timonials
“Societal resilience is the capacity of our society to overcome
challenges as posed by terrorism. Dare to be Grey delivers a
significant contribution to improve on this.”2
Paul Abels, Head of the Terrorism and Extremism Department at
the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV)
“On an individual level, Dare to be Grey weakens the potential
to grip the radical Islamic ideology, cleverly, without mentioning
it and therefore without publicising and validating it.”1
David Kenning, Radicalisation Expert & Adviser to the City of
Amsterdam
(formerly Bell Pottinger)
“Compliments on what has b
accomplished, both online a
I am eager to learn more ab
strategies to sustain the cam
“I am extremely impressed by the campaign and the reasoning
behind it. Dare to be Grey has been a cause for optimism as it
encourages people to act in a specific fashion, whereas prior to
this campaign the majority of them did not know how to
contribute. That is a powerful element of this campaign.”3
“There are plenty of admira
initiatives out there which
being recognised as such. D
Grey is an excellent pla
bundle these initiatives a
everyone that a lot is being
fight violent extremism.”6
Senior Security Advisor, General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD)
“The campaign approach they have developed is all
their own and, in my opinion, exactly right.”4
Senior Terrorism Expert,
General Intelligence and
Security Service (AIVD)
Marije Breedveld, Senior Policy
Ministry of Security and Justice
erview
ResearchOnline
ampaignOffline
ampaignMonitoring
uccess
Finance
Going Forward
On 22 March, while we had just developed our brand, ISIS
at the heart of Europe. Not 200 kilometres from Utrecht 35 p
died and many more were wounded when bombs went off
Belgian capital. Initially, we went silent. We were deeply sh
by the attacks. We wanted to express in words what we felt,
not know how, overcome as we were by doubt. All around w
aggressive and extreme reactions. But then we realised t
extremism does not disappear by thinking in extremes
cutive Summary Accomplishments
Dare to be Grey created the ultimate platform for civic-minded individuals to spe
the extremes that are dominating our society.
Dare to be Grey has activated the silent majority by ‘daring’ them to speak out, u
minded individuals as frontrunners.
Dare to be Grey has offered a heroic alternative for the black-and-white fallacy, le
doubt, debate, nuance and empathy.
Target Audience
Dare to be grey focuses on gaining the active support from the large, silent majorit
our ‘grey’ ideals but have yet to show it. The campaign also aims to mobilise civic-m
individuals to distribute the campaign’s vision which helps reach the silent majority
Tactics
The video series ‘50 Colours of Grey’ on Facebook and YouTube offers a platform f
stories and serves as a 'grey' alternative for the black-and-white fallacy dominating
landscape.
The photo campaign ‘I am…Grey’ on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter engages peo
them a platform to express their ‘grey’ opinion.
Everybody Dares functions as a hub for broadcasting grey opinions and initiatives o
Instagram and Twitter.
Offline activities like Dare to be Grey On Tour, the Generation Grey school project a
the symposium ‘The Breeding Grounds for Radicalisation’ support the
campaign by engaging people directly. The interaction between Onlin
activities has been the backbone of Dare to be Grey’s success.
Success
Dare to be Grey has changed both the online and offline landscape.
Our videos and photos have reached over 198.000 people and
will reach many more. Media coverage of our campaign
reached an estimated 1,4 million viewers and 3,2 million
readers. Nearly 30% of respondents to our final questionnaire
will express themselves more often. Around us, we see more
and more people daring to be grey.
campaign are the potentially destructive dynamics put in motion
n society is confronted with the threat of violent extremism. The
a distorted picture of this clash. On one side, we see terrorists
of violence. On the other side, we see populists using fear and
a society horrified by the ongoing onslaughts.
e is a third party far more representative of the general public
mes on either side. Situated between the black-and-white poles
round: ‘the grey area’ with the majority of people who are clever
erstand that you cannot fight extremism by thinking in absolutes,
ot build a society on suspicion and hatred and that you cannot
you keep thinking of them as separate groups.
