User:Vchurchill/sandbox

Develop Further

Gaps in research - Potential addition as new section of Radicalization page

• FINAL DECISION: Develop this further in the Role of the Internet and Social Media section instead of making a new section since the gap in research is specific to youth and the role of the Internet/social media as opposed to radicalization research in general. - DONE 6/1/19
• Key Findings and Conclusions from report could make up a new section about gaps in research
• This could also be a space where issues in research and methodologies could be added
• Add following to the Role of the Internet and Social Media section:

As stated before the authors of the 2017 UNESCO report repeatedly call for the support of more research into the study of online violent radicalization. Especially as it relates to young people and women as available research has been gendered. Gaps in research also apply to specific areas of the world. There is a notable absence of research on this topic when it comes to the Arab world, Africa, and Asia. So much so, that the authors of this report had difficulty developing specific conclusions about the connections between the Internet and social media, radicalization, and youth in these three areas of the world. The authors see these multiple gaps in research as opportunities for future studies, but also admit that there are specific challenges in carrying out research in this area successfully. They discuss empirical, methodological, and ethical challenges. For example, if youth and the influence of the Internet and social media on radicalizing them are to be studied, there are ethical concerns when it comes to the age of the youth being studied as well as the privacy and safety of these youth. The authors conclude their report with general recommendations as well as recommendations for government entities, the private sector, and civil society.

Gender - Potential addition to Misconceptions section of Radicalization page

• Page 21 for Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean
• Page 44 for general findings
• Page 51 in recommendations to states

In their 2017 research report, Youth and violent extremism on social media: mapping the research, UNESCO briefly examines the available research on gender and violent radicalization, specifically women's roles. The report flags this as a gap in research, and shares that most of the current research is unevenly focused on gendered Jihadist and ISIS recruitment activities. The report finds that there is a need to examine the role of women, social media, and violent radicalization in right wing, left wing, and radical feminist online forums in order to have a fuller understanding of gender and violent radicalization. At the end of the report, the authors recommendation the inclusion of women and youth in more online radicalization research projects as gender roles and participation in online radicalization change.

To Confirm

• Confirm the correct way to cite - specifically, check if page numbers need to be included
  • Based on other Wiki pages, looks like the same citation is reused, ie no need to make a new citation just use the same citation number. - UPDATED CITATIONS 5/26/19
  • Added total number of pages of report to source reference because some sources list the page numbers - DONE 6/1/19

Other Ideas for Additions:

• Add information to article about report's key findings on gender and radicalization?
  • Under Misconceptions section?
• Add about social media facilitating versus driving violent radicalization? - DONE 5/25/19
• Should gaps in research be included in Radicalization page?

Ideas for Additions to Varieties and commonalities Section of Radicalization Page:

• Add examples from report for each set of countries examined?
• Add quotes?
  • DONE
• Add maps or graphs from report?
  • Maps and graphs of report more focused on methodology of research vs. findings, not sure if it would be helpful to add

Role of the Internet and social media

UNESCO explored the role of the Internet and social media on the development of radicalization among youth in a 2017 research report, Youth and violent extremism on social media: mapping the research [INSERT CITATION]. The report explores violent extremism in the countries within Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean; violent radicalization in the Arab world and Africa; and, violent radicalization in Asia. At this time, more research is available on this issue within Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean than is available in the Arab world, Africa, and Asia [INSERT CITATION]. The report expresses a need for continued research on this topic overall as there are multiple types of radicalization (political, religious, psychosocial) that can be explored in relation to youth and the role the Internet and social media play [INSERT CITATION]. One key conclusion of the report is that "social media constitutes a facilitating environment rather than a driving force for violent radicalization or the actual commission of violence."[INSERT CITATION]

Definitions

There is no universally accepted definition of radicalization. Therefore, no one definition can be presented here. One of the difficulties with defining radicalization appears to be the importance of the context to determine what is perceived as radicalization. Therefore, radicalization can mean different things to different people. Presented below is a list of definitions used by different governments.

