Communications and Outreach Strategy, 2022

National Counter Terrorism Authority

Government of Pakistan

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Table of Contents

A. 3
B. 3
C. 4
D. 4
E. 5
E1. Communications and Outreach Branch 5
F. 6
F1. NACTA as a hub of Preventing & Countering Extremism 6
F1.1 Ideas Contest on Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism: 6
F1.2 Committee of Experts 6
F2. Convening at NACTA 7
F2.1 Annual National Conference and Peace Festival 7
F2.2 Biannual International Partners’ Meeting 7
F2.3 Biannual Government Stakeholders Meeting 7
F2.4 Peacebuilding Component in Training Programs 8
F.2.5 Print/Electronic & Social Media Influencers Meeting 8
F3. International Linkages 8
F4. Media Campaigns 9
F4.1 Print, Electronic and Broadcast Media 9
F4.2 Collaboration with Telecommunication Companies and PTA 9
F4.3 Social Media 9
F5. Awareness Raising Workshops 10
G. 10
H. 10
I. 11
I 1. HR Requirements 12
I 2. Capacity Building 12
J. 12
K. 12

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A. Introduction

NACTA is mandated under Section 4 of the NACTA Act, 2013:

“(b) to coordinate and prepare comprehensive National Counter Terrorism

and Counter Extremism strategies, and review them on periodical basis;
(c) to develop action plans against terrorism and extremism and report to the
Federal Government about implementation of these plans, on periodical basis;
(e) to carry out liaison with international entities for facilitating cooperation
in areas relating to terrorism and extremism;”

Since its creation in 2008, NACTA has been instrumental in informing national policies on countering
terrorism as well as extremism and has played a key role in helping build state capacity to ensure a
coordinated response to these challenges. To better inform and engage the stakeholders on various
initiatives undertaken at NACTA and strengthen the societal consensus against extremism, a dedicated
Outreach has been established with the aim to:

“design and implement NACTA’s outreach strategy and reach out to key
stakeholders, think tanks, civil society organizations, NGOs, institutions of learning
and experts to build partnerships in promoting peace and tolerance”

The Outreach Branch has been working to engage various segments of the society and highlight CT/CE
initiatives being taken at NACTA. It is now at a stage where a need for strategic communications and
outreach strategy is felt to better organize the expanding work at the Branch to enhance and measure its
cumulative impact. This is in line with the overarching policies formulated by the government,
including the National Security Policy, National Internal Security Policy (2014 & 2018) and the draft
Countering Violent Extremism Policy 2022.

B. Background

South Asia has seen the rise of extremism at an unprecedented scale since the onset of the 21 st century.
Pakistan has also suffered immensely from these tendencies that pose a serious threat to social cohesion,
peace and harmony in the country.

Article 9 of the Constitution of Pakistan clearly states that “No person shall be deprived of life or liberty
save by law”. The State is responsible for protecting its citizens by all means. Hence, it is a prerequisite
for the state to have appropriate legislation and policies in place to guard its citizens. Given the
challenges faced by Pakistan due to its geopolitical position and resultant ideological, religious and

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ethnic strife, thousands of citizens have lost their lives and property as a result of terrorism and
extremism. While the nation has won hard-earned peace after great sacrifices by disrupting and
dismantling organized terrorist networks, greater efforts are needed to make this sustainable.

A key requirement for sustainable peace is to maintain and strengthen societal consensus against
extremism and mobilize social forces that espouse a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Pakistan.
This has become even more important after the recent developments across the western and eastern
borders of the country with a real potential for spill over. It is therefore imperative to adopt a proactive
approach to anticipate and counteract these threats through comprehensive communication and outreach
strategy.

The Outreach and Communications Branch at NACTA provides an ideal platform to take lead in this
regard. The following plan is therefore put forward to develop the aforementioned communications and
outreach strategy:

C. Methodology

This document is an outcome of extensive discussions with relevant officials and experts within and
outside NACTA, as well as a thorough literature review of strategies adopted by relevant organisations
in comparable countries. The consultative process started with brainstorming within the Outreach and
Communications Branch and then expanded to include key officials at NACTA heading its various
branches. Key strategic communications experts with experience in designing and leading
communications plans in Pakistan and abroad were also consulted. Finally, several case studies and
available literature from open sources were reviewed. The intent is to have consensus within NACT A
on the proposed strategy and for this to be well informed by the global best practices and experiences
around the world. This remains a live document in this regard and can be updated in the light of new
developments, challenges and ideas going forward.