makes us aware that the polar opposites have more in common
ought. Both strive for a clear-cut break-up of society in opposing
by different means. Where terrorists use violence to sow the
s of mistrust and animosity, populists call for control and
the groups in society terrorists claim to be fighting for. Both
fts in society and thereby promote alienation and ultimately
f at-risk youth. By upholding the idea that this is a fight between
he media are actively promoting the societal and political
at is so beneficial for both extremes.
e located in the ‘grey area’ that are holding our society together.
ue heroes in our confrontation with violent extremism. Until now
ght in their own logic, have hardly taken notice of them. Dare to
king hard to change this injustice. Dare to be Grey aims to put a
olarisation that is dividing our society. Dare to be Grey is the
e anyone’s opinion can become the focal point of tomorrow’s
search Process
g knowledge
study
sation, violent extremism, ISIS and Islam.
iscussions with academic experts, practitioners and
rs in our national security institutions and local government
ers.
artistic inspiration by visiting the theater play 'Jihad, de
g' [Imagining Jihad] about three adolescents joining ISIS in
eam in media awareness and presentation skills.
ncy
on the creation and implementation of our campaign by
ublishing blogs on the University website ‘Utrecht Challenging
Project’.
Research
elevant literature and elaborate discussions
ts in the field of counterterrorism led to a
analysis of the problem and how to effectively
ademic Experts
niversity
r, co-author of ISIS: The State of Terror, on
ation of social media.
agemakers on Islamic concepts in ISIS self-
n.
ema on the history of Salafism.
niversity
Hijzen, Institute of Security and Global Affairs:
analysing ISIS propaganda and social media.
an der Heide, International Centre for CounterThe
Hague (ICCT).
“The belief that extremism is inherent to Islam is a for
“There is a risk when the state propagates counter-na
“Avoid reinforcing the themes that are central in terro
Liesbeth van der Heide
Constant Hijzen
Melle Lyklema
“Terrorism is theatre. It is in their interest to draw peo
the conflict.”7
“ISIS policy is founded on the teachings of
Islam,
but its approach goes further than even the
most radical scholars are willing to go.”11
J.M. Berger
Joas Wagemakers 	
curity Institutions
of Foreign Affairs
on to the contribution of the Netherlands in countering
al terrorism and radicalisation.
y: Develop a social media campaign to counter Islamist
on among adolescents in Kenya.
ntelligence and Security Service (AIVD)
on to AIVD efforts in monitoring and researching violent
that safeguard Dutch democracy and the rule of law.
on the draft of our campaign.
Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV)
on to NCTV coordination efforts in public counter-extremism
sm awareness campaigns in the Netherlands.
on the draft of our campaign.
“Your concept fits right in with the rationale of Dutch government
officials. We also feel that it is ineffective to challenge extremism
by repeating the narrative of extremists.”12
	
al Practitioners
Pehlivan & Loubna Adahchour (City of Utrecht)
on to municipal policy on polarisation and radicalisation.
the role of the media in polarisation and alienation.
nning (Radicalisation Expert & Advisor to the City of Amsterdam)
on the psychological backgrounds of radicalisation.
of the societal and political dynamics of terrorism and counterKenning
on Jihadist ideology: “Let’s not advertise it by arguing
against it. Even winning the argument does not work.”14
Abdullah Pehlivan: “The media play an important part in amplifying segregation or to create
connections between citizens. … It is hard to attract media attention for positive
events. There is room for improvement for young people to have a voice in the media. Dialogue is
important.”13
nning's Model
ors
lamophobia creates
from society
oup dynamics
sjointed families
nt Mindset
as a subjective filter
ors
Jihadist Islam
How to Intervene
1)  Negate the Push Factors
countering Islamophobia.
