Since the UNSC Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, which emphasises the significance of young people in matters of peace and conflict, there has been a proliferation of the term 'resilience' as an antidote to radicalisation and violent extremism. In particular, there has been an increased focus on the urgent need for policy-makers and educators to help students develop 'digital resilience', often used synonymously with the development of MIL (media information literacy). However, the concept remains largely abstract and is also often used in an uncritical way. Through an analysis of these 'new' transnational DR discourses, the study sought to expose contemporary understandings of the term as well as the ideological and normative assumptions that underlie them. What exactly does digital resilience mean in practice? What are the competencies of digital resilience? And is it only achieved through online pedagogies and digital media?
- Project Goals
- Approach
The project investigated international discourses of 'digital resilience' by an in-depth comparative analysis of the policy texts and outputs of three 'primary organisations' as identified by Christodoulou and Szakacs (2018): UNESCO, Hedayah and the European Commission's Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN). These included manifestos, policy-maker and teacher guides, youth guides, policy documents and videos. It sought to answer the following research questions:
1) How do these organisations understand and engage with the concept of 'digital resilience'?
2) What are the pedagogical skills and competencies that comprise 'digital resilience' ?
3) What are the ideological, pedagogical and normative assumptions that underlie these discourses?
