Institute for Strategic Dialogue

ISD's core activities range from traditional research output and policy advice to the facilitation of youth and practitioner networks and the development of counternarrative and technological tools to combat extremism.{{cite news|url=http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/googles-fight-against-extremism-0022202 |title=Can a social network fight 'extremism'?| work= Al Jazeera |date= May 2012 |accessdate=9 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120615170832/http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/googles-fight-against-extremism-0022202 |archivedate=15 June 2012 }} More recently, ISD has researched misinformation and disinformation involving climate change,{{Cite web |date=9 June 2022 |title=Climate policy dragged into culture wars as a 'delay' tactic, finds study |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/09/climate-policy-dragged-into-culture-wars-as-a-delay-tactic-finds-study |access-date=1 July 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en}} public health,{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=Ashley Gold,Oriana |date=18 October 2022 |title=Social media loses ground on abortion misinformation |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/10/18/abortion-misinformation-social-media-losing-ground |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=Axios |language=en}} election integrity,{{Cite web |date=28 July 2022 |title=As Midterms Loom, Congress Fears Domestic Disinformation |url=https://www.govtech.com/elections/as-midterms-loom-congress-fears-domestic-disinformation |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=GovTech |language=en}} and conspiracy networks such as QAnon.{{Cite magazine |title=How QAnon took hold in the UK |language=en-GB |magazine=Wired UK |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/qanon-uk |access-date=18 October 2022 |issn=1357-0978}}

ISD partners with a number of Western governments, including agencies in Canada,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=21 December 2018 |title=Community Resilience Fund: Funding Project Descriptions |url=https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/bt/cc/fpd-en.aspx |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=Public Safety Canada}} Norway,{{Cite web |title=ISD - Institute for Strategic Dialogue |url=https://resultater.norad.no/partners/other-non-governmental-organisations/isd-institute-for-strategic-dialogue?show=resultater |access-date=18 December 2023 |website=Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation}} Germany, the United Kingdom,{{Cite web |title=Analysis of Online Hate in the UK [Award] |url=https://bidstats.uk/tenders/2022/W37/782762009 |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=bidstats.uk}} New Zealand,{{Cite web |title=Countering Violent Extremism Online - dia.govt.nz |url=https://www.dia.govt.nz/Countering-Violent-Extremism-Online |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019105756/https://www.dia.govt.nz/Countering-Violent-Extremism-Online |archive-date=19 October 2022 |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=www.dia.govt.nz}} Australia, the United States,{{Cite web |last=fundsforngos |date=16 July 2020 |title=U.S. Embassy in Slovakia announces Countering Extremism Program |url=https://www2.fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/u-s-embassy-in-slovakia-announces-countering-extremism-program/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=fundsforNGOs |language=en-US}} and the European Commission.{{Cite web |title=JUST - New study shows rise in antisemitic online content during the pandemic |url=https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/just/items/713106/en |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=ec.europa.eu}} It also works on funded projects with technology companies and organisations such as Google,{{cite web |date= |title=How Can Technology Help Society Counter Violent Extremism? |url=https://www.google.com/ideas/projects/network-against-violent-extremism/ |access-date= |website=Google.com |publisher=Network Against Violent Extremism, Google Ideas}} Microsoft,{{Cite web |date=18 April 2017 |title=Microsoft partners with Institute for Strategic Dialogue and NGOs to discourage online radicalization to violence |url=https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2017/04/18/microsoft-partners-institute-strategic-dialogue-ngos-discourage-online-radicalization-violence/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=Microsoft On the Issues |language=en-US}} Meta,{{Cite magazine |title=Facebook launches Online Civil Courage Initiative to tackle rising extremism in the UK |language=en-GB |magazine=Wired UK |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/facebook-online-civil-courage-iniative |access-date=18 October 2022 |issn=1357-0978}} and the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.{{Cite web |title=Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism: An update on our progress |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/global-internet-forum-to-counter/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=blog.youtube |language=en-us}}

