IN THE WAKE of the Paris attacks, US government officials have been vocal in their condemnation of encryption, suggesting that US companies like Apple and Google have blood on their hands for refusing to give intelligence and law enforcement agencies backdoors to unlock customer phones and decrypt protected communications. But…
The UK Government has recently announced a new Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to facilitate tackling the threat of violent extremism. In light of this and previous initiatives, this paper provides a critical assessment of UK counterterrorism policy. This policy has created a notion of ‘suspect communities’ such that it…
Indonesian extremists have a long history of online activism, but links to the Islamic State (still better known in Indonesia by its former acronym ISIS) have raised questions about whether social media usage is significantly changing patterns of radicalisation and recruitment. The answer seems to be a qualified no, but…
Over the last two years, the Obama administration and Congress have promoted Countering Violent Extremism or “CVE” as a “soft” counterterrorism methodology designed to empower communities and build resilience to extremism. But CVE isn’t a new concept, and the flawed foundation on which these programs are built all but ensures…
Who would be the first to notice, and able to intervene, with individuals considering acts of violent extremism? Study 1 found evidence that those best positioned to notice early signs of individuals considering acts of violent extremism might be those individuals’ friends: perhaps more so than school counselors, clergy, or…
The Southeast Asia fighting unit of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Katibah Nusantara (KN) continues to expand geographically within a year of its establishment. There are about 450 Indonesians and Malaysians, including children and women under fealty to ISIS in Iraq and Syria today. KN or Majmuah…
The purpose of this review is to offer a wide-ranging discussion of what causes violent extremism and how it develops and persists. Discussion of violent extremism is often fraught with assumptions and received wisdom that can potentially obscure underlying causes, with implications for government interventions and policy. This review therefore…
Link to the official UN Security Council Resolution 2242.
WORDE Specialists have developed a curriculum for teachers to guide students on using social media and other digital media in a responsible, respectful manner. The curriculum includes a teacher’s manual and a complementary multimedia PowerPoint presentation for each chapter, designed to inform students of potential threats associated with online activity…
At the Sixth Ministerial Plenary Meeting in New York on 27 September 2015, Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) Ministers endorsed the launch of the GCTF’s Initiative to Address the Life Cycle of Radicalization to Violence (Life Cycle Initiative). As part of this new initiative, and in recognition of the complexity of…
Croatia’s National Strategy for the Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism aims to determine the strategic framework on counter-terrorism issues and to provide guidelines at the national level for upgrading existing and building new mechanisms and measures for preventing and combating terrorism. The strategy discuss national, transnational and international threats posed…
This Issue Paper is provided in support of the European Commission’s preparatory EU IT Forum, ‘Countering Violent Extremism: Online Communications’, held on 27 October 2015. The following questions are addressed: ?How do counter-narratives and alternative narratives1 play a role in prevention of radicalisation? ?What do successful counter-narrative and alternative narrative…
