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166 documents from Institute for Strategic Dialogue
Young Digital Leaders 2019: From Safety to Citizenship Online
The Young Digital Leaders 2019 report evaluates a digital citizenship education (DCE) programme implemented in Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania. The initiative, supported by Google.org, aimed to empower students aged 1116, upskill teachers, and equip parents to foster positive online engagement. Evaluation data shows significant gains in participants' understanding of digital concepts like echo chambers and filter bubbles, though the report notes that short-term workshops are less effective at changing long-term attitudes and behaviours than teacher-led, slower-paced delivery. The report recommends that the European Commission adopt the Council of Europe's definition of digital citizenship and that national governments embed DCE into school curricula across multiple subjects.
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Document type: Report
WOMEN, GIRLS AND ISLAMIST EXTREMISM
The document argues that simplistic stereotypes, such as the 'jihadi bride' narrative, fail to capture the complex motivations of women and girls radicalised to Islamist extremism. It identifies key drivers including the appeal of 'sisterhood', a desire for purpose, perceived religious duty, and reactions to social discrimination. The toolkit recommends a gender-sensitive, multi-agency approach to intervention, emphasizing trust-building, person-centred care, and the avoidance of gender biases. It details the UK's Channel programme and the Dutch 'Safety House' model as primary frameworks for these interventions.
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Document type: Guide
‘THE GREAT REPLACEMENT’: THE VIOLENT CONSEQUENCES OF MAINSTREAMED EXTREMISM
The report analyzes how the 'Great Replacement' theory, originating in France, has been internationalized and mainstreamed through social media, alt-tech platforms, and the rhetoric of far-right politicians in Europe and North America. It details the role of the Identitarian Movement and the use of 'crisis narratives'—such as existential threat and conspiracy—to inspire actions ranging from 'remigration' (forced deportation) to terrorism. Quantitative analysis shows a steady increase in online discussions of these theories leading up to the Christchurch attack, while qualitative research highlights the use of dehumanizing memes and the co-option of official statistics to provide a veneer of legitimacy to white nativist ideologies.
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Document type: Report
Curriculum 2019
The Young Digital Leaders curriculum, developed by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and supported by Google.org, is a Europe-wide programme for students aged 12-15. It consists of five sessions: Critical Consumers, Resilient Citizens, Effective Communicators, Rights Experts, and Digital Leaders. The programme teaches students to identify disinformation, challenge stereotypes, communicate respectfully online, understand digital rights and consent, and use digital tools for civic engagement and positive social change.
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Document type: Guide
Civic Approaches to Confronting Violent Extremism
The report argues that the traditional 'Countering Violent Extremism' (CVE) framework is flawed and 'toxic' because it relies on discredited theories of a linear path to radicalization. Instead, it advocates for a 'resilience' model led by civil society organizations (CSOs) and social services, with law enforcement acting only as a supporting partner focused on criminal behavior. Key findings emphasize that there is no causal link between religious ideology and violence, and that effective interventions require 'alternative narratives' that acknowledge the 'kernel of truth' in grievances. The document also highlights a significant 'trust gap' between governments and CSOs, suggesting that transparency and the protection of civil liberties are essential for effective collaboration.
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Document type: Report
“Shooting in the right direction”: Anti-ISIS Foreign Fighters in Syria & Iraq
The report examines 'anti-ISIS foreign fighters', finding they are generally older than Islamist fighters, predominantly male, and frequently U.S. military veterans. It identifies the YPG and Peshmerga as the most popular affiliations and analyzes push factors like frustration with international responses and pull factors such as the desire to protect persecuted minorities. The document also explores the complex and inconsistent legal frameworks across Western nations regarding private citizens participating in foreign conflicts.
