
4.43%Reported increase in support and acceptance of refugees and asylum seekers living in Portsmouth. 12 Improve cohesion between Coffee Shop Conversations local communities in which consisted of Portsmouth and the refugee conversations with local and asylum seekers that 8 artists on issues surrounding move there through arts Creative workshops refugees and migrants. These activities. run by local artists benefitted 199 members of on issues surrounding the local community refugees and migrants which benefited increase in13% community knowledge 256 members of the local community about refugees and and asylum seekers
increase in 9%community identification 421 with refugees and and Total local community members asylum seekers involved in refugee and asylum seeker art events
of local community24% members 22,350 engaged were youth Targeted individuals reached online
Films launched about refugee and asylum seeker issues in the local 6 community in Portsmouth
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 61 Youth Cymru & My Genderation “ Most of the kids we Transform Youth Action worked with had probably never met a Working with a group of transgender and non-binary trans person before. young people in South Wales, the project aims to Simply enabling transform the conversation about gender, tackle transphobic bullying within schools, and create safe trans creatives and and inclusive environments where all young people practitioners to get can thrive. into classrooms and Transform Youth Action centred creative workshops exploring deliver these kind of around Humanequin, a play with equality and acceptance, and the a cast of trans actors shaped by production of a magazine created lessons has forced the stories and experiences of by trans young people. Youth positive change.” trans young people. Alongside Cymru also partnered with Mess Project participant Humanequin, the project also Up The Mess, My Genderation, included a short film entitled Watch Radyr Comprehensive School Me Exist, training for schools, and the Wales Millennium Centre.
62 OUTPUTS
Teachers,206 youth workers and other educators trained on trans issues People680 reached through 6 performances of the Humanequin play
Creative workshops 6with focus on equality, identity, etc. with youth groups and schools Beneficiaries: youth, Number: 159 OUTCOMES
Teachers learn about trans issues, how to deal with trans individuals in class and prevent bullying.
I am familiar and confident in using language relating to transgender / gender identity in the classroom of the teachers reported they could 81adequately deal with% trans issues in the classroom after the training, accessed Change 59% across a range of survey questions. Increase 202%
I feel confident to speak to young people about transgender topics (e.g. during a workshop or PSE lesson)
Change 41% 28 Increase 128% Trans youth empowered through magazine writing, work experience at Youth Cymru, Q&A panel, Humanequin, film, creative workshops. I feel confident in supporting a young person who has come out as trans / is questioning their gender identity Sent trans youth to government consultation on Gender Recognition Act (2018) meeting. Change 33% Contributed to establishment of a new LGBT+ youth club in the Merthyr Tydfil Youth Centre. Increase 80%
Google.org and ISD Innovation Fund to Counter Hate & Extremism in the UK Impact Report 63 Appendix – Advisory Board members
n Sasha Havlicek (Chair) – Leading counter-extremism and conflict resolution expert, CEO of ISD (Institute for Strategic Dialogue)
n Nazir Afzal – Former Chief Crown Prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for North West England from 2011 to 2015.
n Humza Arshad – Actor, comedian and writer best known for his web series Diary of a Bad Man (2010-2013) and “BADMAN” (2015-present)
n Timothy Garton Ash – Professor of European Studies at Oxford University, Director of freespeechdebate.com and Author of ‘Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World’
n Peter Neumann – Journalist and academic, Director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence as well as Professor of Security Studies at the War Studies Department of King’s College London.
n Baroness Joanna Shields – Technology industry veteran and parliamentarian who served as UK Minister for Internet Safety and Security and Under-Secretary of State from 2015-2017.
n Alex Williams – Founder of The Basement, a London-based social enterprise that works with urban London youth in the arts, film, music, and culture.
n Miriam Estrin – Public Policy Manager for Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Google, formerly worked at US State Department
n Jude Kelly – Founder of Women of the World festival and former Artistic Director of Southbank Centre, London.
End notes
1. Home Office, 2018, Hate Crime, England and Wales https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/748598/hate-crime-1718-hosb2018.pdf
2. BBC, 2019, Hate crime in London soars since Christchurch attacks, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48120278
3. Cabinet Office, 2018, Civil Society Strategy: Building a future that works for everyone https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/732765/Civil_Society_Strategy_-_building_a_future_that_works_for_everyone.pdf
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