Leveraging Media to Support Togo’s National Strategy for Prevention and Fight against Violent Extremism (SNAPLEV)

Togo, despite its proximity to countries affected by violent extremism, is one West African country that has experienced relative peace and security, until recently.

The escalation in violence in Burkina Faso has spread to neighboring countries, with Togo and Benin recording their worst Global Terrorist Index (GTI) scores on record. According to country officials, as of today, violent extremist attacks have led to over 40 military casualties and more than 100 civilians were killed and 2000 Togolese have taken refuge outside the country.

As recognized by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), media literacy is an educational and cultural area that needed to be addressed, particularly when aiming at building bridges of better understanding between individuals of different religious and cultural backgrounds. Togo’s National Strategy to Prevent and Combat Violent Extremism (SNAPLEV) references the need for media literacy and for additional collaboration with journalists as a key method of preventing violent extremism.

The main objective of this NOFO is to leverage and highlight U.S. expertise and the growing U.S.-Togo relationship to use media literacy as an educational and cultural as mechanism to build bridges of better understanding between individuals of different religious and cultural backgrounds, with the end goal of preventing violent extremism.