United Kingdom

The UK Home Office, MI5’s parent agency, defines radicalization as “The process by which people come to support terrorism and violent extremism and, in some cases, then join terrorist groups.” The MI5 report closes by saying that no single measure will reduce radicalization in the UK and that the only way to combat it is by targeting the at risk vulnerable groups and trying to assimilate them into society. This may include helping young people find jobs, better integrating immigrant populations into the local culture, and effectively reintegrating ex-prisoners into society.

Canada

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police defines radicalization as "the process by which individuals—usually young people—are introduced to an overtly ideological message and belief system that encourages movement from moderate, mainstream beliefs towards extreme views. While radical thinking is by no means problematic in itself, it becomes a threat to national security when Canadian citizens or residents espouse or engage in violence or direct action as a means of promoting political, ideological or religious extremism. Sometimes referred to as “homegrown terrorism,” this process of radicalization is more correctly referred to as domestic radicalization leading to terrorist violence.

Denmark

The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) defines radicalization as “A process by which a person to an increasing extent accepts the use of undemocratic or violent means, including terrorism, in an attempt to reach a specific political/ideological objective.”

UNESCO

In an UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) research report on the impact of the Internet and social media on youth and violent extremism , the difficulty of defining radicalization is discussed [INSERT CITATION]. A distinction is drawn "between a process of radicalization, a process of violent radicalization (legitimizing the adoption of violence), and acts of violence" [INSERT CITATION]. For the purposes of the UNESCO report, radicalization is defined by these three points:

[Consider including the following directly from the report:

• "The individual person’s search for fundamental meaning, origin and return to a root ideology;
• The individual as part of a group’s adoption of a violent form of expansion of root ideologies and related oppositionist objectives;
• The polarization of the social space and the collective construction of a threatened ideal “us” against “them”, where the others are dehumanized by a process of scapegoating." INSERT CITATION].
  

Varieties and commonalities

See also: Online youth radicalization

Despite being composed of multifarious pathways that lead to different outcomes and sometimes diametrically opposed ideological purposes, radicalization can be traced to a common set of pathways that translate real or perceived grievances into increasingly extreme ideas and readiness to participate in political action beyond the status quo. Shira Fishman, a researcher at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, wrote "Radicalization is a dynamic process that varies for each individual, but shares some underlying commonalities that can be explored." Though there are many end products of the process of radicalization, to include all manner of extremist groups both violent and nonviolent, a common series of dynamics have been consistently demonstrated in the course of academic inquiry.

Islamic

Jihadis have a "tried and tested model" of contact with different vulnerable, and extremist individuals through online messaging services or social media platforms, and then rapidly manipulating them towards participating in violent action in their name.

It was reported that Raffia Hayat of the Ahmadiyya Muslim association warned that jailed extremists attempt to recruit violent criminals into radical groups so they carry out attacks on the public once released. There have been several notable criticisms of radicalization theories for focusing disproportionately on Islam.

There have been concerns that converts to Islam are more susceptible to violent radicalization than individuals born into the faith. Dr. Abdul Haqq Baker developed the Convert's Cognitive Development Framework that describes how new converts conceptualize Islam and the stages where they are most vulnerable to radicalization.

Right-wing

Right-wing terrorism is motivated by a variety of different right-wing ideologies, most prominently neo-fascism, neo-Nazism and white nationalism. Modern radical right-wing terrorism appeared in Western Europe and the United States in the 1970s, and Eastern Europe following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Groups associated with right-wing radicals include white power skinhead gangs, far-right hooligans, and sympathizers. Examples of right-wing radicals include Jim Adkisson, the Aryan Nations, the Atomwaffen Division, Alexandre Bissonnette, Robert Bowers, Cliven Bundy, David Koresh, the Ku Klux Klan, David Lane, James Mason, Timothy McVeigh, The Order, Dylann Roof, Eric Rudolph, Cesar Sayoc, and Brenton Tarrant. From 2008 to 2016, there were more right-wing terror attacks both attempted and accomplished in the US than Islamist and left-wing attacks combined.

Right-wing populism by those who support ethnocentrism and oppose immigration creates a climate of "us versus them" leading to radicalization. The growth of white nationalism in a political climate of polarization has provided an opportunity for both on- and offline radicalization and recruitment as an alternative to increasingly distrusted traditional mainstream choices. In 2009, the United States Department of Homeland Security identified economic and political conditions as leading to a rise in right-wing radicalization and recruitment.