2)  Work the Adolescent Mind
by eliminating feelings
victimhood and reassuri
individuals that it is normal
have doubts and fears.
3)  Disrupt the Pull Factors
contesting ISIS' interpretat
of Islam.
Kenning: “People grip ideologies, not the other way around.”15
search
nclusions
rch and expert meetings highlighted Islamophobia
ortant factor for radicalisation.
amophobia
bia is the one factor that a campaign organised by
udents can realistically address.
ry Thinking
bia can be viewed as part of a wider societal
Polarisation. Dare to be Grey aims to put a stop to
thinking.
olate Islam
sing Islamophobia within its wider societal context,
solating Islam as the problem of radicalisation as
o the spread of Islamophobia.
Target Audience
Silent Majority
The primary focus of this campaign is to activate the
silent majority that shares our ideals but do not
actively show it.
Civic-Minded Individuals
Civic-minded individuals fulfil an instrumental role by
distributing the campaign’s vision and thereby
activating the silent majority.
At-Risk Youth
The campaign indirectly reaches the at-risk youth by
taking away the breeding ground for radicalisation.
The campaign targets the age group of 15-25 as they
are most likely to be reached via social media.
Alex Schmid: “The alternative narrative should focus not primarily on ‘what we are
against’ but on ‘what we are for’ … pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, freedom
(including freedom of thought and expression as well as freedom of religion),
equality, … openness to argument, readiness for dialogue, the search for peaceful
solutions through negotiation and compromise, and the improvement of the human
condition for all.”16
cret Slide’
Disclaimer: Do not Disclose.
sion that polarisation is a crucial breeding
violent extremism might recall ISIS’ claim that
‘divided the world into two camps’.
magazine they prophesise “the extinction of the
17
o turn this challenge around. But we cannot do
– hence this ‘Secret Slide’ –, because that
ngthen the narrative of ISIS.
m the ‘grey’ and present our own positive
of society.
Pull
e extreme, Jihadi terrorists try to divide society
ing the so-called ‘true Muslims’ from the nonThey
claim that their view of Islam is the only
one, and they try to force this view upon other
claiming the Grey
ed in our YouTube Animation,
But this is not how our society works. Our society is based on free, inclusive and
democratic principles, where everyone is equal and every individual has the
freedom to express his or her own unique opinion. Here we find all different shades
of grey, from very dark to very light, with no one falling for the black-and-white
fallacy.
On the other extreme, populist demagogues also
drive people apart. Using fear and anger, they hol
at ransom, forcing us to repress all Muslims.
Society can be considered as a scale with extremes on both ends. The extremes want to broaden their grip by
creating a false image of society only consisting of opposite camps, of black and white. They do this either by
means of violence, or by shouting out loud.
Push
nding the Grey
extremes
dy had their
ds...
The middle ground
still needed it...
WE created it!
name Dare to be Grey was not enough to
r mission on a stand-alone basis.
Dutch people understand English we decided on
English brand name. This appeals to our target
fits well in social media and gives us the
o expand internationally.
we made use of an on-campus focus group
of 324 students to decide which subtitle best
ur brand.
ose option 1: ‘Voorbij aan zwart-wit
eyond the black-and-white fallacy].
ining our Brand
Voorbij aan zwart-wit denken’
Geef grijs een kleur’
Beyond extremes’
Stop zwart wit denken, kleur grijs’
Kies je kleur tussen zwart en wit’
sion and Goals
y is becoming increasingly polarised. Fierce
bout the refugee crisis and Islam's place in
y have become an everyday reality. The 'grey'
und with its different views, room for nuance
ess personalities is being drowned out by the
oices of today.
e Grey aims to put a stop to the polarisation
iding our society. By creating a platform with
personal stories anyone's opinion can become
oint of tomorrow's debate.
a platform for civic-minded individuals to
against the extremes in society.
the silent majority by 'daring' them to speak
the civic-minded individuals as frontrunners.
heroic alternative for the black-and-white
ith room for doubt, debate, nuance and
Popular Platforms
Facebook and YouTube are the two most popular So
outlets in the Netherlands.
