Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, continues to face the challenges of violent extremism. Despite national values of Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, extremist groups exploit social divisions and inequalities to recruit followers and undermine peace. In response, civil society organisations (CSOs) have implemented counter- and alternative-narrative programmes aimed at promoting tolerance and preventing violent extremism. Yet, limited research has explored how these CSOs define and assess the success of such initiatives. This study addresses this gap by examining three case studies: the Centre for the Study of Religion and Culture (CSRC), Muhammadiyah, and Peace Generation. CSRC explicitly adopted the terms ‘counter-narratives’ and ‘alternative narratives’ in its capacity-building programme by engaging pesantren educators as credible grassroots actors. Muhammadiyah, while not using this terminology, embedded human rights and inclusive values into its civic education as a form of peace education. Peace Generation trained schoolteachers to deliver its Basic Values of Peace using alternative narratives. Drawing on document reviews, observations, and thirty-five semi-structured interviews, this research employed thematic analysis to examine organisational perceptions. The findings show that the success of these programmes lies not only in their capacity to change knowledge, attitude, and behaviour, but also in their ability to build community trust and policy influence. This research contributes to the peace education field by proposing a context-sensitive and relational understanding of programme success, highlighting the centrality of community trust, long-term engagement, and adaptive evaluation in countering violent extremism through education.

Authors:
Arum Ningsih, Coventry University, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Arum Ningsih is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Peace and Security, Coventry University, United Kingdom. Her doctoral research explores programmes promoting peace and tolerance in Indonesia, focusing on the use of counter and alternative narrative

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