The Anti-Defamation League reports that white supremacist propaganda and recruitment efforts on and around college campuses have been increasing sharply, with 1,187 incidents in 2018 compared to 421 in 2017, far exceeding any previous year. Far-right terrorists rely on a variety of strategies such as leafleting, violent rituals, and house parties to recruit, targeting angry and marginalized youth looking for solutions to their problems. But their most effective recruitment tool is extremist music, which avoids monitoring by moderating parties such as parents and school authorities. Risk factors for recruitment include exposure to racism during childhood, dysfunctional families such as divorced parents, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, neglect, and disillusionment.

In 2018, researchers from the Data & Society thinktank identified the YouTube recommendation system as promoting a range of political positions from mainstream libertarianism and conservatism to overt white nationalism. Many other online discussion groups and forums are used for online right-wing radicalization. Facebook was found to be offering advertisements targeted to 168,000 users in a white genocide conspiracy theory category, which they removed shortly after being contacted by journalists in the wake of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. After the March 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, Facebook announced that they have banned white nationalist and white separatist content along white supremacy.

Role of the Internet and social media

UNESCO explored the role of the Internet and social media on the development of radicalization among youth in a 2017 research report, Youth and violent extremism on social media: mapping the research [INSERT CITATION]. The report explores violent extremism in the countries within Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean; violent radicalization in the Arab world and Africa; and violent radicalization in Asia. Currently, more research is available on this issue for the first group of countries than is available in the Arab world, Africa, and Asia [INSERT CITATION]. The report expresses a need for continued research in this topic overall as there are multiple types of radicalization (political, religious, psychosocial) that can be explored in relation to youth and the role the Internet and social media play [INSERT CITATION].

Possible Information to Add

Initial Ideas

• UNESCO's "radicalization" definition to the "Definitions" section. - DONE 5/11/19
• Add UNESCO publication to the "Further Reading" section. - DONE 5/11/19
• The role of the Internet and social media on the development of radicalization among youth as well as the need for more research on this role/impact of the Internet and social media. - DONE 5/25/19
  • Could this be a good addition to the "Varieties and commonalities" section? Or, should the role of the Internet have its own section? Or should it be added to the "Individual pathways" section?

UNESCO Education Sector

• UNESCO Education Sector doesn't appear to have suggested text from the selected article for Wikipedia additions.
• "Radicalization" page has been listed as a page in need of improvement with information from another UNESCO article: Preventing violent extremism through education: A guide for policy makers
  • "Radicalization" page is listed as a "target article."
  • Specific edits to the "Radicalization" page aren't listed, but suggestions are made for "target articles" as a whole.
  • "Terminological complexities" is listed as an area of improvement for "target articles" - this would fit the idea of adding UNESCO's definition of radicalization.
  • "Role of Digital Media" is also listed as an area of improvement for "target articles" - another potential area of improvement.

