The EU steps up support to prevent violent extremism and radicalisation in Central Asia

The European Commission has this week allocated additional € 4 million  to support the media, civil society organizations and active citizens in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to prevent violent extremism and counteract radicalization.

The new projects will support the training and professionalization of local journalists, activists and press officers to produce high quality content, while fact verification platforms will be created to mark false news. The action, through the Instrument that contributes to Stability and Peace, also contributes to combat disinformation, increases the resilience of the local population and minorities, and develops counter-narratives.

The announced support will consolidate and allow the progress of the activities initiated through a previous collaboration with the NGO Internews, promoting regional collaboration and the co-production of content related to peace and stability.

Context

Very often, extremist groups use online channels to promote ideologies that incite the most vulnerable in society, including young people, to violence. This has resulted in the dissemination of misinformation and biased opinions on sensitive social, political and religious issues that can be easily exploited.

In this context, the EU-supported project “Contributing to stability and peace in Central Asia through  media literacy, information enhancement and regional cooperation” has sought to increase the capacity of local journalists, activists and press officers to produce high quality content while encouraging more critical reading of the news.

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