Introduction and
Background
The online media is
being increasingly
used for hate campaigns to
spread misinformation aimed
to
create distrust and alienation between different communities that result in hostilities and
lead to violence. This phenomenon is
becoming rampant across
the
world and is a major cause
for motivating youth to
adopt fanatic ideologies and
take to violent and extremist actions.
All communities and sections all over the world
seem to be getting afflicted by this phenomenon
of online indoctrination leading to increasing fanatic perspectives and actions
by individuals and
groups that are becoming organised
and showing a swell both in terms of their numbers and
their
propensity to violence.
However, there are
many
persons from youth, civil society, journalism, religious groups
and computer professional etc. who
are concerned by this growing
phenomenon of misuse of
social media spaces for fanatic indoctrination, are well versed
with facts and can ideologically counter
the
hate campaigns but are unable
to
respond appropriately
due to
their technical limitations in use of social media and absence of a platform for action.
COFI- DLIT Trainings, Partners
and Networks
The
COFI- Networks (Countering Online Fanatic Indoctrination- Networks) Program, with Secretariat in COVA, aims to enlist persons from different fields well versed in religious and
social issues with progressive ideologies as Partners. Subsequently, Digital
Literacy and Intervention Techniques (DLIT) Training Programs will be organised
to provide them technical skills and ability in handling a range of social
media platforms (like Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Emails, Blogs, Google Search etc) through Boot
Camps.
These will be followed by
more specialized TechCamps to impart required
ability to develop appropriate Tools
and Apps to use social media to address the problems they face in their work of growing mistrust and antagonism between different
communities in
their areas of
operation.
Equipped with the
required technical skills in handling social media, these
persons will then be able to
effectively counter online hate propaganda (against different religious groups and
communities) in
social and mainstream media spaces both as individuals and
also through organized groups.
COFI (Countering Online Fanatic Indoctrination) Networks will be formed in different cities and countries with a membership of about 30 to 50 Partners in each city / country network after a
DLIT Training Program
is organized. All individual networks in different cities and countries
will be linked through different
social media platforms like
websites, dedicated Facebook Groups, Google Hangout
and Google Groups etc. to form
a collective network. The countries proposed to be covered in Phase I
will be: Bangladesh,
India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka. It is hoped to extend the program
to cover other countries subsequently.
Requirements to Become Partners
Persons from the
fields
of
religions,
civil
society organizations, journalism, social
media,
activists, concerned
citizens and youth with progressive perspectives and who have demonstrated active engagement with countering hate propaganda,
attempts at polarization and social violence to promote understanding, peace
and justice in their societies will
be identified and enlisted as Partners of the COFI Networks. Partners will be enlisted from all religious /
ideological persuasions viz. Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and atheists etc. Care
will be taken to
ensure gender parity
and sufficient representation of youth.
All Partners will be given systematic orientation and training on a regular basis in using social
media in all its forms with ease
and expertise through Facebook, E Learning Portals and other
platforms including DLIT Training Programs. These Partners
in each location will be
expected to sustain the process of using social media to counter online hate campaigns, indoctrination by fanatic groups
and promotion of understanding and peace
in their societies. The Partners are expected to identify and enlist other committed persons from their areas to expand the network and gain
leverage in countering spread
of disinformation and
hate.
Launch of COFI
Networks
COFI Networks was launched in
Hyderabad, India with a Three Day TechCamp from 27th to 29th November 2017. In all 33 Participants from 7
countries and 16 from 6 cities of India participated.
There were 5 trainers from 4 countries and 6 trainers from India who conducted the proceedings. The countries represented at the Hyderabad TechCamp were: India, Maldives,
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Singapore,
Philippines, Kazakistan, Romania and USA. Representatives
from 5 cities (Hyderabad, Mumbai, Banguluru, Delhi andLucknow)
and the
State of Assam
attended the TechCamp from within India.
Anchor
Teams
An Anchor Team will be
constituted for each of the COFI Networks to be
formed in different
countries / cities. Partners who have attended a TechCamp and are committed to engage in
initiatives to
counter online hate
campaigns and promote understanding
and peace will be encouraged to start a COFI Network in their city / country and become Anchor Members. The
Anchor Members
will be
the Managing Body of the concerned COFI Network and will
determine the number of Anchor
Members and other Members who can be inducted and modalities of functioning and activities. Five to ten Anchor Members and another 40 to 50
Partners of a COFI Network can keep the Network alive, active and aim at impactful presence in
social media and contribute to positive perspective building.
Formation of COFI
Networks:
It is proposed to form 15 COFI networks in 10 countries of South Asia and Far East by end of
2017. With an average
of 30 Members to begin with, the COFI networks collectively may have
around 500 active Partners and the number could increase with time.
Objectives:
Provide digital literacy to youth and civil society organizations, faith
leaders, media personal and social media experts and equip them to develop
Tools and APPs to counter digital and online hate campaigns and indoctrination
that is leading to spread of divisive ideologies and recruitment of youth for
extremism;
Build networks between like-minded individuals and organizations across
different faiths and countries in South and South East Asia to counter online
indoctrination by fanatic groups and promote peace and justice in their
societies.