Article Evaluation

Questions for Consideration

• Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
  • Of the six citations checked from the beginning of the article, two links worked. Four citations didn't have linked content. The journal article referred to in the first citation can be found through Google Scholar. It's an open source article. Why wasn't the article's link included in the citation? For this citation, the journal article seems to support the claims in the Wiki article. The journal referred to in the second citation was like the first - it's available online and not clear why the link wasn't included in the citation.
• Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
  • No. There are some sections that have references clearly marked, but whether all the sources are reliable is unknown without a deep dive of each one. Then there are sections where it isn't clear from where the information is coming. For example:
    • "Mutual aid"
      • It appears that the information in this section is coming from one source, but there is only one citation in the entire section. Is all these information from the one source listed in the first sentence of the section?
    • "Individual pathways"
      • As with the Mutual aid section, there is only one source referenced for this section, but it isn't cited. It's referred to at the beginning of the section, but there is no official citation at the bottom of the article.
    • There does seem to be a variety of sources - MIT Press, Oxford University Press, Random House, The Economist. There would need to be a fact checking of all sources to ensure they're reliable and accurate.
  • Bias is noted with a Wiki banner at the top of the article's page. It has the "world view" Wiki warning banner.
  • The article does not feel neutral since "Islamic " and "Right-wing" are the only two sub-sections included under the section "Varieties and commonalities." On the Talk page there is a comment from 2010 stating the need for more examples and lists other examples that could be included alongside "Islamic" and "Right-wing."
• Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
  • There are a handful of current sources cited in the "Right-wing" sub-section, but the other sources are a bit dated - nine to ten years old.
  • Under "Varieties and commonalities" there is a link to "Online youth radicalization," a "See also" link to "violent extremism" could also be added to provide more resources to readers.
• What did I read about in my UNESCO publication that is missing from this topic?
  • UNESCO's definition of radicalization. The "Radicalization" article states that there is no clear definition of radicalization and then shares definitions used in the UK, Canada, and Denmark. The UNESCO definition could be helpful to have too and further demonstrate the differences between definitions. The discussion around the importance of understanding different definitions in the UNESCO publication could also be helpful in demonstrating the way in which meanings change.
  • The UNESCO publication could be added to the "Further Reading" section.
  • The role of the Internet and social media on the development of radicalization among youth as well as the need for more research on this role.
    • Could this be a good addition to the "Varieties and commonalities" section? Or, should the role of the Internet have its own section? Or should it be added to the "Individual pathways" section?
• What information here is missing proper citations that I could provide using my source?
  • The information that is missing proper citations isn't related to the UNESCO publication.
• Check out the Talk page of the article. What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
  • The Talk page is slightly outdated - the last comments are from 2016. Yet there are citations from 2018 and 2019 - does this mean that editors didn't discuss edits on Talk page?
  • There was apparently a discussion about deleting the page in 2010.
  • There were discussions on how to improve the page; sections were deleted; need for more diverse examples was highlighted.
• How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
  • This is part of three WikiProjects:
    • WikiProject Politics - given C-Class and Mid-importance rates
    • WikiProject Sociology - given C-Class and Mid-importance rates
    • WikiProject Terrorism - given C-Class rate, but not an importance rate
• If feels like this page needs a lot of help because some sections feel more one-sided than others. Will the UNESCO publication really provide value to this page? Should another article/topic be chosen?

Article Search

Potential Topics for Improvement with Selected Publication

• Violent extremism
  • C-Class/low-importance rated article
  • Selected for review since violent extremism is one of the terms referred to in the UNESCO publication selected for this project.
  • Sections that could be improved:
    • "Causes"
    • "Prevention of radicalisation and deradicalisation"
  • Status: article assigned
• Radicalization
  • C-Class/mid-importance rated article
  • Selected for review since radicalization is one of the terms referred to in the UNESCO publication selected for this project.
  • Has a warning banner flagging potential bias/conflict of views
  • Sections that could be improved:
    • "Varieties and commonalities"
    • "Individual pathways"
    • "Definitions" - addition of UNESCO definition discussion
• Online youth radicalization
  • Start-class/low-importance rated article
  • Selected for review because relates to UNESCO publication and was a related topic listed in the Radicalization article.
  • Has a warning banner flagging bias/tone issues.
  • Sections that could be improved:
    • Sub-section called "Specificities of social media"
    • "Social media and violent radicalization"
    • "Online prevention initiatives"
  • Status: article assigned
• Terrorism and social media
  • Start-class rated article
  • Selected publication defines differences between violent radicalization and terrorism - might not be a fit.
  • Sections that could be improved:
    • "Use of social media"

Source Evaluation

Publication

Youth and Violent Extremism on Social Media: Mapping the Research by Séraphin Alava, Divina Frau-Meigs, and Ghayda Hassan with collaboration from Hasna Hussein and Yuanyuan Wei

