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14 December 2020
Milenial Islami: Digital Education Campaign to Promote Critical Thinking in Learning Islamic Values (Bener Gitu?)
Project leader: Ms. Ayu Kartika Dewi
Level of education and university: Non Degree, Deakin University
Collaborating Organisations: Peace Generation Indonesia
Project Location: DKI Jakarta
Activity Type: Public awareness campaign
Sector: Education and training
Project Rationale:
“Is It Really?” (or “Bener Gitu?” in Indonesian) is important because it offers a concrete and creative solution to the problem that we are facing today related to religious-driven violence/extremism. The videos aim to shape the viewers’ critical thinking mindset by providing well-researched data/information (as opposed to just telling stories to raise awareness), therefore creating a deeper and more lasting impact. And to make sure we reach an audience as wide as possible, we publish our videos on YouTube and Instagram, the two most popular social media channels among Indonesian youth.
As the country with the biggest Muslim population in the world – approximately 87% of its inhabitants or 230 million people are Muslims – Indonesia is very prone to Islamic extremism. The SETARA Institute, a reputable peace-focused think tank in Indonesia, stated that from November 2014 to October 2019, there were 864 cases of violation towards religious freedom (~15 cases/month or once every two days) and 1,060 acts of religious intolerance (~18 acts/month - there were no two consecutive days that passed without act of religious intolerance).
The situation is worsened with the ever-increasing popularity of social media, which sadly has very weak controls when it comes to extreme religious content. In 2017, research published by an Indonesian university stated that 85% of Indonesian youth have access to the Internet/social media, from which ~55% youth reported that is where they learned about religion (compared to books (49%) and TV (34%)).
Hoaxes and hate speech are the most common forms of negative narratives that are rampant in social media, because most Indonesians are lacking critical thinking skills, making them unable to filter the information received.
Project Beneficiaries:
The main beneficiaries of our videos are Indonesian youth ages 15-25 who are using social media.
Additionally, our videos - that will be distributed through various social media channels - will be also accessible for netizens all over Indonesia.
Priority Development Area:
Human development for a productive and healthy society
Link with Australian organisation:
Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation (ADI) at Deakin University
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