Other institutional partners include the Global Disinformation Index,{{Cite web |title=The Global Disinformation Index |url=https://www.disinformationindex.org/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=www.disinformationindex.org |language=en}} the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society,{{Cite web |date=9 August 2017 |title=Exploring the Role of Algorithms in Online Harmful Speech |url=https://www.opennetafrica.org/exploring-the-role-of-algorithms-in-online-harmful-speech/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=OpenNet Africa |language=en-GB}} Institut Montaigne,{{Cite web |last=Hamm |first=Lauren |date=14 July 2020 |title=Disinfo Update 14/07/2020 |url=https://www.disinfo.eu/outreach/our-newsletter/disinfo-update-14072020/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=EU DisinfoLab |language=en-US}} the British Council,{{Cite web |date=1 September 2016 |title=Civic Approaches to Confronting Violent Extremism |url=https://www.britishcouncil.us/programmes/society/bridging-transatlantic-voices/civic-approaches-confronting-violent-extremism |access-date=21 October 2022 |website=British Council}} the German Marshall Fund,{{Cite web |title=Misleading metrics: How disinformation networks fake audiences {{!}} WARC |url=http://origin.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/misleading-metrics-how-disinformation-networks-fake-audiences/en-gb/4387 |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=origin.warc.com |language=en-GB}} the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism.{{Cite web |title=Partners |url=https://icct.nl/partners/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=ICCT |language=en-US |archive-date=19 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019105758/https://icct.nl/partners/ |url-status=bot: unknown }}

Funding for the ISD has come from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,{{Cite web |title=Institute for Strategic Dialogue US {{!}} Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/committed-grants/2022/03/inv038947 |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=www.gatesfoundation.org |language=en}} the Omidyar Network,{{Cite web |last=Giles |first=Jason |date=11 January 2022 |title=Keeping Misinformation, Hate, and Violence from Going Viral |url=https://omidyar.com/keeping-misinformation-hate-and-violence-from-going-viral/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=Omidyar Network |language=en-US}} the Gen Next Foundation,{{Cite magazine |last=Solon |first=Olivia |title=Former Terrorists and Neo-Nazis Get Their Own Social Network |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/04/wiredcouk-nazi-social-net/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |issn=1059-1028}} and the Open Society Foundation.{{Cite web |title=Partnerships and Funders |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/partnerships-and-funders/ |access-date=14 September 2022 |website=ISD |language=en-GB}}

File:SashaCSIS.jpg in Washington, D.C., with Evan Ryan, Farah Pandith and Juan Zarate, June 2015.]]

ISD was founded in 2006 as an extension of the Club of Three,{{Cite web |title=History – Club Of Three |url=https://www.clubofthree.org/about-us/history/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=www.clubofthree.org}} a strategic networking organisation founded in 1996 by George Weidenfeld that focused on high-level engagement{{clarify|date=October 2023}} between Europe and the world.{{Cite web |date=20 January 2016 |title=Lord Weidenfeld obituary |url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jan/20/lord-weidenfeld |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en}} ISD originally focused on social cohesion{{Cite web |title=The Islam Forum {{!}} European Website on Integration |url=https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/integration-practice/islam-forum_en |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=ec.europa.eu |language=en}} and radicalisation following a rise of far-right and Islamist extremism in Europe. ISD later hosted the Against Violent Extremism network shortly after it was founded in 2011 in Dublin, Ireland, promoting engagement with former violent extremists as a way of understanding how extremist movements work.{{Cite web |title=Gen Next Foundation - Violent extremism is a mindset |url=https://gennextfoundation.org/cve/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=gennextfoundation.org}}

