Propaganda of radical tendency and containing early stages of “ideologies of degradation” (IOD) of multiple orientations are partially and often intentionally aimed towards juvenile target groups. Specifically in respect of the viral spreading via new and social media, it is highly relevant also for Austria to identify those early attempts of extreme, ideological manipulation and propaganda in a pedagogic/school setting and to develop feasible, simple, and “salutogenetic” counter measures focusing on factors of resilience and resources.
Thus, the AWID project (01.04.2018-31.03.2020) – Participatory, multi-media, resilience-focused Tool Concept for prevention of IOD – will include a socio-cultural survey of risk- and resilience factors (e.g. visualized by the role of Arabian narratives of religious extremists and their transfer in German towards youth in Austria); the basis for this in-depth research will be a solid evidence based inventory of phenomena, developments and structures leading to differently based forms and levels of radicalization and extremism including topics such as IOD, use of language and visualization data, multi-linguality, and code.
These initial findings are merged with iterative requirements analyses and needs assessments among the diverse user groups of the AWID components (such as teachers, specifically defined groups of pupils, later also youth work) to support the identification and specifically relevant, exemplary areas for the further development and drafting of prevention material/tools. Preventive, technology based teaching and interaction contents supporting the understanding of democracy, tolerance, solidarity and discourse culture in the peer group (in a salutogenetic/resource-oriented approach) will be generated following a priority catalogue.
Three trials of the technological component drafts including the social media dimension of the prevention work at schools will contribute to valid, optimized and target group oriented outputs. In parallel, a practice-
oriented, exemplary and multi-media concept for teachers supporting prevention and sensitization in regards of IOD and their negative potential will be generated.
A thorough evaluation of the applied testing of the methods and tool concept in the school context will contribute to the validity of the outputs and the optimization of the components. It will further grant flexibility for the measures countering the dynamic field of social media by supporting the awareness of risks as well as the efficient measures countering IOD in the school setting as well as for open youth work in the preventive sector.
To grant sustainability of the project outputs, an interactive workshop with end users and strategic partners will develop further development and application strategies of the AWID components and findings.
The research project AWID is funded by the Austrian security research program KIRAS of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit).
Project Partners
AEI Agency for European Integration and Economic Development / Agentur für Europäische Integration und Wirtschaftliche Entwicklung (Lead Partner)
EUB City School Council for Vienna /Stadtschulrat Wien - Europabüro
KJA Ombudsoffice for Children and Youths Vienna / Kinder- und Jugendanwaltschaft der Stadt Wien
bOJA Centre of Competence for Open Youth Work in Austria/ Bundesweites Netzwerk Offene Jugendarbeit
SYNYO SYNYO GmbH
UniVie University of Vienna, Institute of Oriental Studies / Universität Wien, Institut für Orientalistik
SMART SMART Innovation – Association to Support Innovative Approaches to Education Policy Issues / Verein zur Unterstützung innovativer Ansätze zu bildungspolitischen Fragen/
BM.I Federal Ministry of the Interior / Bundesministerium für Inneres, BVT
BMB Federal Minister for Education / Bundesministerium für Bildung
Contact Lead Partner:
Agency for European Integration and Economic Development (AEI)
Email: diana.silvestru@aei.at
Dress: Bräunerstrasse 11a, 1010 Wien
Tel.: +43 (1) 905 46 21 11
Fax: +43 (1) 905 46 21 10
Web: www.aei.at
