Rehabilitating prisoners convicted of terrorism

Indonesian prisons are breeding grounds for future violence. At least twelve members of a terrorist cell in Aceh had served time in the Indonesian corrections system on terrorism charges. Within one year our Indonesian team reduced relapses into criminal behavior through constructive-change dialogue with 95 high-risk prisoners, including 34 convicted terrorists from five prisons.

Instead of focusing only on disengaging prisoners from terrorism, we prepared them to reintegrate into society productively. We prevented future violent acts through our Conflict Management Training and Life Skills Training. The prisoners took part in interactive and experiential exercises — including role play — to learn how to handle daily conflicts without resorting to violence. They learned about small business ideas, job seeking, and spiritual practices, and they listened to former prisoners’ experiences.

They planned their future, not retaliation. After our training, 50% believed they would solve future problems by negotiating win-win solutions, and 87% had higher self-esteem. “I have been motivated to rise and leave my past life and be positive. . . . I just wanted to leave my circle and live normally within society,” said M.B.M., convicted terrorist in Cirebon Prison, West Java.

NEXT > Ebola Radio

Ebola Radio

Ebola killed and sickened thousands in Guinea and dangerously amplified people’s mistrust toward the government and health workers, spreading fear, misinformation, rumor, stigma, and even violence. Several times, citizens warned medical and sanitary burial teams to leave or face physical harm. Our team in Guinea helped avert disaster by mustering the most influential force against the epidemic: the media.

We knew that consistent, sensitive messages from all media outlets could reduce panic and the spread of the disease. Utilizing 27 radio stations, 3 TV stations, and door-to-door communicators, our powerful messages reached thousands of people, even in the most remote locations in Guinea. Our broadcasts were interactive, inviting texts or call-in questions and insights. We trained 32 journalists to report the facts and refute rumors. Celebrities from Miss Guinea to the national team’s football stars helped us create PSAs that we distributed through local movie theaters and transportation companies, reaching hundreds of thousands daily through buses, trains, and cab drivers. We empowered 765 community leaders from 133 associations to carry out Ebola awareness campaigns, integrating preventive methods and psychological support.

Tens of thousands of Guineans learned the truth about Ebola from Search’s messages. We enabled people to communicate more effectively during the crisis, reducing deadly misinformation and promoting safety. We did similar work in Sierra Leone and in Liberia, where local organizations chose our Country Director to coordinate their response to the virus, trusting Search’s methods and leadership during the crisis.

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NEXT > Palestinian Reality TV

Palestinian Reality TV

Swapping ballots for SMS, Palestinian voter participation came in the form of reality TV. Palestinians haven’t voted in democratic national elections since 2005. The long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict has had a devastating effect. Palestinians living in tough daily conditions, with little to no public voice, dream of being equal, responsible citizens in their own democratic state. Our Jerusalem team, together with the Ma’an Network, has inspired a whole new generation of leaders to take responsibility for state-building and create change through democratic means using reality TV.

Our TV show, The President, challenged young Palestinians to win votes and become the new, mock Palestinian “Youth President.” Twenty-four contestants were filmed reacting to everything from a staged assassination attempt to an impromptu press conference. They debated a range of political and social issues regarding a future Palestinian state living side by side with Israel. Eight finalists became CEO for a day at major companies including Coca Cola and Jibrini Dairy. The show’s challenges expanded internationally when the four finalists became Palestinian Ambassadors to Russia, Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt. With a live audience in primetime, the show ended with the first ever televised Palestinian political debate between the two finalists moderated by a seasoned journalist. After, viewers picked up their mobiles and elected their new mock president via SMS. Approximately 170,000 SMS messages were calculated to “elect” the winner. Hussain Al-Deek, the winner and first young “President” responded, “I am honored and will take my position seriously as the people took the time to vote for me.”

Our research indicates that approximately 1 million Palestinian households watched the first season. 91.4% of respondents believed it was an innovative way to encourage political and social dialogue. 88% of viewers now believe that youth can play a positive role as national leaders. 90% of politicians, who participated in our town hall meetings that centered on the show, took the initiative to readdress at least one public issue. Season 2 of The President generated an even larger following.

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NEXT > Community-Oriented Soldiers

Community-Oriented Soldiers

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (where rape has been an instrument of war), many soldiers and policemen responsible for protecting human rights instead committed major human rights violations, including sexually abusing women and children, torturing suspects, and killing surrendered rebel soldiers. Previous attempts to reduce the violence through punitive-justice-only methods further alienated and shamed the perpetrators, without preventing the violence. Our DRC team took an innovative approach that gave us unprecedented access to both the army and the national police and produced shocking results.

Our team understood that if soldiers and police saw themselves as part of the community and their potential victims as fellow humans, they’d be less likely to harm them. We trained police and soldiers as “sensitizers” in human rights, and they in turn trained and enforced the new values among their peers. Then, through sports, community work projects, and joint farming, we brought the security forces and civilians together to break down prejudice and create a shared community. Media such as comic books and our mobile cinema, supported further dialogues and trust-building.

This project has irreversibly changed the communities. 88% of civilians interviewed in Eastern Province and 74% in South Kivu Province feel that the situation has improved. In Bukavu, 89% are now ready to cooperate with the police in their community, up from 65% before our intervention. Similarly, nearly 90% of military respondents in all intervention sites stated that Search activities positively influenced soldiers’ behavior. One officer testified: “Last July, the militia was attacked [by rebels]. At least 300 child soldiers recruited by the [rebels] were taken prisoner by the [army]; the military did them no harm, but it has instead contributed to their demobilization and reintegration in their respective families.”

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