By 2012, ISD was working with social media platforms such as YouTube to explore radicalisation online,{{Cite web |title=Countermeasures - Violent White Supremacy |url=https://jigsaw.google.com/the-current/white-supremacy/countermeasures/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=Jigsaw |language=en}} including research on the use of counternarratives{{Cite web |title=Tech giants have found a way to fight extremism online. Is it working? |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/08/alphabet-facebook-anti-extremism-videos-online/ |access-date=21 October 2022 |website=World Economic Forum |language=en}} to minimise the impact of extremist recruitment by groups such as ISIS,{{Cite news |last=Dean |first=James |title=Facebook helps pull would be jihadists back from the brink |newspaper=The Times |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-100-tech/hardware-profile/article/facebook-helps-pull-would-be-jihadists-back-from-the-brink-8x97cs7gkbn |access-date=21 October 2022 |issn=0140-0460}} Al Qaeda,{{Cite web |last=Toor |first=Amar |date=4 August 2016 |title=Facebook, Google, and Twitter combat online extremism with targeted videos |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/4/12373978/facebook-google-twitter-extremism-counter-speech-isd-isis |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}} and white supremacists{{Cite web |date=2 August 2016 |title=Tech companies combating terrorist propaganda through video |url=https://www.marketplace.org/2016/08/02/tech-companies-combating-terrorist-propaganda-through-video/ |access-date=21 October 2022 |website=Marketplace |language=en-US}} in Europe and North America. This work later expanded to include recruitment and disruption efforts by state actors{{Cite web |date=3 September 2021 |title=Russia sows distrust on social media ahead of German election |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-russia-social-media-distrust-election-vladimir-putin/ |access-date=21 October 2022 |website=POLITICO |language=en-US}} and conspiracy theorists{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Stuart A. |date=25 July 2022 |title=QAnon Candidates Aren't Thriving, but Some of Their Ideas Are |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/25/technology/qanon-midterms.html |access-date=21 October 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |last=Dawson |first=Bethany |title=Far-right lures recruits using COVID-19 conspiracy theories, alongside misogyny, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia, says study |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/far-right-lures-recruits-telegram-using-covid-19-conspiracy-theories-2021-12 |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}} Much of this activity was found to be amplified during regional and national elections,{{Cite news |last1=Myers |first1=Steven Lee |last2=Frenkel |first2=Sheera |date=20 October 2022 |title=How Disinformation Splintered and Became More Intractable |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/20/technology/disinformation-spread.html |access-date=21 October 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} leading to new research on election disruption in countries such as Germany,{{Cite web |title=Report: Far right tried to influence Bavarian election |url=https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/report-far-tried-hard-influence-112250044.html |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=sg.finance.yahoo.com |language=en-SG}} Sweden,{{Cite web |title=Meme warfare in the Swedish context |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/can-europe-make-it/meme-warfare-in-swedish-context/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=openDemocracy |language=en}} France,{{Cite web |date=20 April 2021 |title=Europe's far-right parties hunt down the youth vote |url=https://apnews.com/article/belgium-spain-ap-top-news-elections-immigration-7f177b0cf15b4e87a53fe4382d6884ca |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}} Italy,{{Cite web |date=3 March 2018 |title=Italian fascists promote Scottish Dawn in an attempt to influence election |url=https://theferret.scot/italys-far-right-promotes-scottish-dawn-in-an-attempt-to-influence-election/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=theferret.scot |language=en-GB}} Kenya,{{Cite web |last=Makong |first=Bruhan |date=21 March 2022 |title=Kenya: Re-Emergence of Political Gangs, a Major Concern Ahead of Elections |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/202203210053.html |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=allAfrica.com |language=en}} and the United States.{{Cite web |title=Election denialists unleash an array of strategies aimed at undermining democracy itself |url=https://www.dailykos.com/story/2022/10/7/2127659/-Election-denialists-unleash-an-array-of-strategies-aimed-at-undermining-democracy-itself |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=Daily Kos}} ISD's analysis of the 6 January United States Capitol attack was chosen for inclusion in the Library of Congress.{{Cite web |title=The Long Road to the Capitol: A Hybrid Threat Landscape - Institute for Strategic Dialogue |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/lcwaN0035939/ |access-date=21 October 2022 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}

File:Launch-of-the-Strong-Cities-Network.jpg with Zeid bin Raad al Hussein, Bill de Blasio, Loretta Lynch, and Sasha Havlicek, September 2015]]

