The Problem

Historically accurate narratives are quietly weaponized inside trusted digital micro-publics — WhatsApp groups, family and religious networks.

  • Stories like "our forefathers came from Far Cameroon" circulate as unchallenged truth.
  • Silence is read as agreement — entire histories go unheard.
Result: exclusion, polarization, and latent conflict.
Why It Matters

Conflicts begin long before violence — in the stories communities quietly repeat in trusted spaces.

Certain histories become "invisible weapons" — disqualifying others without a single hostile word being spoken.
Make the invisible visible. Restore balance without silencing anyone.
Our Solution

"Digital Heritage Infrastructure" — tools that surface narrative dominance so communities can reflect and rebalance.

Visible
Diversity
→
DEJM
Monitor
→
Stronger
Coexistence
Not to judge whose history is true — but to ensure every story has space.
The Digital Epistemic Justice Monitor (DEJM)

A real-time dashboard visualizing narrative balance — the digital equivalent of Mubi's roundabout monument.

  • Tracks narratives in opt-in community groups and forums
  • Calculates a TSI score for each narrative in circulation
  • Shows whose stories dominate — and whose are absent
  • Alerts when asymmetry exceeds safe thresholds
  • Promotes community reflexivity — not censorship
dejm.digitalriver.ng
Narrative Balance
85% Fulani Migration

Illustrative Snapshot

Fulani Migration85%
Other Fulani8%
Gude Land Tenure4%
Falli Founding3%
Silence Alert

Gude land tenure has high narrative potential but near-zero digital circulation.

"Why aren't these stories circulating?"

Tacit Score Index (TSI)

A metric quantifying the quiet political power of any narrative.

TSI = Cw × Ts × Ar
CentralityHow foundational?
Source TrustHow credible?
ResonanceEmotional weight?

"Our forefathers came from Far Cameroon"

9Cw /10
9Ts /10
9Ar /10
729/1000
high risk
Why It Works
  • Detects imbalance before narratives harden into open conflict
  • Builds community awareness — reflection, not confrontation
  • Restores epistemic symmetry without forcing agreement
Who Benefits?
Policy MakersDesign early-warning systems and inclusive peace policies
Community LeadersFoster balanced dialogue and prevent polarization
ResearchersReplicate the TSI framework in other plural societies
Partner With Us
  • Pilot DEJM in your community or region
  • Co-design the monitoring framework
  • Adapt the TSI for your conflict context
  • Cite and build on this open research
 Mubi North, Adamawa State, Nigeria "Peace is infrastructure that makes multiple truths visible." forteta.alvin@aun.edu.ng