Project description
Dialogue as a pathway to de-escalating extremism and polarisation
Extremism, polarisation, disinformation and hate speech are growing threats to democracy and social cohesion across Europe, with young people particularly exposed and vulnerable. The EU-funded DEEP DIALOGUE project investigates how polarisation escalates into radicalisation and democratic fragility by developing evidence-based interventions to strengthen resilience and civic participation. Combining comparative surveys, social media analysis, qualitative research and innovative modelling, the project generates new insights into the psychosocial dynamics of polarisation. Building on this evidence, the project will design and evaluate four dialogue formats (offline, online, hybrid and mediated by former extremists), tested through randomised controlled trials. It seeks to also develop AI-enabled monitoring tools, educational resources and policy recommendations to support educators, journalists, youth organisations and policymakers in countering extremism.
Objective
Polarisation, extremism, hate speech and disinformation are rising threats to democracy, trust and social cohesion across Europe. Young people are both disproportionately exposed and especially vulnerable. DEEP DIALOGUE: De-Escalating Extremism & Polarisation through Dialogue addresses this challenge by examining when, how and why polarisation escalates into radicalisation, and by testing dialogue-based interventions that strengthen resilience and democratic participation.
The project integrates comparative research with applied innovation. It combines a two-wave, five-country survey (≈13,200 respondents, with youth oversampling), large-scale social media monitoring, netnography of radical party ecosystems, and over 300 qualitative focus groups and interviews with students, displaced youth, practitioners, journalists and former extremists. Results feed into the Radicalisation–Polarisation Feedback (RPF) model, the first framework to capture dynamic links between psychosocial mechanisms, polarisation and democratic fragility.
Building on this evidence, DEEP DIALOGUE designs and evaluates four dialogue formats (offline, online, hybrid and mediated by former extremists), tested through randomised controlled trials with 600+ youth. An AI-enabled Early Warning Dashboard and Polarisation & Disinformation Barometer provide real-time indicators for educators, journalists, youth organisations and policymakers, supported by a Campus Toolkit.
Through open datasets, accredited training, MOOCs, a Campus Resilience Certificate and policy briefs, the project delivers validated, scalable solutions. With partners from nine countries, including Ukraine and Canada, it brings both transatlantic perspectives and frontline expertise. DEEP DIALOGUE directly contributes to the Horizon Europe Democracy Work Programme by strengthening democratic resilience, empowering youth and countering extremism and polarisation.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences educational sciences didactics
- social sciences media and communications journalism
- social sciences political sciences government systems democracy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.2 - Culture, creativity and inclusive society
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.2.1 - Democracy and Governance
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL2-2025-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
22100 Lund
Sweden
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