The Power of Digital Peace Messaging (Somalia)

Mahamed, 21 years old, had always been active on social media, using his platforms to share music clips and sports content. Living in a village near Baidoa that has experienced radicalisation attempts by Al-Shabaab, he was aware of how easily youth could be misled by online misinformation and extremist propaganda.

When he heard about Somali Youth Vision’s, one of GCERF’s civil society partners, training on digital peace messaging, he signed up without hesitation. The two-day workshop introduced him to how violent extremist groups target youth online and equipped him with strategies for building positive digital narratives. The sessions included modules on ethical communication, counter-messaging frameworks, and digital content creation.

Inspired by the training, Mahamed launched a blog series called “Voices of Peace”, featuring interviews with young change-makers and stories of reconciliation from his community.“ This training opened my eyes. I now use my platform to challenge fake news and share stories of peace from my town,” he shared.

His blog posts have reached over 3,000 readers and are regularly reshared on local youth forums and WhatsApp groups. Mahamed has also begun collaborating with a regional FM radio station to broadcast snippets from his peace stories, bridging the online-offline information gap. His story underscores the critical role of empowering youth to own the digital space, not as passive consumers but as credible, creative influencers of positive change.