Institute for Strategic Dialogue
@isdglobal.org
Powering solutions to extremism, hate and authoritarianism since 2006.
ISD’s latest report examines how this approach intertwines religion, state power and foreign policy to project soft power in the region. Drawing on existing scholarship and fieldwork, ISD analysts examine efforts to deploy Moroccan Islam as a diplomatic tool.
The full report is available below.
The full report is available below.
Morocco’s Religious Diplomacy: Soft Power, Sovereignty and the Politics of Faith
After the 2003 Casablanca attacks, Morocco developed a state-led model of “Moroccan Islam” used as a tool of religious diplomacy at home and abroad; this report examines that model.
www.isdglobal.org
January 12, 2026 at 12:01 PM
ISD’s latest report examines how this approach intertwines religion, state power and foreign policy to project soft power in the region. Drawing on existing scholarship and fieldwork, ISD analysts examine efforts to deploy Moroccan Islam as a diplomatic tool.
The full report is available below.
The full report is available below.
The 2003 Casablanca terrorist attacks marked a turning point for Morocco, triggering wide-ranging religious and state reforms that gave rise to a new national religious infrastructure known as “Moroccan Islam”. www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
Morocco’s Religious Diplomacy: Soft Power, Sovereignty and the Politics of Faith
After the 2003 Casablanca attacks, Morocco developed a state-led model of “Moroccan Islam” used as a tool of religious diplomacy at home and abroad; this report examines that model.
www.isdglobal.org
January 12, 2026 at 11:59 AM
The 2003 Casablanca terrorist attacks marked a turning point for Morocco, triggering wide-ranging religious and state reforms that gave rise to a new national religious infrastructure known as “Moroccan Islam”. www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
To learn more about ISD-US and ASD merging and their work, click the link below.
www.isdglobal.org/press-releas...
www.isdglobal.org/press-releas...
ISD-US and the Alliance for Securing Democracy announce merger to strengthen efforts against digital authoritarianism and hybrid threats
The consolidation brings together two leading organizations with long-standing commitments to countering digital authoritarianism and foreign interference.
www.isdglobal.org
January 2, 2026 at 6:31 PM
To learn more about ISD-US and ASD merging and their work, click the link below.
www.isdglobal.org/press-releas...
www.isdglobal.org/press-releas...
With the merger, ISD-US and ASD will leverage their technical and policy capabilities to produce field-leading threat detection and monitoring, as well as in-depth research and analysis of the multidimensional threat ecosystem. 🔽
January 2, 2026 at 6:31 PM
With the merger, ISD-US and ASD will leverage their technical and policy capabilities to produce field-leading threat detection and monitoring, as well as in-depth research and analysis of the multidimensional threat ecosystem. 🔽
They have also tracked how RT (Russian state-funded media outlet) continues to evade media restrictions in Europe. 🔽
January 2, 2026 at 6:31 PM
They have also tracked how RT (Russian state-funded media outlet) continues to evade media restrictions in Europe. 🔽
The two organizations have already built a strong legacy of partnership by co-developing an innovative tool mapping Russian state propaganda networks, and publishing joint analyses of coordinated disinformation campaigns with links to the Chinese government. 🔽
January 2, 2026 at 6:31 PM
The two organizations have already built a strong legacy of partnership by co-developing an innovative tool mapping Russian state propaganda networks, and publishing joint analyses of coordinated disinformation campaigns with links to the Chinese government. 🔽
This consolidation unites two leading organizations that have long committed to countering digital authoritarianism, foreign interference, and hybrid threats to national security and democracy. 🔽
January 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM
This consolidation unites two leading organizations that have long committed to countering digital authoritarianism, foreign interference, and hybrid threats to national security and democracy. 🔽
2025InReview | In December, we announced that the Institute for Strategic Dialogue-US (ISD-US) and the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) will merge under the ISD-US banner on January 1, 2026. 🔽
January 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM
2025InReview | In December, we announced that the Institute for Strategic Dialogue-US (ISD-US) and the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) will merge under the ISD-US banner on January 1, 2026. 🔽
The full Dispatch is available here.
www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
The rise of false flag conspiracy theories in moments of crises
False flag conspiracy theories predate the internet by decades, but the speed and volume at which they now spread is unprecedented.
www.isdglobal.org
December 31, 2025 at 2:25 PM
The full Dispatch is available here.
www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
These individuals recycle old narratives and adapt them to fit the current moment—all while skirting moderation.
These theories further erode already-deteriorating trust in public media and undermine the real experiences of victims of these tragedies. 🔽
These theories further erode already-deteriorating trust in public media and undermine the real experiences of victims of these tragedies. 🔽
December 31, 2025 at 2:25 PM
These individuals recycle old narratives and adapt them to fit the current moment—all while skirting moderation.
These theories further erode already-deteriorating trust in public media and undermine the real experiences of victims of these tragedies. 🔽
These theories further erode already-deteriorating trust in public media and undermine the real experiences of victims of these tragedies. 🔽
This growth is driven in part by a rising ecosystem of self-anointed “news influencers” who increasingly act as primary sources and have gained larger audiences by exploiting algorithms that reward sensationalism over accuracy. 🔽
December 31, 2025 at 2:25 PM
This growth is driven in part by a rising ecosystem of self-anointed “news influencers” who increasingly act as primary sources and have gained larger audiences by exploiting algorithms that reward sensationalism over accuracy. 🔽
2025InReview | False flag conspiracy theories are nothing new, but they’re more prominent than ever.