Dare to be Grey on Social Media
•  Facebook and YouTube will become the two pillars s
our social media campaign.
•  Twitter and Instagram will play a secondary role.
•  The website www.daretobegrey.org will bring all
activities together.
Aantal Nederlands: 16.870.77318
e to be Grey
...not just a social media campaig
Social media campaign
Website www.daretobegrey.org
Sharing expertise about polarisation
Hub for social initiatives
50 Colours of Grey
I am… Grey
Everybody Dares
Do you Dare to be Grey? 10+ joint ventures & partnerships
School project: Generation Grey
Symposium 'The breeding grounds for radicalisat
Advisory role in other CVE campaigns
to be Grey uniquely incorporates both online and offline strategies,
ng it an all-encompassing campaign that effectively combats violent
mism.
Colours of Grey
ies on Facebook and YouTube
nspiring portraits of a large variety of
nded individuals who are impacting our
in a positive way.
grey' alternative to the black-and-white
y in the media.
ple	reached:	105.821	
al	views:	28.817	
agement:	2.036	
(Clickable Links)
ort version with core message on Facebook Extended edition offering more depth on YouT
Colours of Grey
iety of speakers:
Amini (Actor)
an Heezik (Volunteer and Creator of Social Projects)
de Graaf (Terrorism Expert and Professor at Utrecht University)
nssen (Supporter of Wilders' Freedom Party)
Daoudi (Director of Bureau of Social Recovery and Rehabilitation)
irane (Social Worker at Bureau of Social Recovery and Rehabilitation)
Peters (Teacher)
n Beek (Independent Journalist)
El-Rahmouni (Bureau Diversion)
me:
v.d. Heijden (Writer and Historian)
.d. Laan & Jeroen Woe (Well-known Comedians and TV hosts)
l-Hantali (Concerned Citizen)
Jmker (Volunteer at a Church Society)
Hofman (Police Officer)
56	sub
1.100
m... Grey
ies on Facebook, Instagram and
rsonal stories tailor-made for the
nature of social media.
uanced picture by showing powerful
bout the importance of the grey
people by giving them a platform to
their opinion.
People	reached:	92.742		
Engagement:	1.650	
rybody Dares
y Dares functions as a hub that
sts grey opinions and initiatives.
an send in their own column, video or
ontribution and make use of Dare to
s large network.
y Dares connects Dare to be Grey
er initiatives to help build towards a
iety.
y narrative becomes bigger and
.
Whocares
Battles indifference
44k+ followers
RNW Media
NGO for social change in
countries with limited rights and
freedoms
Think GreyT
Trains to think 'grey'
Stay West
A City of Amsterdam project
against radicalisation and
polarisation
Justice & Peace
Supports and protects
defenders of human rights
Denkkracht Utrecht
Realises new ways of thinking
for social dilemmas
De Bijbal
Offers a nuanced and humoristic
view on the refugee crisis
Utrechtse Studenten B
Author of 'Grey', a song
about the search for identity
City of Utrecht
Horizons
Strives for just societies based on
fostered by intercultural understan
Joint ventures &
Partnerships:
Challenges radicalization on a mu
unites all elements of the campaign:
for offline events - Facebook feed - Twitter feed
are to be Grey?:
es people to share the grey story on their own
.
er keeps track of how many times our page has
ared.
and counting! The grey community is expanding
atforms!
all the online campaigns of Dare to be Grey:
ey photo series - 50 Colours of Grey video series
Dare to be Grey:
for donations that help sustain the campaign.
bsite
mpaign Launch
o be Grey goes Live!
h: Both the online and offline
ts of the campaign launched
eously.