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Document type: Report
ISIS and Nusra in Turkey
The report examines the recruitment of Turkish citizens into ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, identifying a total of 2,000 to 2,200 Turkish nationals who travelled to Iraq and Syria. It distinguishes between the recruitment styles of the two groups, noting that ISIS attracts more recruits through 'pop jihadist' propaganda and lower entry barriers, while Nusra relies on disciplined, historical al-Qaeda networks. Key push factors include personal alienation and socio-economic dislocation, particularly in Kurdish-majority areas and neighbourhoods affected by urban renewal. Pull factors include online Turkish-language propaganda, opposition to the Assad regime, and a specific focus on opposing the PKK. The report also details Ankara's response, including police outreach and Diyanet sermons, while noting the government's framing of the issue as a global problem driven by the Syrian regime and ineffective Western cooperation.
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Document type: Report
‘Till Martyrdom Do Us Part’
The report challenges the 'jihadi bride' stereotype, arguing that Western women migrate to ISIS due to a complex mix of push factors (social isolation, perceived persecution of Muslims) and pull factors (religious duty, sisterhood, and romanticised adventure). While their primary roles are domestic, some women engage in propaganda and professional services. The document analyses de-radicalisation models in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and the UK, concluding that there is a critical shortage of female mentors and gender-nuanced counter-narratives to effectively address this threat.
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Document type: Report
Old Threat, New Approach: Tackling the Far Right Across Europe
The document examines the nature of far-right extremism in Europe, categorising agents into youth gangs, terrorist cells, political/paramilitary groups, and nativist/anti-Islam movements. It identifies four primary government approach structures: general crime prevention, securitised, social-integration linked, and multi-agent/multi-level. The report highlights significant implementation challenges, including poor data collection, lack of frontline awareness, and the 'securitisation' of the issue which can alienate civil society. It concludes with ten key recommendations, emphasizing the need for comprehensive legal frameworks on hate crime, national Exit programmes for disengagement, and long-term funding for sustainable prevention.
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Document type: Guide
On the Front Line
The document outlines a comprehensive framework for tackling far-right extremism through seven key action areas: diverting individuals from involvement, responding to hate speech, managing public order, ending violent behaviour, supporting victims, raising awareness, and pushing public agencies to act. It emphasizes the importance of experiential learning, non-judgemental intervention, and the use of credible messengers, such as former extremists and survivors. The guide provides specific guidance for different professional roles, including police, educators, and local authorities, while highlighting the necessity of staff well-being and the strategic use of digital platforms to counter extremist narratives.
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Document type: Guide
Diverting People from Getting Involved
The document provides a framework for diverting individuals from far-right extremism through four primary strategies: promoting contact across community divides, providing alternative activities, implementing tailored educational programmes, and engaging in direct dialogue on difficult issues. It emphasizes that effective prevention requires non-judgemental marketing, experiential learning over simple fact-sharing, and the creation of safe environments where grievances can be heard before being challenged. The guide illustrates these methods through case studies from Hungary, Poland, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands, highlighting the importance of humanising anti-racism education and empowering youth to challenge their peers.
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Document type: Guide
Programme Pédagogique
The 'Young Digital Leaders' program, developed by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and supported by Google.org, is a training curriculum for students aged 12 to 15. It aims to transform young people from passive internet users into responsible 'digital leaders' through five structured sessions: Critical Consumers, Resilient Citizens, Effective Communicators, Rights Experts, and Digital Leaders. The program focuses on identifying misinformation, countering hate speech, understanding digital rights and consent, and using digital tools for positive social engagement.
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Document type: Guide
Die Grünen als Feindbilder während der Gaspreiskrise 2022
The report analyzes how disinformation actors, including right-wing influencers and AfD politicians, targeted the Green Party during the 2022 gas crisis. Using a dataset of over 1.2 million Twitter posts, the study finds that the Greens were mentioned more than twice as often as any other party, frequently as targets of narratives that blamed them for energy shortages while ignoring Russia's role in the crisis. Key narrative clusters identified include claims that the stop of Nord Stream 2 was an ideological act, that the gas levy was a 'war declaration' against the people, and that Minister Robert Habeck was implementing a 'planned economy' to force a climate agenda.