Support Mechanisms:
1. COFI Website:(Under preparation) will provide a common platform for
all
COFI Networks across different cities and countries to connect, share information, engage in
discussions and plan/ facilitate collaborative activities etc. Will be available in different languages and will provide facilities for mass mailing and
archives.
2.
E- Learning Platform: Integrated with
the COFI website, will
provide interactive tutorials and learning opportunities to master social media and its application- especially
to
counter online hate campaigns and counter
radicalisation along with promotion of
peace.
3.
COFI Newsletter: A Multimedia compilation with text, audio and video content to be
broadcasted fortnightly. Content could
comprise of writings of COFI Partners from
different countries both current
and from yesteryears that still have their relevance. Selected writings, audios and videos from other sources
will be included along with mechanism for
feedback and discussions through COFI
website.
Expected Outreach
for the Newsletter: COVA has an outreach to over 35,000 persons
from across the world through its Peace Updates Group. Members of COVA collectively
have over 10,000 friends on Facebook
and connections with over 50 groups with an outreach of over 100 thousand
(an average of 2000 per group). Added to this will be the social media connects and followings of about 500 COFI Contributing Partners.
With such a range, any COFI Post can have an outreach to at least 100 thousand
people through various social media platforms. Hence, Contributing Members of COFI Network
can expect a reach to over 100 thousand persons for any of their posts and further
broadcast if their post is found interesting to even reach
viral proportions in
some cases.
4. Connecting Bubbles: Facilitating Conversations
Across Perspectives
COVA is exploring the possibility of organising
public meetings wherein eminent
personalities espousing opposing perspectives on different social and political issues will be invited to
share the same platform and debate. It is hoped that such exercises could enable people to gain
an overview of differing perspectives on
same issues and decide for
themselves after hearing different versions. This could also help in bringing out the
reasons and logic behind
the
perspective of the
“Other” and could lead
oneself to
critically evaluate one’s own thinking and
beliefs to arrive at more substantiated and holistic understanding of issues and be
more tolerant about the different perspectives
encountered. All COFI networks
will be encouraged to organise programs to Connect
Bubbles in their areas of operation to promote better
understanding. Some of these
programs will be made available on E-Learning Platform also.
Suggested
Activities of COFI
Networks
1.
Organise DLIT Training Programs and TechCamps in their Cities / Countries to provide orientation and mastery of use of social media to Partners to create a Resource Pool of
persons who will be able to counter online hate
campaigns,
prevent fanaticism and promote understanding and
peace.
2.
Organise
periodic meetings in their cities/ countries to orient members of the public
(especially youth) to social media and its potential for use and abuse.
3. Formation of Online Social Media Groups of all Partners from different
countries and also different
specialist fields like religious groups, youth, civil society etc. from
among the Partners to
share issues of concern and
content for broadcast.
4.
Facilitate regular Google Hangout Sessions, Facebook, and other Online Interactive and
Offline Sessions
between Partners from different countries and
locations
5. Active engagement with COFI Online Newsletter by sharing their current
and previous writings,
audio
and video material (with relevance to current period).
Also,
sharing similar
material
from others
that is
powerful and can dispel
hate and extremist propaganda and promote better understanding.
6. Sharing
appropriate
material
for
posting on the
e-Learning
Portal to
provide wider
learning opportunity and content to potential visitors to the
Portal.
7. Organising Programs such as “Connecting Bubbles” described above to promote the spirit of
dialogue and foster understanding.
8. Enable partners to develop apps and tools that carry
content in English and other languages that explicitly
counter narratives that are used for negative influence on youth
and promote understanding and peace.
9.
Sharing ideas
for action, proposals and activity
reports by Partners.
10. Any other programs and activities that could counter online hate campaigns and facilitate
better understanding between different
groups and communities and
secure peace.
Forth Coming TechCamps in Bangaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi and Dhaka between May
and August 2017
Information to
enlist for participation in these TechCamps will be shared subsequently
Continued Sustainability:
It is hoped that social media groups of
COFI-Network Partners formed country
wise and as per different specialisations will
facilitate sustainability
of the
program. Partners
will
also be oriented
and
encouraged
to seek support
for their Follow
on
Programs and Projects from potential resource support organisations.
___________________________________________
1COFI Networks = Countering Online Fanatic Indoctrination Networks Being facilitated by COVA in association with US Consulate Hyderabad.
2COVA (Confederation of Voluntary Associations), is a national network of voluntary organisations working for communal harmony in India and peace in South Asia. Address: # 18-13-8/A/508/B, Bandlaguda, Chandrayangutta, Hyderabad- 500 005
For more information:
MazherHussain
Executive
Director
COVA,
Hyderabad,
India
Ph: +91- 9394544244
Email:
mazherhussain11@gmail.com
|
Website: www.covanetwork.org
