ARMOUR

OBJECTIVES:

The ARMOUR project aims to address societal polarization caused by the adoption and spread of extremist ideologies by creating an interdisciplinary model of learning helping individual and mainstream communities build resilience to ideologies and behaviours specific to violent extremism.

The project will help both existing and potential influencers to model opinions by integrating skills on how to:

• create a message that deals with common concerns and interests of the middle ground society;
• develop critical thinking so as to delineate propaganda from solution-oriented discourse;
• capitalise assertiveness and emotional intelligence into mediating speech that engages and connects with the diverse categories of the silent majority;
• use anger management and conflict resolution so as to contain and push back the discourse of the radical pushers and joiners.

The project targets a diverse range of potential influencers: middle ground people and first line practitioners in state institutions and CSO’s working with young individuals in the EU that are susceptible and vulnerable to radicalizing.

It does so by providing individuals in the community and practitioners the know-how, as well as a toolkit consisting of an experimental creative lab architecture in which to create, test, and promote psychological and community behavioural and communication strategies aimed at correcting reactions to perceived or real grievances and thus promote resilience to push and pull factors involved in advancing radicalization and violent extremism.

METHODOLOGY:

The model of intervention is focused on strengthening critical thinking, individual and community empowerment, emotional resilience and community support. The project capitalizes upon the capacity of individuals and organizations to occupy public discourse and help contain extremist voices in the media space, no matter the narrative form they adopt, with the final objective of maintaining the social cohesion.

THE CONSORTIUM:

1. FUNDACION EUROARABE DE ALTOS ESTUDIOS – FUNDEA (Spain);
2. KENTRO MELETON ASFALEIAS KEMEA – KEMEA (Greece);
3. ACADEMIA NATIONALA DE INFORMATII MIHAI VITEAZUL ANIMV (Romania);
4. SYNYO GmbH SYNYO (Austria);
5. MINISTERO DELLA GIUSTIZIA – MoJ IT (Italy);
6. FONDAZIONE AGENFOR INTERNATIONAL (Italy);
7. LIBRE FOUNDATION (Bulgaria);
8. UNIVERSITA TA MALTA UOM (Malta);
9. RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN RUG (Netherlands).

 This project was funded by the European Union’s Internal Security Fund — Police under the Agreement no. 823683.