0 from ‘50 Colours of Grey’ accessible
ial media platforms.
be Grey: On Tour! takes the
n to the streets of Utrecht:
photos taken for our 'I am… Grey'
mpaign
scussions
sed Utrecht with Dare to be Grey
Official kick-off on-air in Radio 1 ‘De Nieuws BV’
RTV Utrecht covered our launch day on television
Live interview on Business Nieuws Radio
e to be Grey: On Tour!
be Grey went on tour for
s!
fully transferred buzz
ed on the streets to
nal momentum on social
ged people to make a
gainst polarisation.
mpilation videos on
ok keep our following
d.
860 additional likes
5.000 flyers dispersed
5.000 stickers distributed
2 newspaper articles
1 TV appearance
5 radio appearances
	
mposium
'The Breeding Grounds for Radicalis
Karima Daoudi
Director of Bureau Social Recovery and
Rehabilitation (MHR), The Hague
Drew from her personal experience of
working with radicalised youths
David Kenning
Radicalisation expert
Delivered the theoretical framework
200 Attendants
Participated in an active discussion
Goals
Educate our audience about how a polarised socie
lead to radicalisation.
Let the audience participate in an active discussion
both lectures.
Inspire them to become ‘grey’.
neration Grey
Project
on Grey lets high school pupils (ages 15-19)
e in an in-class discussion about black-and-white
bles them to think critically about polarisation in
wn close environment and about their own
ptions.
tion Grey
uctory video that explains how the extremes influence
ciety.
ctive quiz where pupils use their smartphones to fill
questionnaire.
s are projected on a whiteboard.
de with a set of questions for discussion that requires
to voice their opinions.
neration Grey Workshop
le Discussion Questions
ceptions
you name an example of an incorrect preconception
ourself?
ou had any preconceptions about someone?
try to find out whether your preconceptions are
you seen black-and-white thinking on the news
u name examples of black-and-white thinking in the
think there is a difference between what you see on
on and what happens in real-life? If so, why do you
hat is?
ews often ignores stories that are not thrilling
. What is your take on this?
3. Islam
• Have you had any preconceptions about Islam?
4. Grey
• How would you describe the grey area?
• Would you describe yourself as ‘grey’?
neration Grey
gress
reated an interactive quiz using www.socrative.com.
he outline and discussion questions have been
eveloped with a teacher's input.
an a successful pilot with two classes in Elst.
nother workshop scheduled 13 May at a high school in
eiden.
dvanced talks with Utrecht City Council about
mplementing our project on a municipal level.
greement with Diversion, an organisation with
xperience in school projects, to train volunteers for our
roject.
il Focus group hosted by the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC)
and the Ministry of Safety and Justice
il Radical Reframing by No Academy
il Expert meeting at Ministry of Foreign Affairs
il Expert meeting at Tilburg City Council about challenging extremism
May Strong Cities Network Global Summit in Antalya, Turkey
y Presentation at the US Embassy, The Hague
Euroclio Teaching for Peace aimed at students from Korea and Japan
aring Expertise
to be Grey has started to fulfil an advisory role in challenging
nt extremism by sharing its expertise and impacting the
re of CVE projects on an organisational level.
nitoring Success
to be Grey sets out to activate the silent majority by daring
to speak out, using civic-minded individuals as frontrunners.
alue of Dare to be Grey cannot be expressed in numbers
:
people react to the campaign is ultimately more important
how many react.
ore we have developed a two-fold approach to monitor our success:
antitative approach
Developing baseline
Statistics from social media
Results from focus groups
alitative approach
Evaluating the tone in reactions on social media, i.e. do they approve of the campaign?