D. Aims & Objectives

The strategy aims to enhance NACTA’s outreach and visibility in the public domain and also strengthen
the narrative against extremism in the country. This will be achieved through the following means:

1) Informing various stakeholders including the public about NACTA’s counter -

extremism efforts
2) Disseminating the message of tolerance and peaceful coexistence within the society
3) Disseminating cutting-edge research being carried out at NACTA

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 4) Coordinating and supporting efforts by various governmental and non-governmental
organisations to counter violent extremism in all forms.

E. Scope

Several institutions at the federal and provincial levels are involved in countering violent extremism.
NACTA appreciates and commends the role played by government officials as well as the civil society
in turning the tide of these nefarious activities in our homeland. To avoid duplication of efforts and add
further value to the common objective of defeating Violent Extremism, NACTA has defined the
following scope for intervention:

● Primarily, through its Outreach and Communications strategy, NACTA aims to ‘strengthen
societal consensus against extremism through positive messaging’. This means building a
narrative against extremism by highlighting the trans-cultural values of tolerance, peaceful co-
existence, harmony and acceptance of diversity. This also traces the roots of these societal
values within the social, cultural and religious fabric of Pakistan and highlights traditions
epitomised by local art, festivals and cultural practices that bring people together. Through such
locally rooted positive messaging, NACTA intends to contribute towards a society free of hate
and extremism.
● Secondly, NACTA is the only government institution having statutory mandate to develop
expertise in the area of countering extremism. This includes developing institutional linkages
within the country as well as abroad to ensure the exchange of knowledge and ideas and help
inform policies to counter extremism. NACTA therefore, through its Outreach Branch, aims
to serve as a hub for facilitating knowledge exchange, leading to practical collaboration among
various stakeholders, both governmental and non-governmental, working for the same cause.
● Lastly, NACTA has come a long way in developing its research expertise, epitomised by the
biannual journal being published by the organisation. It is important to amplify the impact of
this research by increasing its reach and wider dissemination among relevant stakeholders. The
Outreach Branch, through this strategy, aims to effectively support the R&D Branch in
achieving this.

E1. Communications and Outreach Branch

Given the scope mentioned above, the mandate given to the Branch and the overlap/interconnect ion
between the outreach and communications activities, NACTA will rename Outreach Branch as
“Communications and Outreach Branch”. This will ensure that the importance of strategic
communications is officially recognised and the structure better represents the activities Branch is
entrusted to undertake.

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F. Strategic Plan

The following constitutes the strategic direction and actions that NACTA shall employ to achieve the
aforementioned objectives:

F1. NACTA as a hub of Preventing & Countering Extremism

Establishing sustainable peace and preventing extremism necessitates a ‘Whole of the Nation’
approach. This means that joint efforts from all stakeholders of the society are required. NACTA being
the specialised Authority responsible for leading and coordinating such efforts must provide a platform
where all relevant stakeholders can exchange ideas, share knowledge, coordinate their activities and
develop synergies to achieve mutually agreed goals.

NACTA, therefore, needs to act as a national hub to coordinate soft initiatives aimed at preventing and
countering extremism in all forms. In this role, NACTA can bring together the governmental and non-
governmental stakeholders, including business community, and help develop synergies required to have
a greater societal impact. The following initiatives shall help NACTA become the nerve-centre of
response to the said challenges:

F1.1 Ideas Contest on Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism:

NACTA shall invite proposals from the civil society for projects intended to prevent or counter -
extremism and select those it finds potentially most effective in dealing with the problem. It will then
provide institutional support to these initiatives that may include, but is not limited to, mobilisin g
finances, establishing connections with relevant government departments, participation by NACT A
officials and finding ways for the government to officially adopt or scale up the initiative. A Committee
of Experts comprising senior NACTA officials and leading relevant experts will be set up to select the
most innovative, practical and impactful peacebuilding ideas.

It is observed that many useful P/CVE initiatives cannot be sustained due to lack of government
ownership or long-term commitment. Ultimately, the NGOs and diplomatic community can only
incubate and pilot peacebuilding projects and eventually, these have to be driven by the government to
have a lasting nationwide effect. NACTA aims to be that critical link that makes this happen for the
most effective of such pilot projects conceptualised and implemented by non-governmental partners.

