Media and Information Literacy, as a tool for Prevention of Violent Extremism By Gaukhar Balgarina, Communication and Information Assistant, UNESCO Almaty, g.balgarina@unesco.org By Sergey Karpov, Communication and Information Specialist, UNESCO Almaty, s.karpov@unesco.org By Alton Grizzle, Communication and Information Assistant, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, a.grizzle@unesco.org

FEAR? ANGER? HATE? POWER? MISINFORMATION?

«CHANGE HOW We SEE AND SEE HOW WE CHANGE!»

«Media and information literacy CAN HELP US TO CHANGE HOW WE SEE AND SEE HOW WE CHANGE!»

WE NEED MORE YOUNG PEOPLE AS ACTORS IN XXI CENTURY!

Factors affecting the spread of extremism: unemployed; “We see the rise of a new generation of digital natives today. Our task must be to empower a new generation of digital citizens at the global level – starting with education, new intercultural skills, and deeper media and information literacy”. UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova   There are some 1.2 billion young people in the world today – between the age of 15 and 24 years old. Factors affecting the spread of extremism: unemployed; lacking education; skills and prospects, in a context of changing family structures; rapid urbanization; rising perceptions of marginalization.

Radicalization of young people through social networks: Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

Internet, media and mobile technologies provide more risk for the spread of extremism

Insults and harassment between users in the Internet?

“Respect Zone” - is a new, positive tool to counter cyberbullying. Adopting the Respect Zone label sends a signal that your online space is a zone of respect. www.respectzone.org/en/ www.hateprevention.org/fr/supports/

Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy The Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy (GAPMIL) is a groundbreaking effort to promote international cooperation to ensure that all citizens have access to media and information competencies. Yet, organizations from over eighty countries have agreed to join forces and stand together for change. This pioneering initiative was launched during the Global Forum for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) which took place from 26 to 28 June 2013 in Nigeria.

UNESCO actions Paris Declaration on MIL in the Digital Era (2014); International conference “Internet and radicalization of youth: Preventing, working and living together”; Youth Online At Risk: Fighting Radicalization & Extremism on the Internet; International conference “Youth, Internet and Extremism” (2015).

“Youth, Internet and Extremism” 2 billion people are online; 3 billion are on social media; 45 % of these are young women and men; The population of Earth is 7.3 billion people for the 1 January 2016. Twitter announced the removal of 125 thousand accounts associated with terrorists and to strengthen its own anti-terrorist team (February 2016). It was a specific response to UNESCO's efforts in corporate responsibility increasing major online companies in opposing the radicalization of young people online

Training materials on media and information literacy In 2015, the UNESCO Office in Almaty has developed a training module on Media and Information Literacy (MIL). The manual material represents basics of media and information literacy in a popular visual form by using UNESCO MIL courses for teachers and other materials of the organization.

MIL Ecosystem Module 1: Citizenship; Module 2. Ethical aspects of the news; Module 3. Information in the media; Module 4 Media speech and the information language; Module 5. Advertising; Module 6: New and traditional media; Module 7: Internet; Module 8: The library literacy; Module 9: Communication and training.

MIL provides: access to the information; empowerment; the right to freedom of expression; the right to seek, receive and disseminate information; corporate responsibility; and critical thinking skills to evaluate and distinguish the information; construction of protection in people's minds; knowledge of their right to privacy and the protection of its database; maintaining the quality of our personal communications; knowledge of how advertising can influence people's minds.

Types of literacy: information literacy; media literacy; news literacy; digital literacy; TV & literacy, literacy in the field of advertising; internet literacy; freedom of access and expression; literacy in the use of electronic games; computer literacy; library literacy; freedom of expression and information literacy.

Countering Online Hate Speech Global research on hate speech online is next publication in the UNESCO series on Internet freedom. Research shows variety of characteristics and cases of hate speech online and their impact on freedom of expression. Guideline considers the impact of social mechanisms to reduce the emergence and distribution of hate in Internet. http://ru.unesco.kz/countering-online-hate-speech

"It is important that our joint efforts to combat Islamic radicalism did not lead to his identification with the peaceful Islam. Confronting Extremism is possible only on the basis of intercultural and interreligious dialogue. Education is a key factor in preventing the radicalization of young people and countering violent extremism. " N. A. Nazarbayev

COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION ACTIONS: The introduction of the MIL as a tool of self-defense; The use of a three-part test for hate speech and its neutralization by a respect for the culture; The introduction and spread of a culture of respect; “Respect Zone” is a new, positive tool to counter cyberbullying.

Thank you for your attention!