Jakarta, 5 March 2026 – The National Counter Terrorism Agency (BNPT) of Indonesia, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Indonesia and with support from the European Union, officially launched the program "Strengthening Indonesian Youth Resilience against Violent Extremism in Digital Space" in Jakarta today. The kick-off meeting was attended by representatives from government ministries/agencies, civil society organizations, and youth peace ambassadors.  

The program represents a strategic response to the evolving threat of violent extremism, which increasingly exploits digital platforms for propaganda, recruitment, and financing. It also aligns with the implementation of the second phase of the National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Leading to Terrorism (RAN PE) 2026–2029, which was enacted through Presidential Regulation in February 2026.

In his opening remarks, the Acting Deputy for International Cooperation at BNPT, Mr. Dionisius Elvan Swasono, emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in addressing threats that are latent, persistent, and adaptive.

"BNPT greatly welcomes the initiative of the Program 'Strengthening Indonesian Youth Resilience against Violent Extremism in Digital Space,' which will run from 2026 to 2028," said Dionisius. "This program will complement government efforts to keep digital space safe for Indonesian youth, particularly through empowering youth as actors who help ensure digital space is not misused by violent extremist groups."

Youth as Agents of Change

Data presented during the meeting revealed that while Indonesia has successfully maintained a record of no successful terrorist attacks from early 2023 through September 2025, digital threats remain significant. The Indonesia Terrorism Trends Report 2023-2025 noted that 49 perpetrators were first exposed to extremist content via the internet, with 17 operating exclusively in digital space. In addition, among all involved in the incidents across the period, youth aged 18-30 make 25.96% of convictions and 16.08% of arrets.  

Responding to these findings, Mr. Siprianus Bate Soro, Head of the Human Development and Responsive Governance Unit at UNDP Indonesia, stressed that prevention approaches must place youth at the center as active subjects.

"Youth are not only victims, but youth are the solution. Youth are the most effective agents of change. They understand digital language, they master platforms, they have credibility among their peers," stated Siprianus. He further called on all stakeholders to view this initiative as a collective movement, "We gather today not just to launch an initiative. We gather to launch a movement: a digital resilience movement led by youth, supported by government, and strengthened by all of society."

Program Focus and Implementation

Running from 2025 to 2028, the global program takes a comprehensive approach to prevention. It trains religious leaders to promote inclusive messages online, supports schools through teacher training and new learning materials, and equips young people with the skills to recognize and push back against hate speech and misinformation.

In Indonesia, the program is designed to be locally driven and sustainable. It is closely aligned with the Indonesian government's national action plan on preventing extremism (RAN PE Phase II, 2026–2029), supporting efforts around community resilience, education, youth empowerment, and public communications.

To create real impact at the local level, the program will pilot prevention action plans in Bengkulu and Gorontalo provinces. Local governments in both provinces will receive hands-on support to develop, implement, and evaluate prevention strategies tailored to their communities. The program also integrates the UN Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, mandating active youth participation in peacebuilding as mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015).

Through this collaboration, the government and development partners aim to foster a peaceful, inclusive, and empowered Indonesian society, ensuring that digital spaces become safe environments for young people to thrive as Indonesia moves toward its Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.