F1.2 Committee of Experts

A Committee of Experts, as mandated under the Act, will be established to evaluate and select ideas for
further support. The composition of the committee, its mandate/TORs, criteria for selecting projects,

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mode of support and frequency of meetings will be decided by the Communications and Outreach
Branch after consultations with key officials at NACTA.

F2. Convening at NACTA

Another key aspect of being the national hub of efforts for preventing extremism include convening
conferences, seminars, roundtable discussions and other events aimed at sharing knowledge,
brainstorming, showcasing achievements and learning from the experience. The following activities
will be undertaken to achieve this:

F2.1 Annual National Conference and Peace Festival

NACTA shall convene an annual National Conference on Peace that will bring together key academics,
analysts, activists, government officials, parliamentarians and members of the international community
to assess the state of affairs, analyse trends, share knowledge and recommend solutions for ensuring
sustainable peace in the country.

A Peace Festival shall also be organised annually that will showcase the contributions received by
NACTA through its various competitions. The festival will focus on the exhibition of creative arts to
spread the message of peace.

F2.2 Biannual International Partners’ Meeting

NACTA shall convene international development partners working on peacebuilding in Pakistan on a

biannual basis. This help with the following:

i. To help map the efforts being made against extremism.

ii. To provide a platform for sharing information on key peacebuilding initiatives in the
country supported by the international development community. It will help avoid
duplication of efforts, allow cross-pollination of ideas and foster collaboration among
these stakeholders and NACTA.
iii. To mobilise greater support for the ideas selected by the NACTA’s Committee of
Experts.
iv. To mobilise financial support for NACTA’s initiatives.
v. To follow up on the ideas developed during NACTA’s convening events, including the
annual flagship conference.

F2.3 Biannual Government Stakeholders Meeting

NACTA will convene key government officials involved in PVE at Federal and Provincial levels. These
include personnel at Ministries/Departments of Information, Education, Religious Affairs, Finance,
TVET, Police, Prisons, FIA, Youth Affairs, Women Development and other state institutions. The

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participants will be briefed on the PVE initiatives and presented with key ideas/projects/initiat ives
where their support is needed. This will help achieve the following:

i. To provide a platform for relevant government officials to convene and share knowledge.
ii. To solicit their support for the adoption/scaling-up of initiatives selected by NACTA’s
Committee of Experts.
iii. To foster collaboration amongst governmental stakeholders, and with NACTA on PVE.
iv. To discuss and develop recommendations for policy action required to ensure sustainable
peace.

F2.4 Peacebuilding Component in Training Programs

NACTA will also lobby for the inclusion of a mandatory component/module in the training programs
of all government departments on preventing extremism so that a ‘whole of the government’ awareness
and expertise can be developed. The ‘specialised training programs’ (STPs), ‘mid-career management
courses’ (MCMCs), ‘strategic leadership programs’ (SLPs) and other refresher and professional courses
organised by these departments will be targeted for this purpose.

F.2.5 Print/Electronic & Social Media Influencers Meeting

Key media influencers such as editors, advertising agencies, beat reporters, columnists, talk show hosts,
morning show hosts and analysts will be convened biannually to share NACTA’s work and solicit their
support in spreading the message of peace.

Similarly, NACTA will convene social media influencers to share the work it is doing and solicit their
support in spreading its message against extremism and terrorism.

Social Media Groups will be created for continued engagement with the influencers and they will be
invited to various public events organised by NACTA.

F3. International Linkages

NACTA is the lead government organisation mandated with developing international linkages to learn
from international experience of dealing with similar challenges and showcase the achievements made
and work done in this regard in Pakistan. NACTA shall, therefore, actively seek membership of
international fora, sign MoUs with international organisations, participate in their proceedings and
events and effectively create pathways for forging international alliances in the fight against extremism.
The Committee of Experts shall be consulted where needed to guide this process and help create the
content needed for presenting Pakistan’s case at global fora.

Some relevant international fora include:

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 i. World Peace Forum

ii. Paris Peace Forum

iii. Munich Security Conference

iv. Global Security Forum
v. Nanjing Peace Forum

F4. Media Campaigns

Efforts will be made to enhance the capacity of federal and provincial Information Departments, as well
as media firms and advertisement agencies to incorporate efforts in their messaging to prevent
extremism. NACTA shall organise specialised workshops for personnel in these organisations to
sensitise them to the urgency of counter-extremism/terrorism measures and also help develop the
skillset and expertise required to develop and run effective media campaigns in this regard.

