INITIATE’s First Live Storytelling Event: Salam Stage
2025-06-14 10:00 - 16:00 (Asia/Shanghai)
INITIATE’s First Live Storytelling Event: Salam Stage

Petaling Jaya, 14 June 2025 一 INITIATE.MY and the Freedom Film Network (FFN) successfully organised Salam Stage, a live storytelling platform that amplified diverse voices through powerful personal accounts of courage, resilience, and hope. The event was supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Malaysia. Over 100 participants joined the event, representing an intergenerational audience that included Gen Z and Gen Y members from civil society, student networks, the press, and diplomatic missions.

Salam Stage used storytelling to humanise complex sociopolitical and socioeconomic issues in response to rising extremism and growing polarisation. The speakers are as follows:

1. Dr. Kua Kia Soong, a researcher and activist, talked about his reflection on the trauma and political legacy of the May 13 violent riots, which he witnessed firsthand. He challenged official narratives by framing the incident as a calculated power shift by emerging elites, not spontaneous racial violence. He called for a truth and reconciliation commission, he urged Malaysians to seek truth from facts and confront history with courage.

2. Dr. Haezreena Begum, a criminologist and legal scholar, highlighted the silenced stories of former detainees. She emphasised the often overlooked humanity of former detainees, urging society not to define them by their past. She called for empathy and second chances, reminding the audience that returnees and former detainees deserve dignity, not stigma.

3. Khairi Anwar and Tan Meng Kheng, filmmakers, reflected on the backlash to their film Mentega Terbang, which explores interfaith questioning through a young girl’s journey. In their session, “Challenging Sacred Narratives”, they blended personal stories and performance to show how creative work can confront religious taboos. Their session called on audiences to defend artistic freedom, create space for honest conversations about faith, and support storytellers who dare to challenge taboo topics with courage and compassion.

4. Ruby Jusoh, a researcher, shared personal and cultural stories from Kelantan and Negeri Sembilan where she highlighted the enduring strength of women in Malay traditions. Through figures like her grandmother, Mek Zainab, and the matrilineal roles of Ibu Soko and Bundo Kanduang, she illustrated how tradition has long upheld women’s leadership, resilience, and dignity. She called on the audience to reclaim and celebrate cultural traditions that honour women’s leadership, and to challenge narratives that erase or diminish the power of women in society.

Salam Stage showcases INITIATE.MY’s public advocacy by bringing difficult issues to light through real and personal stories. It uses lived experiences and creative expression to make conversations about extremism and civic space more relatable. The event inspires people to take actions for a more just and peaceful Malaysia.

A group photo of the organising teams from INITIATE.MY and Freedom Film Network and the speakers of Salam Stage.

Salam Stage
2025-06-14 11:00 - 15:30 | PJ Live Arts
REGISTER HERE : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/salam-stage-tickets-1372678140269?aff=oddtdtcreator

🎟 Free entry – Limited seats!

Real stories. Bold voices. Shared struggle.

Join us at Salam Stage, a live-storytelling event Salam Stage, a TED-style live storytelling event co-organised by the Initiative to Promote Tolerance and Prevent Violence (INITIATE.MY) and the Freedom Film Network (FFN) that spotlights powerful, personal stories of courage, resilience, and hope in the face of rising extremism and shrinking civic space in Malaysia.

From confronting injustice to reclaiming dignity, these lived experiences offer an unflinching look at what it means to speak up, push back, and reimagine peace in a divided society.

Through raw narratives, creative performances, and fearless dialogue, Salam Stage invites you to listen deeply, reflect critically, and stand in solidarity.