• Business Council for Democracy (BC4D): A joint initiative from Hertie Stiftung, Robert Bosch Stiftung, and ISD Germany, BC4D provides employee training on hate speech, disinformation, and conspiracy theories.{{Cite news |last=Reiermann |first=Christian |date=3 November 2020 |title=Bündnis gegen Fake News am Arbeitsplatz: Aufklärung in der Mittagspause |language=de |work=Der Spiegel |url=https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/fake-news-am-arbeitsplatz-aufklaerung-in-der-mittagspause-a-100423bf-0b2b-4137-80dc-a1c95fc1cc6a |access-date=19 October 2022 |issn=2195-1349}}
• Digital Policy Lab (DPL): Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, the DPL is an intergovernmental working group focused on regulation and policy regarding disinformation, hate speech, extremism, and terrorism online.{{Cite web |title=Staatliche Regulierung: Allianz gegen Big Tech: Druck auf Facebook und Google wächst |url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/staatliche-regulierung-allianz-gegen-big-tech-druck-auf-facebook-und-google-waechst/27068864.html |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=www.handelsblatt.com |language=de}}
• Beam: Developed in partnership with the Centre for Analysis of Social Media (CASM), Beam uses online surveillance technology to detect, track, and attempt to measure online manipulation, disinformation, and harassment. Beam was a winner of the 2021 U.S.-Paris Tech Challenge.{{Cite web |title=The U.S-Paris Tech Challenge: Hear from the winners – Safety Tech |url=https://www.safetytechnetwork.org.uk/the-u-s-paris-tech-challenge-hear-from-the-winners/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=www.safetytechnetwork.org.uk}}
• Prevention Practitioner Network: Developed in partnership with the McCain Institute, the Prevention Practitioner Network is a national network focusing on prevention of targeted violence and terrorism within the United States.{{Cite web |date=25 April 2022 |title=State Targeted Violence Prevention: Programming & Key Performance Indicators |url=https://www.nga.org/center/publications/state-targeted-violence-prevention-programming-key-performance-indicators/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=National Governors Association}}
• Strong Cities Network (SCN): Launched at the United Nations in September 2015,{{Cite web |date=28 September 2015 |title=Launch of Strong Cities Network to Strengthen Community Resilience Against Violent Extremism |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/launch-strong-cities-network-strengthen-community-resilience-against-violent-extremism |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=www.justice.gov |language=en}} SCN is a global network of mayors, municipal-level policy-makers, and practitioners seeking to build social cohesion and counter violent extremism.{{Cite web |last=Mali |first=U. S. Mission |date=19 July 2018 |title=Local Governments Ramping Up Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism |url=https://ml.usembassy.gov/local-governments-ramping-up-efforts-to-counter-violent-extremism/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=U.S. Embassy in Mali |language=en-US}}
• Youth Civil Activism Network (YouthCAN): Launched in Oslo, Norway in 2015, YouthCAN is a global youth network of counter-extremism and social justice activists.{{Cite web |title=Chapter 2. Country Reports: Europe Overview |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2015/257516.htm |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=U.S. Department of State}}
• Be Internet Citizens (BIC): Developed in partnership with Google in 2017, BIC is a digital literacy program for youth that aims to explain fake news, echo chambers, filter bubbles, and promote safety online, especially on YouTube.{{Cite web |title=Be Internet Citizens {{!}} UK Parliament Week |url=https://www.ukparliamentweek.org/en/blog/be-internet-citizens/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=www.ukparliamentweek.org |language=en-GB}}
• Shared Endeavour Fund:{{Cite web |date=14 January 2020 |title=Mayor launches new fund to counter violent extremism and hate crime |url=https://www.london.gov.uk//press-releases/mayoral/mayors-new-fund-to-counter-violent-extremism |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=London City Hall |language=en-GB}} ISD managed an £800,000 fund, supported by Google.org and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, to empower communities to tackle violent extremism and a rise in hate crime offences in London.{{Cite web |last=Blake |first=Elly |date=19 May 2022 |title=Sadiq Khan pledges further funding to counter extremism in London |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/sadiq-khan-funding-counter-extremism-london-shared-endeavour-fund-b1000910.html |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}

ISD is also a member of the Christchurch Call advisory network and the Commission for Countering Extremism's Expert Group{{Cite web |title=The Commission for Countering Extremism has formed a new Expert Group - Commission for Countering Extremism |url=https://extremismcommission.blog.gov.uk/2018/07/11/the-commission-for-countering-extremism-has-formed-a-new-expert-group/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=extremismcommission.blog.gov.uk |language=en}} in the United Kingdom.