NACTA shall also develop various media campaigns on its own and in collaboration with these partners
to sustain consensus against extremism. The following channels will be used to achieve this:

F4.1 Print, Electronic and Broadcast Media

NACTA will engage closely with the print, electronic and broadcast media personnel to train them and
also develop TVCs, songs, dramas and ads against extremism. Following steps will be taken in this
regard:

(i) NACTA will take steps to use 10% time mandated for free public service
messaging on electronic and broadcast media to spread the message of peace.

(ii) NACTA will develop links with and use radio channels to disseminate its message.

F4.2 Collaboration with Telecommunication Companies and PTA

NACTA will develop institutional linkages with PTA and telecommunications companies to develop
and launch SMS campaigns to disseminate its message and develop other collaborative projects.

F4.3 Social Media

Social media has emerged as an important medium for shaping perceptions and behaviour. NACT A
will work on enhancing its social media reach and develop social media campaigns to counter
extremism. Following steps will be taken in this regard:

(i) NACTA will design social media campaigns and take lead in running these to sustain
social consensus against extremism and terrorism. This may include developing bespoke
content, curating content from the public and sharing content developed by other
organisations.

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 (ii) NACTA will actively work on increasing its social media following and engagement.

F5. Awareness Raising Workshops

NACTA will provide a platform to organise awareness raising workshops for a range of government
and private sector personnel. Already, NACTA has collaborated in past with several internatio nal
development organisations to deliver specialised sessions on preventing VE to parliamentarians and
government officials. These efforts will be enhanced and expanded. Also, lectures at various
institutional fora such as universities, press associations, bar associations, chambers of commerce and
other influential networks to raise awareness and share knowledge about the state of extremism in the
society.

(i) NACTA will initiate a ‘Peace Awareness Series’ under which such lectures and workshops
will be organised. Experts of national and international repute will be engaged to deliver
the sessions along with the eminent in-house experts at NACTA itself.
(ii) NACTA will extensively engage with business community to develop greater local stakes
in counter extremism efforts. Business community has the biggest stake in peace in the
country and must join hands and contribute effectively towards building sustainable peace.

G. Narrative Building & Content Development

NACTA will take lead in translating the need for developing a strong narrative against extremism into
specific messages. These will then be conveyed in various forms, including audio/video materials and
disseminated through the channels described above. The following principles shall be followed in
developing the content needed to build the required narrative:

(i) An editorial board consisting of key officials at NACTA, particularly from Communications
and Outreach Branch will be established to review and approve all content shared by
NACTA.
(ii) Various campaigns (such as essay, short film, slogan, wall murals, photography and poster
making competitions) will be used to engage citizens, especially young people involved in
developing content.
(iii) NACTA will use positive messaging, in line with the approach and principles laid out in this
strategy to guide the process of creating and disseminating content. This will focus on using
various discursive forms to inculcate the values of tolerance, peaceful coexistence,
acceptance of diversity and rule of law and highlight relevant examples and concepts
inscribed in our culture, religion and traditions to strengthen these values.

H. Key Audiences
NACTA has a nationwide mandate, however, it makes sense to prioritise some audience groups for its
outreach and communications efforts to maximise impact. Given the initiatives identified above, the
following audiences are critical for NACTA to engage with:

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 (i) Government Officials and State Institutions: As the Centre of Excellence for specialist skills
and knowledge on countering extremism, NACTA is responsible for providing input and
sharing insights in these areas with a variety of government officials and state institutions
such as national and provincial assemblies. This builds on NACTA’s responsibility to help
formulate and implement public policy in these domains.

(ii) Civil Society Groups: Many initiatives to counter extremism and build a narrative against it
are implemented by non-governmental organisations. These organisations retain the
experience of working on the ground and are also a good source to understand the underlying
trends and the success and failure of various peacebuilding approaches. It is therefore
important that NACTA remains closely engaged with civil society groups with a stake in
peacebuilding in the country.

(iii) International Community: NACTA appreciates the positive contribution of the international
development community in strengthening the Pakistani state to counter extremism and
terrorism. It, therefore, needs to maintain close contact with key development organisations
as well as focal persons of concerned countries to foster collaboration and also facilitate
knowledge sharing on world best practices.