AGENDA11:00 AMRegistration & Networking

12:00 PMOpening Remarksby Aizat Shamsuddin, Founder & Director, Initiative to Promote Tolerance and Prevent Violence (INITIATE.MY)

12:10 PMOpening Remarksby Anna Har, Director, Freedom Film Network (FFN)

12:20 PMHousekeeping Notes

12:30 PM“May 13: Race and the Legacy of Fear”by Dr. Kua Kia Soong, Social Activist & Researcher

12:50 PM“Menyingkap Cerita Bekas Tahanan Keselamatan dan Radikal”by Dr. Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid, Criminologist & Legal Scholar

1:10 PMAudience Engagement

1:20 PMPrayer Break, Lunch Break & Networking

1:50 PM“Challenging Sacred Narrative”by Khairi Anwar & Tan Meng Kheng, Director & Producer of Mentega Terbang

2:10 PM“Keteguhan Tradisi: Ceritera dari Kelantan dan Negeri Sembilan”by Ruby Jusoh, Women’s Literature Researcher

2:30 PMAudience Engagement

2:50 PMClosing Remarksby Representative of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Malaysia [TBC]

3:00 PMGroup Photo & Conclusion

3:30 PMDispersal

🧠 Come for the stories. Leave with purpose.

🎟 Admission is free, but places are limited – book your seat now!🔗 More info: https://initiate.my📩 General enquiries: salam@initiate.my💌 For sponsorship and donations: communications@initiate.my

Dialogue Session on ‘Peaceful Generation: Youth Against Extremism’ on the National Youth Day 2025
2025-06-15 10:00 - 12:00
Kuala Lumpur, 15 June 2025 – The dialogue session ‘Peaceful Generation: Youth Against Extremism’ brought together Malaysian youth in conjunction with National Youth Day 2025, celebrated under the theme ‘Believe You Can!’ at the Human Expression Hub, Merdeka Square. The event was held in collaboration between the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Malaysian Youth Council (MBM), and the National Youth and Sports Department being the joint organisers.

Aizat Shamsuddin, Founder and Director of INITIATE.MY, joined the panel alongside Sassi A/L Shritharan, Assistant Director at the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia. Eow Shiang Yen, Executive Committee Member of the MBM, moderated the session. The session aimed to promote inclusive engagement and learning and encourage young people to become agents of peace.

The dialogue unfolded in three thematic rounds:

First round on youth training and awareness: SEARCCT shared examples of creative outreach such as futsal and e-sports. INITIATE.MY highlighted the role of its flagship programme called “Peace Lab”, including the Peace for Religious Leaders & Thinkers (PLRT) in 2024 through data-driven advocacy in strengthening resilience against extremism.

Second round on technology and AI in prevention and countering violent extremism (PCVE): SEARCCT addressed the risks of extremist ideologies spreading through digital games. INITIATE.MY emphasised the potential of AI and social media in countering online hate narratives.

Third round on holistic strategies and community inclusion: SEARCCT discussed empowering young women in line with the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. INITIATE.MY shared its inclusive approach and how it is important to involve marginalised groups and women in peacebuilding efforts.

The National Youth Day 2025 recognises the role of key civil society organisations like INITIATE.MYs in localising Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) among youth stakeholders. This aligns with one of the core pillars of the Malaysian Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (MyPCVE) which supports multi-stakeholder engagement to build resilience against radicalisation.

Panelists and participants of the ‘Peaceful Generation: Youth Against Extremism’ dialogue are united in their commitment to empowering Malaysian youth as champions of peace.

Knowledge Hub Session 2: Data-Driven Advocacy: Data Gathering Methods
2025-06-18 08:00 - 17:00
Kuala Lumpur, 18 June 2025 – INITIATE.MY organised the second session of the Knowledge Hub series titled “Data-Driven Advocacy: Data Gathering Methods”. This full-day workshop built on the earlier session on tech abuse threats to enhance civil society’s capacity for evidence-based advocacy to address the threats with a focus on credible and ethical data collection methods.

Participants comprised a diverse group of practitioners from civil society organisations engaged in civil and political rights, gender justice, counter-extremism, digital rights, child protection, policy research, and data journalism. The programme offered a dynamic mix of expert-led sessions, hands-on methodology development, and peer-to-peer learning, grounded in strong regional relevance and practical application.

