The threat posed by extremist groups has become a concern for international security and stability. Turkey, due to the geographical proximity to this troubled area and its long land border with Syria and Iraq, has been facing an increased risk and threat to its security at many levels. One of…

In 2014, as a speaker at a countering violent extremism conference, I had to pull the organizers aside for an awkward conversation about a post to my Twitter account. Just before I was about to present, a supporter of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) had publicly tweeted…

This brief explores the history of cultural diplomacy and use of sports in conflict situations, examines relevant lessons learned and good practices that can inform the integration of sports, arts, and culture into countering violent extremism (CVE) efforts, and offers practical recommendations for policymakers and practitioners in the CVE field. 

Scope: Violent extremism poses a threat that is neither constrained by international borders nor limited to a single ideology. Groups and individuals are inspired by a range of religious, political, and ideological beliefs to promote and engage in violence. The threat posed by violent extremists has also become increasingly complex…

Minnesota is home to the largest number of Somali immigrants in the United States. The largest concentration is located in Hennepin County. This community has overcome many challenges since they began immigrating to Minnesota in the 1990s. Minnesota offered a strong economy and immigration-friendly programs. Today, the Somali community is…

This paper examines the EU counterterrorism policy responses to the attacks in Paris, 7-9 January 2015. It provides an overview of the main EU-level initiatives that have been put forward in the weeks following the events and that will be discussed in the informal European Council meeting of 12 February…

This policy brief explores the history of cultural diplomacy and use of sports in conflict situations and draws on discussions at the May 2014 workshop, as well as desk research, to examine relevant lessons learned and good practices for integrating sports, arts, and culture into CVE efforts.

One of the difficult tasks in the social sciences is integrative, interdisciplinary work. There are many commonalities across the social sciences in method, theory, and policy. The study of gangs has a tradition in the U.S. that dates back nearly 100 years, with an emerging focus in Europe and other…

The National Action Plan of Portugal is based on the necessity of combating terrorism in all its forms respecting the European Convention on Human Rights. The objectives of the plan are: deterrence, prevention, protection, persecution, and response.

In this report, the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) documents instances of torture carried out by the United States in the past several years at various black-site prison locations throughout the world. It was at these sites where techniques such as “waterboarding, keeping a prisoner naked in a cold…

The Islamic State (IS) is attracting Central Asians to Syria and fostering new links among radicals within the region. Unless the five Central Asian governments develop a credible, coordinated counter-action plan, including improved security measures but also social, political and economic reforms, growing radicalism will eventually pose a serious threat…

This document summarizes the recommendations advanced by participants in an international workshop on “Supporting Civil Society Initiatives to Empower Women’s Roles in Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism”, which was jointly organized by the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department and the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) on 13-14…