The Role of the Etidal Center in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding

Abstract The Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal) has a significant responsibility in addressing the challenges associated with extremist ideologies and the use of digital media. This paper demonstrates the center’s role in conflict resolution and international peacebuilding, examining its operations through the lens of War and Peace Theory. It analyzes video campaigns published by Etidal between 2022 and 2023, using semiotic analysis as the theoretical framework and methodology—specifically focusing on how these videos arguably challenge extremist discourses and narratives produced and disseminated by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The official videos analyzed were sourced from Etidal’s official website and YouTube channel and were examined using traditional semiological coding frameworks that identified and countered extremist content in Arabic and English, although some materials included subtitles or messaging in up to six languages. The analysis demonstrates that Etidal’s campaigns purposely and strategically engage the emotional, cultural, and moral components of radicalization through relatable storytelling and graphic depictions.