'We Are Tomorrow' extremism awareness campaign launches

London-based strategic communications firm, Global Influence, has announced a global initiative with Families Against Terrorism and Extremism (FATE) in a bid to help vulnerable families come together and stand up to violence and terror. The campaign unites families and survivors with charities to join forces against violent extremism and prevent radicalisation.

The campaign, which begins this week, aims to provide the charities with a voice that allows them to challenge extremist narratives at home in their communities and prevent radicalisation.

It is the culmination of a six-week Target Audience Analysis using RAID (Rapid Audience Insights Diagnostics), Global Influence’s audience profiling tool. Developed over 10 years, RAID takes the methodology used in marketing, military, conflict and political contexts, and applies it to social-change campaigns. In this way the guesswork of ‘we think’ or ‘we believe’ is said to be replaced by rigorous assessment of data against 24 peer-reviewed scientific parameters to undertake a deep-dive into the psychology of the target audience achieving the granularity of insight needed to truly, and scientifically, deliver behaviour change.

The first video entitled ‘We Are Tomorrow’ establishes modern Muslim youth as a force to be reckoned with, who are rejecting Daesh’s divisive ideology. Set within a gritty urban location, young people are seen to gather together – seemingly for menacing reasons. However, the viewer soon discovers that the individuals are in fact a group of percussion musicians, performing a counter-Daesh drum / poetry performance. The sinister becomes optimistic and dynamic, with the youth transitioning from menacing to united in the verbal fight against Daesh. According to the filmmakers, they are "owning their futures, not allowing them to be stolen by warped narratives."

“We can’t stand by and let the threat posed by extremist groups tear families apart," said Sven Hughes, CEO of Global Influence. "It’s important to highlight the fact that hate solves nothing and it’s time to be a part of real change to end extremism and terror. We wanted to create meaningful work and we will continue to support both FATE and the charities as they continue to take a stand against violent extremism.”

FATE is a network of organisations working with communities across Europe and North Africa to prevent radicalisation, counter violent extremism and fight back against terrorism. Working with 40 charities including, Sons & Daughters of the World, S.A.V.E Belgium, Extreme Dialogue and Women without Borders, the campaign will be launched across all FATE channels including online, social media and print.

The video will sit on FATE’s website, which Global Influence has rebranded and a second video will launch within the next month alongside support to charities across the FATE family. Additionally Global Influence is creating a suite of graphics for charities to use online to support their ongoing conversation to end radicalisation.

Karolina Dam, who set up Sons & Daughters, a FATE charity member, said: “This is an uncompromising campaign with strong social importance. Thanks to the compelling campaign Global Influence has built for us, we feel united and can say ‘enough’ – and take a stand against violent extremism. After all, too many sons and daughters have been lost to pointless and hateful ideologies.”