An ISD Dispatch revealed an astronomical spike in false flag narratives, with analysts finding an increase of more than 1,100 percent over the past five years. 🔽
An ISD Dispatch revealed an astronomical spike in false flag narratives, with analysts finding an increase of more than 1,100 percent over the past five years. 🔽
December 31, 2025 at 2:24 PM
2025InReview | False flag conspiracy theories are nothing new, but they’re more prominent than ever.
An ISD Dispatch revealed an astronomical spike in false flag narratives, with analysts finding an increase of more than 1,100 percent over the past five years. 🔽
An ISD Dispatch revealed an astronomical spike in false flag narratives, with analysts finding an increase of more than 1,100 percent over the past five years. 🔽
Learn more here
www.isdglobal.org/explainers/i...
www.isdglobal.org/explainers/i...
Incels
Overviews of issues, trends, narratives, platforms and actors.
www.isdglobal.org
December 30, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Learn more here
www.isdglobal.org/explainers/i...
www.isdglobal.org/explainers/i...
While many users in Incel forums condemn violent rhetoric and behavior, violent Incel discourse and propaganda is readily available across Incel-dedicated sites, fringe platforms, as well as more mainstream sites like Reddit. 🔽
December 30, 2025 at 2:55 PM
While many users in Incel forums condemn violent rhetoric and behavior, violent Incel discourse and propaganda is readily available across Incel-dedicated sites, fringe platforms, as well as more mainstream sites like Reddit. 🔽
Today, Incel forums are overwhelmingly male-dominated and rife with misogyny that ranges in severity from broader generalizations of women to pro-rape discourse. 🔽
December 30, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Today, Incel forums are overwhelmingly male-dominated and rife with misogyny that ranges in severity from broader generalizations of women to pro-rape discourse. 🔽
Incels form part of what has been dubbed the “manosphere”, an umbrella term referring to interconnected misogynistic communities online. The manosphere was founded in and fuelled by hatred of women. 🔽
December 30, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Incels form part of what has been dubbed the “manosphere”, an umbrella term referring to interconnected misogynistic communities online. The manosphere was founded in and fuelled by hatred of women. 🔽
2025InReview | A Netflix hit about a schoolgirl’s murder by a 13-year-old boy may have sparked a spike in activity on the world’s biggest incel forum. 🔽
December 30, 2025 at 2:54 PM
2025InReview | A Netflix hit about a schoolgirl’s murder by a 13-year-old boy may have sparked a spike in activity on the world’s biggest incel forum. 🔽
🔗 Read the full resource below and please share it with parents, teachers, and caregivers in your network.
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
Networks of Harm: A Victim-Centric Information Resource on the 764 Sextortion Network
Networks of Harm is a resource designed by ISD as a practical guide for parents, teachers, and others supporting individuals affected by the sextortion network.
www.isdglobal.org
December 29, 2025 at 3:48 PM
🔗 Read the full resource below and please share it with parents, teachers, and caregivers in your network.
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
The guide offers practical information and actionable advice to help families and communities respond to 764’s growing threat. It also highlights the importance of professional support and how to navigate the risk of revictimization. 🔽
December 29, 2025 at 3:48 PM
The guide offers practical information and actionable advice to help families and communities respond to 764’s growing threat. It also highlights the importance of professional support and how to navigate the risk of revictimization. 🔽
No one feels that impact as much as the victims and those who care most about them. With that in mind, ISD analyzed how 764 operates, who it targets, and what tactics it uses and created a resource guide for parents and educators. 🔽
December 29, 2025 at 3:48 PM
No one feels that impact as much as the victims and those who care most about them. With that in mind, ISD analyzed how 764 operates, who it targets, and what tactics it uses and created a resource guide for parents and educators. 🔽
The impact is devastating—victims are forced into acts of violence, including animal abuse and self-harm, with some cases tragically ending in suicide. 🔽
December 29, 2025 at 3:47 PM
The impact is devastating—victims are forced into acts of violence, including animal abuse and self-harm, with some cases tragically ending in suicide. 🔽
#2025InReview | 764 is a sextortion network which coerces minors into producing Child Sexual Abuse Material and then uses the content to force them into the unimaginable. 🔽
December 29, 2025 at 3:47 PM
#2025InReview | 764 is a sextortion network which coerces minors into producing Child Sexual Abuse Material and then uses the content to force them into the unimaginable. 🔽
Check the full report below
www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
The trust-consensus paradox: why decentralized fact-checking faces challenges on polarizing topics
The Dispatch analyzes Meta’s shift to user-driven moderation, exploring how Community Notes work, their strengths, limits, and ways to improve them.
www.isdglobal.org
December 28, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Check the full report below
www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
It also emphasizes exploring integrative approaches that combine community input with professional fact-checking, and centering user empowerment in platform design. 🔽
December 28, 2025 at 5:39 PM
It also emphasizes exploring integrative approaches that combine community input with professional fact-checking, and centering user empowerment in platform design. 🔽
Our report highlights learnings for platforms planning to implement similar models: encouraging a high level of contribution and ensuring transparency and data accessibility. 🔽
December 28, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Our report highlights learnings for platforms planning to implement similar models: encouraging a high level of contribution and ensuring transparency and data accessibility. 🔽