(iv) Youth: While Pakistani society can be segmented in many ways, a particular focus on youth
is critical in sustaining societal consensus against extremism and terrorism. Not only it will
have the long-lasting impact, but it also is needed due to the demographic realities of the
country. With over 60% of the population under the age of 30, youth comprise the segment
that is not only in majority but whose perceptions and world view is bound to shape the kind
of society we are living in.

(v) Women: From households to workspaces and from inspiring a new generation as mothers to
community leaders, women’s role in peacebuilding is increasingly being realised all over the
world. NACTA will focus on tapping the potential that women have in building sustainable
peace as a key audience group for its messaging.

(vi) Business Community: There is dire need to involve the business community in building
sustainable peace in Pakistan. It is, therefore, worth including this as a key target audience.
NACTA will reach out to the chambers of commerce as well as the senior executives and
CSR/marketing departments of large corporations to raise awareness and develop
collaboration to Prevent extremism in the country.

NACTA’s content, messaging and engagement will therefore focus on the above-mentioned prioritised
audience groups, however, given its nationwide mandate, all segments of the society will be targeted.

I. HR & Technological Requirements

To put this strategy to practice, the Communications and Outreach Branch will be restructured along
the following lines:

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 I 1. HR Requirements
(i) Director General Communications & Outreach: DG C&O will head the branch and will be
responsible for overseeing all activities undertaken by the branch Director General will be
assisted by two Directors.
(ii) Comprehensive expansion plan is attached along with technical requirement as Annex-A

I 2. Capacity Building
Communications & Outreach Branch will execute a capacity building program for its team and other
relevant officials at NACTA. This will include the following:

(i) Biannual Capacity Building Weeks: The Branch will dedicate a week every six months for
detailed internal planning and discussions on the progress made in the preceding months and
develop plans for the next. These will also include dedicated sessions aimed at capacity building
of the team members in the following areas:

a. Subject Specialist Knowledge: Workshops will be organised to build the team’s knowledge
on aspects of peacebuilding and countering extremism. These will include lectures by
eminent experts in these fields.
b. Strategic Communications: Workshops will be organised to enhance strategic
communication skills as well as expertise in developing and managing effective media
campaigns.

J. Monitoring & Evaluation

In the light of this strategy, an implementation plan will be developed that will not only list the activities
envisaged by NACTA but also provide indicators to monitor and evaluate the efficacy of these efforts.
While most of the indicators will gauge the output of proposed activities, some will be selected for a
deep dive to understand the outcomes. Finally, an approximation will be annually made to understand
the overall potential impact of the efforts made by NACTA throughout the year.

K. Implementation Plan & Calendar of Activities

The implementation plan lists the activities included in the strategy along with their tentative timeline,
participants, output targets, indicators to measure success and the budget. NACTA will use a
combination of its own resources and partnerships with credible national and international organisations
to roll out these activities. In the past, Outreach Branch was successful in mobilising resources and
forging synergies with relevant organisations to organise some of these activities.

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No. Activity Interval & Dates Participants Output target Indicators Budget
1 International / Annually, tentative Academics, analysts, Number of participants, Social
National date: September activists, government Media engagement, Number of
Conference on (World Peace Day); officials, media reports published, post-
Peace & Peace Alternatively, parliamentarians, conference publication and
Festival November NGOs policy recommendations
2 International Biannually INGOs, embassies, Number of organisations
Partners’ Meeting (May & November) international represented; Number of
development sector projects supported.
organisations,
3 Government Biannually Government officials Number of participants;
Stakeholders (January & July) of federal and number of govt. departments
Meeting provincial present; No. of collaborations
departments agreed.
4 Print and Ongoing Advertising agencies, Engagement numbers;
electronic media media houses, perception change; No. of
campaigns corporate sector, endorsements by influencers.
ministry of
Information and
Broadcasting Experts
5 Social Media June Influencers, ministry Number of participants; No. of
influencers of Information and endorsements; No. of posts
meeting Broadcasting. shared/created as a result;
perception change achieved.
6 Print & Electronic June Influencers Number of participants, No. of
Media influencers endorsements, No. of pieces of
meeting content reflecting NACTA’s
work or narrative.
7 SMS campaign Ongoing PVE experts, ulema, Number of people reached.
PTA
8 Peace Awareness Ongoing (as per Universities, No. of lectures delivered; No
Series university calendar colleges, Madaris, of attendees; perception
and as mutually parliamentarians, change achieved.
decided with other Ulema, Journalists,
networks and Lawyers
partners)
9 Ideas Competition Annually NGOs and Think Number of ideas received; No.
(May) Tanks of presentations made;
Amount of funding generated;
No. of projects supported by
govt. depts.
10 Essay Writing Annually School, College, Number of essays received;
Competition (March) University and Creativity and effort level
Madrassah Students
11 Poster & Annually School, college, Number of posters received.
Photography (June) university and
Competition madrassah Students
12 Short Film Annually School, college, Number of short films
Competition (August) university and received.
madrassah Students
13 Planning and Biannually NACTA staff Number of staff attended,
Training Week (January & June) Evaluation (pre and post
(Capacity survey)
Building)