Attention for the 'grey' story in the media
Comments and feedback provided by our focus groups
4.240
6 continents
45 countries
465.967 people reached
71.077 video views
56% likes from target audience (ages 15-25)
Type	 Reach	 Engagement	
Video	 12,254	 182	
Status	 4,236	 108	
Link	 3,561	 76	
Foto	 3,425	 78		
Average Facebook reach and engagement per post:88 Total Facebook Posts
Engagement numbers show
that Dare to be Grey did not
only reach a large audience,
but also triggered them to
like, comment and share our
story!
ebook Success
Animation
Reach: 114k+
Likes: 450
Shares: 175
1	
3	Brussels
Reach: 18k+
Likes: 359
Shares: 42
2	
Intro 50 Colours of Grey
Reach: 43k+
Likes: 224
Shares: 105
ebook Success
Utrecht University Blog
1,042 unique visitors
105k+ views
300+ followers
400+ tweets
Posts after the Brussels attacks performed
well
A need for the ‘grey’ story in difficult
times:
160+ followers
475+ likes received
56 subscribers
1.100+ views
ial Media Success
Daretobegrey.org
42k+ hits
4.2k+
465.967 people reached
Results (March)
ondents out of which 90% belonged to
et Audience (ages 15-25).
familiarity with Dare to be Grey was
a 5-point scale.
sults (May)
ondents out of which 82% belonged to
et Audience (ages 15-25).
familiarity with Dare to be Grey was
a 5-point scale. An increase of 20,4%
months!
How familiar are you with Dare to be Grey?
al Results
Final Results (669 responses)
Baseline (303 responses)
Unfamilia
r
Familiar
esults (May)
669 respondents 73,8% identified
es with the 'grey area'.
69 respondents 29% have stated to
more and commit themselves more
of the 'grey area'.
47,8% highlighted that they might
be Grey has influenced the attitude
viour of respondents and has made a
contribution into activating the silent
al Results
s
o be Grey is attempting to activate
nt majority and civic-minded
als to engage in debate, the
ns that the project has sparked are
ive measure of success.
ated Pieces
has Dare to be Grey facilitated
scussions on its own social media
s, civic-minded individuals have
pired to send in columns about the
e to be Grey put forth.
al Results
nnaire
us questionnaire among 44 randomly chosen
f Utrecht University.
ch were interviewed afterwards to elaborate on their
me
ents said to be aware of the problems of
nd-white thinking.
ents vowed to speak out more against blackite
thinking.
ents were extremely positive and highlighted
s need for our campaign.
Campus Success
“I think it is important that the grey group finally has a
“I will make a conscious effort to speak out more for th
area.”
“I will try my utmost to leave room for nuance in discu
about Islam.”
“Dare to be Grey has made me aware of the problems
society.”
	
4 television appearances (including De Wereld Draait Door: University and De
Nieuwe Maan)
Estimated viewers: 1.4 million
7 newspaper articles (including Algemeen Dagblad, Trouw and Het Parool)
Estimated readers: 3.2 million
10 radio appearances (including BNR Nieuwsradio, NPO FunX and De Nieuws
BV)
30 internet articles (including De Volkskrant, Algemeen Dagblad and Het Parool)
dia Exposure
ancial Overview
nations from Dare to be Grey supporters
sed our total budget to €3.734,95!
otal of 54% of our budget was acquired by
onsoring.
remaining 13% of our budget will help
stain Dare to be Grey going forward.
ancial Overview
ng Forward
Sustainability
•  Utrecht University wants to create additional spots for new in
in our organisation.
•  Cities of Utrecht, Amsterdam and Tilburg are using Dare to be
to combat polarisation and radicalisation.
•  The National Coordinator for Safety and Counterterrorism (NC
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy are using
network to help sustain the campaign.
Ongoing and Future Events
• Showing all ‘50 Colours of Grey’ episodes in Utrecht City Hall
• Three debate nights about ‘fear’ with District West of the city of
Amsterdam.
• Stand at Liberation Day Festival in The Hague.
• Presentation at the Strong Cities Network Global Summit
• Host workshops for refugees with the Utrechtse Studenten
Bigband.
be Grey is here to last!
nent project structure
on more and more
rships
ctive workshops on schools
age teenagers directly