Facilitators shared practical strategies for accessing information, including through the freedom of information (FOI) requests, open data portals, and crowd-sourcing. They demonstrated the practical tools used in digital advocacy such as:

TikAPI (extracts public data from TikTok), Telethon (scrapes Telegram data via API), and GDELT (monitors global news and events in real time);

Tableau (creates interactive data dashboards and visual insights) for visualisation; and,

Bayanat, an open-source platform tailored for civil society data handling. They also explored HURIDOCS, a flexible system of 49 microthesauri for classifying human rights violations, widely adopted since the 1980s and adaptable to various advocacy needs.

Furthermore, participants were assigned with tasks to develop and refine their own research hypotheses through small group exercises that focused on case studies ranging from online harms, access to education and environmental impacts. They needed to identify relevant data sources, design their research approach, and receive feedback on their framing and methodology.

Through Knowledge Hub, participants enhanced their technical literacy, built greater confidence in designing methodologies and collecting data, and deepened their understanding of shared standards for credible and ethical data collection to address tech abuse threats.

Participants of Knowledge Hub Session 2 learned how to strengthen skills in credible and ethical data collection.

SEARCCT’s International Conference 2025: Emerging Trends in Terrorism and Violent Extremism
2025-06-24 08:00 - 17:00
Kuala Lumpur, 24 June 2025 – INITIATE.MY participated in the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT) International Conference 2025 with the theme of “Emerging Trends in Terrorism and Violent Extremism”. The conference brought together counterterrorism experts, researchers, policymakers, and civil society representatives to address the evolving challenges of preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE), focusing on the role of digital platforms and emerging technologies.

The first day of the forum featured two key sessions that explored the evolving nexus between youth, technology, and violent extremism.

First session: How radicalisation unfolds across social media, encrypted messaging apps, gaming spaces, and the dark web.

Mr. Asrul Shah Razali from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Malaysia moderated this session.

Ms. Mediha Mahmood from Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) highlighted the “bystander effect” online, where silence by passive users amplifies extremist content. She cited successful counter-speech strategies, such as a German initiative that reduced hate threats by 17%.

Ms. Emma Allen from Hedayah Centre, United Arab Emirates shared findings from a study revealing that 96% of Malaysian youth are online, making them highly vulnerable to extremist narratives that blend global and local themes.

Dr. Miraji Mohamed, Swansea University and Dublin City University added an interdisciplinary lens, stressing the importance of understanding how different platforms shape radicalisation processes and recommending gender-sensitive, alternative approaches to prevention.

Second session: how artificial intelligence (AI) and immersive technologies are reshaping the terrorism landscape and preventive strategies. moderated by

Ms. Farlina Said from Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, moderated this session.

Mr. Asrul Daniel Ahmad from SEARCCT described how extremists exploit generative AI to create deepfakes, emotionally resonant content, and culturally subversive propaganda, citing examples like AI-generated ISIS news modeled after Al Jazeera. He warned of AI’s potential to rapidly spread content in local languages, increasing the threat in Southeast Asia. In response, SEARCCT runs youth-focused story workshops and coding labs to build digital resilience.

Ms. Asha Hemrajani from S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore highlighted digital vulnerabilities including a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and platform manipulation, advocating for algorithmic retraining and multiple response mechanisms tailored to each platform’s dynamics.

Mr. Galen Lamphere-Englund from Extremism and Gaming Research Network (EGRN) turned the spotlight on the gaming ecosystem, identifying its highly social nature as fertile ground for radicalisation. His research found that 30% of gamers across seven countries encountered extremist content, with 22% seeing it as normal. Extremists exploit games through propaganda-laced titles, in-game chats, microtransactions, and even live-streaming attacks. Buffalo 2022 shooter’s exposure to radicalisation, for example, was through platforms like Roblox, Discord, and Twitch.

He proposed a “Prevent, Detect, React” framework including esports mentorships, gaming literacy programmes, and AI moderation to counter this radicalisation threat. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) is also preparing a Southeast Asian study to improve online safety in gaming spaces.

The conference highlighted the dual role of technology in extremism and PCVE, from silence-driven radicalisation to AI-enhanced propaganda and gaming vulnerabilities. Building on INITIATE.MY’s established work on online extremism, which addresses online threats and the exploitation of AI, these insights strengthen our findings.