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Appendix A

Overview of Select International Counter-Extremism Efforts

To understand strategies to counter extremism and terrorism, a clear understanding of the terms
terrorism and extremism are required. The oxford dictionary defines terrorism as ‘the unlawful use of
violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.’ Whereas UN
Security Council Resolution 1566 (2004) defines terrorism as ‘criminal acts, including against civilians,
committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose
to provoke a state of terror in the general public or a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate
a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing
any act.’

On the other hand, extremism can be defined as a tendency or disposition to go to extremes or an

instance of going to extremes, especially in political matters’

Around the globe, different nations have taken measures to counter-terrorism and extremism. To have
a better understanding of counter-extremism measures, it is necessary to go through the policies and
measures taken by some of the countries.

Saudi Arabia’s PRAC strategy:

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia initiated a wide-ranging counterterrorism effort based on non-traditional
"soft" approaches to fight the intellectual and theological justifications for violent extremism. This
Saudi method consists of three interrelated initiatives aiming at preventing, rehabilitating, and providing
post-release care (PRAC) of vulnerable sections of the population. There were many informative
workshops and lectures conducted by the Ministry of Education in schools to educate students about
the risks of extremism, terrorism, and violence. The Saudi authorities placed banners and billboards all
across Riyadh emphasizing the dangers of terrorism. Signs suspended from overpasses and billboards
around key routes. "Our religion rejects terrorism," and, "We all say no to terrorism" were prominent
phrases.

Algeria’s Civil Accord

Algeria has seen a significant decrease in violent extremism as a result of its deradicalization strategies,
in the form of Civil Concorde Law (CCL) and Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation (CPNR).
These accords were planned around first, pardons, amnesties, sentence reductions, and the dismissal of
charges against anybody who willingly surrendered renounced violence, and surrendered their weapons.
Secondly, rehiring or compensating persons who had lost their jobs and careers as a result of the
'national disaster.' Thirdly, measures were taken to avoid the violence from reoccurring by prohibiting

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"any person responsible for the excessive use of religion that led to the national tragedy" from engaging
in "political activity, in whatever form.

Bangladesh’s Hybrid Approach

Bangladesh has adopted a hybrid approach as a blend of counter- and de-radicalization programmes
since its target group included both people who had already become radicalised and those who were
prone to violent extremist ideology. With the help of the NGO sector, religious harmony was promoted.
A society-wide motivating programme was implemented, with a focus on rural madrassas, mosques,
imams, and religious leaders with a large local following. Influential personalities from outside the
target areas were also recruited to disseminate the program's key messages. Moreover, interactive events
with question-and-answer sessions and an 'open floor' for debates were organised to address
contemporary topics including Islam and peace, Islam and modernity, Islam and pluralism, Islam and
human rights, and the role of imams was among the topics explored.

Indonesia’s de-radicalisation strategy:

The Indonesian government adopted a soft approach to properly rehabilitate violent actors, their groups,
and families from extreme mindsets. In Indonesia, the de-radicalization effort focused on three levels:
ideological, behavioural, and organisational. The BNPT (The National Counter-Terrorism Agency)
deradicalization programme was developed in a comprehensive, inclusive, and impartial manner by
incorporating numerous government and non-government institutions, levels of society, and relevant
stakeholders. The persuasive technique stressed in the deradicalization programme, both inside and
outside of prisons, is based on disengagement and constructivism philosophy. Specifically, the notions
of identity, norms, structure, and language. These notions are thought appropriate for rehabilitatin g
radical persons at the personal level, such that the individual is more likely to modify their radical
ideology (de-radicalization) after enduring a disengagement process. As a result, the effectiveness of
the deradicalization effort is projected to gradually demolish terrorist cells in Indonesia.

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