Good Practice 2
Develop a wide range of proactive, positive counter-narratives and alternative activities, offering non-violent, productive alternatives to help those in need, as well as means to channel frustration, anger, and concerns without turning to violence.3
Rather than providing only a negative message, it is important to provide positive alternatives, in collaboration with communities, to those contemplating traveling to destination countries to support terrorist groups or otherwise commit terrorist acts. Positive alternatives may include offering non-violent options to channel frustration, anger, and concern such as charitable giving in support of the victims of the particular conflict. Systematic, tailored mentoring programs can also be very effective, particularly for youth at risk of radicalization, because they offer individual attention. Further, effective counter-narratives should encourage questioning, critical thinking, and analysis by those susceptible to recruitment targeting. These alternative narratives can also serve as tools for at-risk communities to resist violent extremist messaging. Evaluation of effectiveness of such campaigns should be done regularly, including by taking into account the responses of samples of target audiences.
3. See Good Practice 9 of the GCTF Ankara Memorandum on Good Practices for a Multi-Sectoral Approach to Countering Violent Extremism for more on providing counter-narratives and alternatives to violence.