This article examines the issues underlining Islamic radicalisation and violence in Nigeria, a phenomenon whose latest manifestation through the activities of the Jam?’atu Ahlis Sunnah L?dda’awatih wal-Jihad (widely known as Boko Haram), has attracted considerable concern. It traces the evolution of the phenomenon and identifies the key issues that have…

The fight against terrorism remains a top priority for the European Union and for Europol. The terrorist bomb attack at Burgas airport in Bulgaria and the shootings by a lone gunman in France claimed the lives of 14 people in 2012 and illustrate the serious threat that terrorism poses to…

The roles of women in international peace and security efforts have been underscored by the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000 and subsequent thematic resolutions on women, peace, and security issues. The roles of women as they relate to terrorism and counterterrorism issues, however, have remained less…

In 2001 the report of the UN Secretary-General on the prevention of armed conflict reiterated a pledge to move the United Nations from a “culture of reaction to a culture of prevention.” Reflecting these trends, international actors have expressed greater interest in taking a more preventive approach on terrorism and…

Finding people on Twitter who are into violent extremism is easy. But finding out who’s the most successful at spreading extremist ideologies online is a lot harder. Now two researchers think they’ve found a way.

Violent extremist groups are currently making intensive use of Internet fora for recruitment to terrorism. These fora are under constant scrutiny by security agencies, private vigilante groups, and hackers, who sometimes shut them down with cybernetic attacks. However, there is a lack of experimental and formal understanding of the recruitment…

Drawing on field-work in Europe and interviews with senior European defence league members, this report details how the English Defence League (EDL) and its partners have created pan-European umbrella groups through which they coordinate marches and campaigns, and transfer knowledge and tactics. It explores the way in which the movement…

This report synthesizes a rapid review of the literature on women and violent extremism, looking at women’s roles in violent extremist groups and acts over the last 15 years, and at the relationship between violent extremism and violence against women and girls.

This report, sponsored by the Center for Conflict Management at the U.S. Institute of Peace, focuses on the inroads extremist narratives have made in Pakistani society. As Pakistani reactions to the attack on schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai illustrated, Islamist extremists of various types have largely succeeded in painting their worldview as…

While right-wing extremism and populist extremist parties have been the subject of growing attention in Europe and North America, the emergence of ‘counter-Jihad’ groups has been relatively neglected. Campaigning amid fiscal austerity and ongoing public concerns over immigration, these groups are more confrontational, chaotic and unpredictable than established populist extremist…

Based on an in-depth literature review, this paper explores the terms ‘radicalisation’, ‘de-radicalisation’ and ‘counter-radicalisation’ and the discourses surrounding them. Much of the literature on radicalisation focuses on Islamist extremism and jihadist terrorism. This is also reflected in this Research Paper which explores the relationship between radicalisation, extremism and terrorism….

In recent years, only limited collaboration existed between the counter-terrorism community and the development sector. With the exception of some shared rhetoric on state-building and a common focus on an instrumental use of “development”, there has been more mistrust than cooperation, and civil-military exercises have repeatedly created grave problems for…