• The Far-Right Extremism in Europe (FREE) Initiative
• Against Violent Extremism (AVE) network: A global network of former extremists and survivors of violence working together to counter violent extremism.{{cite web| title= Network to combat extremism and gang culture launched| publisher= BBC News|date= 25 April 2012 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-17841681| first= | last= | access-date= }}
• Counter Conversations: Developed as a research project with Facebook, this initiative facilitates interventions between former extremists and young people who show extremist tendencies.{{Cite news |date=27 February 2018 |title=Facebook Messenger used to fight extremism |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43170837 |access-date=18 October 2022}}
• Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI): A strategic partnership with Facebook, OCCI launched in Germany in 2016 and expanded to France and the UK in 2017. OCCI helps develop new responses to hate speech and violent extremism on social media
• Policy Planners’ Network (PPN): A European inter-governmental network of policy chiefs improving coordinated responses to integration and extremism.{{cite web| title= Policy Planners' Network| website= ISDEP.eu| publisher= | url= http://www.isdep.eu/content/504/policy-planners-network| date= | access-date= | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063021/http://www.isdep.eu/content/504/policy-planners-network| archive-date= 7 April 2014| url-status= dead}}
• Innovation Fund to Counter Extremism: Launched with Google.org in 2017, this fund distributed £1M to support organisations countering hate, racism, and extremism in the UK.{{Cite news |date=19 September 2017 |title=Google launches UK 'anti-terror fund' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41320171 |access-date=19 October 2022}}

ISD previously chaired the EU's Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) working group on the Internet and social media and has provided testimony to the US Committee on House Administration,{{Cite web |date=27 July 2022 |title=A Growing Threat: Foreign and Domestic Sources of Disinformation |url=https://cha.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/growing-threat-foreign-and-domestic-sources-disinformation |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=Committee on House Administration |language=en}} the US Committee on Foreign Affairs,{{Cite web |title=- WOMEN UNDER ISIS RULE: FROM BRUTALITY TO RECRUITMENT |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-114hhrg95695/html/CHRG-114hhrg95695.htm |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=www.govinfo.gov}} and the UK Home Affairs Select Committee.{{Cite web |date=20 November 2018 |title=Committee takes evidence on hate crime and asylum accommodation |url=https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/83/home-affairs-committee/news/100481/committee-takes-evidence-on-hate-crime-and-asylum-accommodation/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |website=UK Parliament}}

• Ayad, Moustafa, [https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/The-Vladimirror-Network_Pro-Putin-Power-Users-on-Facebook_.pdf "The Vladimirror Network: Pro-Putin Power-Users on Facebook"] (April 2022)
• O'Connor, Ciaran, [https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/HateScape_v5.pdf "Hatescape: An In-Depth Analysis of Extremism and Hate Speech on TikTok"] (August 2021)
• Miller, Carl; Smith, Melanie, Marsh, Oliver; Balint, Kata; Inskip, Chris; Visser, Francesca, [https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Information-Warfare-and-Wikipedia.pdf "Information Warfare and Wikipedia"] (October 2022)
• {{cite web |url= http://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Counter-Conversations_FINAL.pdf |title= Counter-Conversations: A model for direct engagement with individuals showing signs of radicalisation online| first1= Jacob |last1= Davey |first2= Jonathan |last2= Birdwell| first3= Rebecca |last3= Skellett| date= February 2018}}
• {{cite web |url= http://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Between-Two-Extremes-Feb-2018-ISD.pdf |title= Between Two Extremes: Responding to Islamist and tribalist messaging online in Kenya during the 2017 elections| first1= Anisa |last1= Harrasy | first2= Zahed| last2= Amanullah| date= February 2018}}

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