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Document type: Report
AMPLIFYING ANTISEMITISM: How Recommender Algorithms serve harmful content to children
The research demonstrates that TikTok's algorithms can nudge users from benign lifestyle content toward antisemitic conspiracy theories and far-right tropes within hours. On Rumble, the 'Editor's Picks' section provides more direct exposure to overt antisemitism, including slurs and calls to violence, exacerbated by a lack of age-verification requirements. The report highlights the role of interactive features like stickers and sounds in amplifying hate and calls for systemic regulatory interventions by Ofcom to address passive exposure pathways.
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Document type: Report
CONSPIRACY THEORIES: A GUIDE FOR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND CANDIDATES
The document provides a comprehensive overview of conspiracy theories, defining them as explanations citing a secret group of powerful persons acting against the common good. It highlights the systemic link between many modern conspiracies and historical antisemitism, using case studies such as the 'Great Reset', 'QAnon', and 'The Great Replacement' to illustrate how these narratives erode trust in democratic institutions. The guide specifically addresses the risks posed by the spread of misinformation regarding Covid-19, 5G, and climate-related urban planning (15-minute cities), and offers practical recommendations for public officials to verify information and recognize conspiratorial structures.
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Document type: Guide
DENY, DECEIVE, DELAY
The report identifies a resurgence of outright climate denial and the rise of 'culture war' narratives used to delay climate action. It highlights systemic greenwashing by fossil fuel entities on Meta and the algorithmic amplification of the #ClimateScam hashtag on Twitter. The analysis reveals that climate misinformation is increasingly integrated into broader 'anti-woke' and conspiratorial communities, with a small number of high-influence actors driving a significant portion of the engagement.
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Document type: Report
Czechia: Country Election Risk Assessment
The report identifies a complex threat landscape for the 2025 Czech elections, where foreign actors—primarily Russia and China—exploit domestic polarization and economic grievances. Key risks include the use of AI-generated deepfakes, the proliferation of pro-Kremlin Telegram networks, and narratives targeting the legitimacy of the new postal voting system. While Czechia's decentralized electoral infrastructure is considered resilient, the report highlights critical gaps in regulatory strength, specifically the delayed implementation of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and inadequate oversight of third-party campaign financing.
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Document type: Report
Identifying Sock-Puppets on Wikipedia
The research tested a semantic clustering technique to identify coordinated manipulation on Wikipedia, focusing on the Russo-Ukrainian war and 48 related pages. While the method did not consistently distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate editors globally, it successfully identified several dense clusters of sock-puppet accounts and coordinated IP-based editing. The study concludes that semantic clustering is a useful tool for grouping accounts with highly similar editing patterns, which can then be targeted for human-led investigation.
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Document type: Research paper
Information Warfare and Wikipedia
The report analyzes how Wikipedia is targeted by information warfare, including undisclosed paid editing, state-sponsored infiltration, and the use of biased sources. Through a case study of the English-language page on the Russo-Ukrainian war, researchers identified patterns where blocked editors used state-affiliated domains and split their edit histories across multiple accounts to evade detection. The document also highlights the risk of 'community capture' in non-English Wikipedias and the psychological toll on volunteer editors fighting these campaigns.
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Document type: Report
Disinformation Starter Kit
The 'Disinformation Starter Kit' by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) is a practical toolkit designed for civil society groups to track online disinformation. It outlines a four-stage process: preparation (defining strategy), data collection (using keywords and actor lists), spotting false information (refining recall and precision), and spotting false behaviour (identifying platform manipulation). The guide emphasizes that while automated tools can assist, analysts should rely on impressionistic appraisal of profiles, posts, and points of view to identify 'inorganic' behaviour. It also provides a directory of open-source tools for investigating domain ownership and website content, while cautioning against the undue amplification of disinformation during reporting.
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Document type: Guide