Myanmar's military has long understood that division is a tool of control. After seizing power in 2021, the junta began deliberately stoking tensions between the Muslim and Buddhist populations. When a rumour circulated that a Buddhist girl had been murdered near a Rohingya camp, the risk of conflict grew. This was similar to an accusation in 2012 that sparked deadly riots between Muslims and Buddhists. With the internet shut down and fear spreading faster than facts, the same thing could happen again.

Local peacebuilders decided to act. They launched the Shake Your Head Campaign. The idea was straightforward: whenever someone repeated a false rumour, those around them would simply shake their heads. No argument, no confrontation, just a visible signal that what was being said wasn't true.

It proved effective. Faced with one shaking head, then another, the rumour lost its power. Not through debate but through the simple realisation that the people around you don't believe it either.

The campaign spread across central Rakhine state, giving communities a practical way to push back against state-sponsored propaganda. In a place where the junta controls the airwaves and shuts down the internet, it was a response that required no technology.