The intent of this practitioner guide is to better acquaint development practitioners with the use of surveys in preventing or countering violent extremism (CVE). Surveys are an excellent way to gather systematic data about violent extremism, as well as the behaviors and attitudes of the general public or important segments…

This report presents the outcome of research conducted as part of “Formers and Families”, a two-year project made possible financially by the European Union, the Dutch ministry of Security and Justice, the UK Home Office, and the Danish Ministry of Integration, Immigration and Housing. To investigate the possible role that…

This workshop explored the practical considerations and challenges of applying a range of monitoring and evaluation techniques and methods to CVE communication programs. Subject matter experts presented on a range of monitoring and evaluation issues relevant to CVE communication. These presentations formed the basis for discussions held in two breakout…

The threat posed by radicalism and terrorism is not new. However, with the end of the Cold War, while terrorism and extremism anywhere and associated with any religion is a major concern, what has come to dominate the security radar screen of Southeast Asian countries (and elsewhere) is the extremism…

Tony Blair’s “bloody crusades” in Iraq and Afghanistan have led to the radicalisation of a generation of young British Muslims, John Prescott has suggested. Lord Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, said that Mr Blair is “unfortunately” a supporter of regime change in the Middle East and that he “wants…

Today I had the opportunity to take part in a panel on Africa’s role in world security at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Conference. Security is a required precursor to development. You cannot attain economic growth, better health and education, and good governance without it. But while the number of…

Through the analysis of thousands of Twitter accounts following prominent white nationalists and anarchists, ICSR’s latest report —Who Matters Online: Measuring influence, Evaluating Content and Countering Violent Extremism in Online Social Networks – offers new quantitative tools to identify highly engaged extremists in large social networks and to evaluate tactics…

Islamophobia has become the predominant form of racism in Europe today. It is proving to be potent and multifaceted, manifesting itself at state, popular and party political level. It represents a profoundly divisive force, not least because the “Muslim question” is a central component of the “war on terror” characterised…

In 1904 Sir Halford Mackinder, one of the fathers of geopolitics, put forward a ‘Heartland’ theory. Referring to the land mass of Central Asia as the ‘World Island’ he suggested the theory that: ‘Who rules Eastern Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island; who rules the…

The paper presents a new theoretical framework to explain terrorism in an age of interconnectedness and globalization. It argues that we cannot truly understand terrorism inthe 21st century let alone counter it effectively unless we also understand the processesof communication that underpin it. In doing so the analysis raises questions…

Terrorists have been very successful in capturing the hearts and minds of the young people. They have done so by developing and disseminating a rhetoric that depicts their cause as both righteous and heroic against an adversary both evil and cruel. In this particular aspect, the terrorists have seized the…

Over the past seven years, jihadist activism has proliferated across multiple arenas, joined by an unprecedented number of individuals who have become foreign fighters. Much of the focus has understandably been on foreign fighter flows to Syria, but Libya has also seen a major influx. In fact, Libya now stands…