Balqis Maesara, INITIATE.MY’s Project Officer, and Irdina Sorfina, INITIATE.MY’s Legal Intern contributed to critical conversations on digital threats and counterextremism in Southeast Asia as a civil society organisation.

International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) 2025
2025-06-24 08:00 - 2025-06-26 17:00
Singapore, 24–26 June 2025 – The International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) 2025 brought together leaders, practitioners, scholars, and youth from across the globe to explore how diverse communities can forge meaningful connections and build resilience in the face of growing societal challenges.

The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) convened this third edition of ICCS under the theme of “Cohesive Societies, Resilient Futures.” Delegates from over 30 countries—representing institutions such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), ASEAN, civil society organisations, and religious communities—joined the three-day gathering to share insights and strategies.

The conference centred around three thematic pillars: 1. Unpacking Multiculturalism, 2. Navigating Uncertainty, and 3. Forging Societal Resilience.

Through high-impact plenaries, hands-on workshops, and immersive community explorations, ICCS 2025 equipped participants with practical tools to lead transformative change and strengthen social cohesion within their communities.

Hisham Muhaimi, INITIATE.MY’s Project Coordinator, represented the organisation. He participated in two key sessions at ICCS 2025.

Conflict resolution workshop: Practical mediation and communication skills to strengthen conflict-sensitive programming and grassroots engagement.Visit to the Indian Heritage Centre: Exploration of South Asian cultural contributions to Singapore’s national identity, reinforcing the importance of inclusion in fostering social cohesion.

Hisham also reconnected with Amina Rasul-Bernardo and Atty. Salma Pir Rasul, two prominent voices in peacebuilding and the prevention of violent extremism in the Philippines.

Hisham Muhaimi reconnected with leading voices in peacebuilding and PCVE in the Philippines, Amina Rasul-Bernardo and Atty. Salma Pir Rasul at ICCS 2025 in Singapore.

At ICCS 2025, INITIATE.MY engaged regional and global networks to share its initiatives and contribute to key conversations on identity, coexistence, and societal resilience. The organisation remains committed to advancing inclusive dialogue, diversity, and community cohesion through education and cross-sector collaboration—locally and globally.

Knowledge Hub Session 3: Data-Driven Advocacy: Storytelling
2025-06-25 08:00 - 17:00
Kuala Lumpur, 25 June 2025 – INITIATE.MY hosted the third session of the Knowledge Hub series, focusing on “Data-Driven Advocacy: Storytelling.” The session equipped civil society actors with practical skills to transform complex data into accessible, compelling narratives that enhance advocacy efforts.

Facilitators guided participants through tools and strategies that connect evidence with storytelling. They emphasised that data alone cannot shape public opinion or influence policy without thoughtful framing. Using case studies and live demonstrations, facilitators introduced visualisation tools such as Flourish, enabling participants—especially those without technical backgrounds—to create clear and persuasive charts and infographics.

Participants took part in hands-on exercises to critique and redesign data visuals. They identified and corrected misleading charts, applied design principles that prioritise clarity, simplicity, and ethical presentation. Discussions also addressed common pitfalls such as overusing pie charts and poor colour contrast.

The session also explored:

1. Public opinion surveys as a form of data collection and storytelling. Participants examined how survey design, sampling methods, and question framing shape responses and influence narratives. Careful phrasing can reveal honest perspectives on sensitive issues without triggering bias or defensiveness.

2. The growing use of machine-assisted analysis in advocacy, including media monitoring and trend detection. Facilitators cautioned against overreliance on automation, stressed the irreplaceable role of human judgment, cultural sensitivity, and emotional intelligence in crafting ethical and impactful narratives.

3. Methods for blending legal analysis, data, and personal stories. This discussion underscored how storytelling grounded in lived experience—especially when tailored to marginalised audiences—can challenge dominant narratives and shape policy discourse.

Knowledge Hub strengthens a more connected and informed civil society. In this case, data is most impactful when framed with care, grounded in context, and communicated clearly. As the digital information space grows more complex, civil society must go beyond collecting and analysing data—they must learn to tell stories that resonate.

Participants of Knowledge Hub Session 3 learned how to tell stories from data more effectively.
