In the summer of 2012, first reports emerged of so-called “foreign fighters” (FF) leaving their home and residence countries to join the Syrian uprising against the Assad regime. Since then, the number of these “travellers” to the Syrian, and more recently, Iraqi battlefields has grown significantly: From September 2014 to…

Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States-Foreign Fighters (PIRUS-FF) is a database collected by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) that contains over 100 variables on all phases – pre-travel, travel, and return – of the foreign fighter life cycle. The database…

The One2One initiative by the Institute of Strategic Dialogue (ISD) brings together a team of former extremists from across ideologies that are identifying those at risk of carrying out violent acts and directly reaching out to these individuals online, offering to engage in a constructive dialogue.

The rapid growth of the middle class in the developing world is widely seen as one of the most promising demographic developments in the 21st century. In emerging markets in China, India and increasingly in Africa, millions have been lifted out of poverty and boosted the middle class now driving…

The aim of the Countering Lone-Actor Terrorism (CLAT) project is to understand lone-actor terrorism in a European context. The project will develop a database of lone-actor cases from across Europe. Its overall objective is to see if it is possible to discern any trends or patterns that could be translated…

Boko Haram, one of the world’s deadliest armed groups, is waging an insurgency in the name of creating an Islamic caliphate. This violent conflict in Nigeria’s Northeast has killed nearly 17,000 people since 2009, displaced nearly 2.2 million people, devastated thousands of communities, and slowed the economy. Mercy Corps’ April…

As the Awami League (AL) government’s political rivalry with the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) reaches new heights, so has its repression. At the same time, a deeply politicised, dysfunctional criminal justice system is undermining rather than buttressing the rule of law. Heavy-handed measures are denting the government’s legitimacy and, by…

This report is part of a research project that assesses how military interventions can best prepare the ground for an effective long-term counter-terrorism policy. Three different cases have been studied, and they have each provided the input for the policy relevant recommendations that are presented in this report. The case…

In the last few years, Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries (especially Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) have constantly endured threats of religious radicalization and violent extremism. Many reports suggest that youth and women are being manipulated and recruited by radical groups to commit acts of violence both within their respective…

This report outlines the results of a pilot project undertaken by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) in partnership with Curtin University and members of the global Against Violent Extremism (AVE) network. This project was carried out in order to assess the viability of a methodology for direct intervention with…

The brothers who carried out suicide bombings in Brussels last week had long, violent criminal records and had been regarded internationally as potential terrorists. But in San Bernardino, Calif., last year, one of the attackers was a county health inspector who lived a life of apparent suburban normality. And then…

Research using social network analysis to study terrorism and insurgency has increased dramatically following the 9/11 attacks against the United States. This research emphasizes the importance of relational analysis and provides a variety of concepts, theories, and analytical tools to better understand questions related to militant group behavior and outcomes…