Source Reflection Questions

• Who is the publication directed to?
  • Based on the Foreword of the publication, it appears the publication is directed to an international audience. The Foreword addresses the need to differentiate between freedom of speech and speech that might instigate violent acts. The Foreword argues for the need of more research in the role of the Internet and "violent radicalization." It mentions different international conferences that have taken place to further this discussion and research. Conferences have taken place in Québec and Beirut; they have been organized by UNESCO and IFAP (Intergovernmental Information for All Programme). The conferences encourage international discussion on the impact of the Internet on "violent radicalization" - it's a shared responsibility internationally. The Foreword also argues for the need of policies that protect freedom of speech, but that also renounce "violent radicalization" as well as "violent extremism." Consequently, the audience is not only an international one, but one that can carry-out new policies or play an active role in encouraging new policies to pass that will protect freedom of speech while at the same time ensuring hateful speech does not turn into acts of violence.
• What main topics or themes does the publication cover?
  • The publication is focused on research findings on the role of the Internet and "violent radicalization." It groups together areas of the world that have certain similarities and goes into depth on this topic. More specifically, themes include: impact of the Internet, freedom of speech, violent radicalization, violent extremism, political radicalization, susceptibility of youth who may feel alone/are finding themselves, globalization and the Internet, trust and the Internet, the Internet as a tool for communication and connection, Internet communities, influence on youth, research gaps.

Reflection and Evaluation

Report Contents

• Foreword
  • Introduces the need for the research and why research in this area needs to be done - there's a gap in research on this topic.
• Executive Summary
  • Provides an overview of the research in the report and the need for more research. Places this need in a global framework. Each section of the report is summarized. Introduces the idea that the Internet plays a facilitating role in radicalization and extremism.
• Introduction
  • Goes into the purpose of the report: "knowledge building" research. Lays out the focus of the report; list the objectives of the report; describes the report's approach and methodology.
• Definitions
  • Helpful in describing the history and different definitions of the word "radicalization." Describes the publication's use and meaning of radicalization, violent radicalization, and acts of violence.
  • Helpful in understanding the context and importance of word choice.
• Social media in the radicalization of youth leading to violent extremism in Europe, North America, Latin-America and the Caribbean
  • Goes into detail about the research of the Internet and its role in these areas of the world with regards to "violent extremism," "religious radicalization," and "political radicalization" and its impact on youth.
  • Pulls examples from different research.
  • Breaks down the differences between the use and role of: chatrooms, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube/video platforms, and videogames.
    • Details and describes: Internet communities; virtual identity; recruitment methods; ease of communication via the Internet; global method of communication.
    • Describes gender differences with usage and "violent radicalization."
  • Describes research into right-wing and left-wing political radicalization - use of the Internet and social media to share their stances.
  • Impact/influence on youth.
• Role of social media in the violent radicalization of youth in the Arab world and Africa
  • Similar break down as above section, but much shorter and not as in-depth. Demonstrates gap in research.
  • Goes into more depth with regards to Arab youth and:
    • The differences between "violent radicalization" and terrorism
    • Arab youth using social media to speak out against "violent radicalization"
  • Not as much information on Africa - report shares that there is little research on the topic of the Internet and radicalization in Africa - seems surprising considering how large the continent of Africa is in comparison to the other areas of the world referred to in this report.
• Role of social media in the violent radicalization of youth in Asia
  • Describes what constitutes as "Asia" and the geographical areas.
  • Describes the different forms of "violent radicalization" in Asia as well as "political radicalization."
  • More research on the topic in Asia than in Africa, but still not as much research as the first section (Europe, North America, etc.)
• Online prevention initiatives: Counter/alternative narratives and Media and Information Literacy (MIL)
  • Focuses primarily on Media and Information Literacy and the need for critical thinking with regards to this topic.
  • More of a global focus returns to this report in this section.
• Key findings
  • Key findings are separated by:
    • Social media platforms
    • Gender
    • Right and left-wing
    • MIL
    • Need for more research in Arab world, Africa, and Asia.
• Conclusion
  • General summary of report.
• Recommendations
  • List observations based on research reviewed in report.
  • List of recommendations for "States" - assumption here is that "States" are countries? Also list recommendations for private sector, civil society, Internet users.
• Appendices
  • Includes 9 Appendices: methodology, mapping of literature, centers/institutions focused on in research, Québec's call to action, appendices 5-9 are bibliographies in different languages.

Articles of Interest/Related to Topic

• New York Times: Two American Wives of ISIS Militants Want to Return Home by Rukmini Callimachi and Catherine Porter
  • Example of Twitter use to recruit, encourage, and join militant group

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Sandbox Testing

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