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Home»Conflict»Conflict analysis»Radicalisation & violent extremism

Radicalisation & violent extremism

Gender and countering violent extremism (CVE) in the Kenya Mozambique region

Helpdesk Report
  • Iffat Idris
November 2020

This evidence synthesis drew on a mixture of academic and grey literature. While the literature on Kenyan women and Al-Shabaab was quite extensive (albeit with gaps, e.g. on returnees), nothing was found on women and Ansar al-Sunnah/violent extremist groups operating in northeastern Mozambique and the Mozambique-Tanzania cross-border region. This report should be read in ...» more

Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism Programming on Men, Women, Boys and Girls

Helpdesk Report
  • Iffat Idris
November 2019

Gender and age can have a big influence on people’s roles in relation to violent extremism: if they are vulnerable to recruitment, if they join violent extremist groups, the driving factors, what their participation in violent extremism entails, and – critically – what approaches should be taken to preventing or countering violent extremism (P/CVE). Hence, it is important not ...» more

Community cohesion projects to prevent violent extremism

Helpdesk Report
  • Iffat Idris
October 2019

This review looks at the use of community cohesion projects to prevent or counter violent extremism (P/CVE). It finds that such initiatives can be helpful in conflict-affected societies, but there are limited evaluations in the literature, and these generally do not make a direct causal link between interventions to promote social (community) cohesion and P/CVE. The retreat of ...» more

Youth vulnerability to violent extremist groups in the Indo-Pacific

Helpdesk Report
  • Iffat Idris
September 2018

This review of factors driving youth vulnerability to recruitment by violent extremist groups in the Indo-Pacific highlights the variety of factors involved, and the importance of looking at each situation individually. It is impossible to generalize: youth recruitment is context-specific. In Bangladesh the political situation has created space for violent groups, with youth ...» more

Violent extremism and terrorism in Yemen

Helpdesk Report
  • Dylan O’Driscoll
July 2017

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) first gained control of territory in 2011 when it took advantage of political chaos; it once again managed to take control of territory following the current civil war, which began in early 2015. AQAP’s aim is to create a number of smaller emirates, which will eventually link to form a caliphate when they deem the time is right. AQAP ...» more

Women and countering violent extremism

Helpdesk Report
  • Iffat Idris with Ayat Abdelaziz
May 2017

The experience of various women and CVE programmes confirms that women can and do play a significant role in P/CVE - but they need to be supported and empowered to do so. Key lessons emerging from experience to date include the following: Need for gender mainstreaming: It is important to consult women and involve them in programme design and implementation, carry out ...» more

Countering violent extremism

Topic Guide
  • Mareike Schomerus & Sherine El Taraboulsi-McCarthy with Jassi Sandhar
March 2017
Jano De Cesare: staircase at an abandoned explosives factory

This Topic Guide introduces conceptual and practical approaches to violent extremism in different contexts, setting out what we know from the literature (English and Arabic). ...» more

Factors behind the fall of Mosul to ISIL (Daesh) in 2014

Helpdesk Report
  • Anna Louise Strachan
January 2017

The city of Mosul in Iraq’s Nineveh Province fell to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), known in Iraq as Daesh, on June 9 2014, following three days of fighting between jihadists and the Iraqi Security Forces. General factors behind the fall of Mosul in 2014: Sectarian policies: Marginalisation of the Sunni minority following the 2003 US-led invasion of ...» more

The role of online/social media in countering violent extremism in East Africa

Helpdesk Report
June 2016

There is growing recognition amongst academics and policy makers that de-radicalisation and countering violent extremism programmes can be a more effective way of tackling extremism than purely militaristic approaches. Online and social media are useful in the dissemination of counter narratives in multiple languages, and to reach a broad, geographically diverse audience.  The ...» more

Online/social media as a pathway towards violent extremism in East Africa

Helpdesk Report
June 2016

Findings from a large and growing body of literature consistently highlight the increasingly sophisticated manner in which violent extremist organisations use the Internet and social media. However, there is relatively little empirical research to determine why and how individuals join violent extremist groups such as Al-Shabaab. Evidence is mixed and individual case studies ...» more

Webinar: religion, conflict and violent extremism

E-Learning
  • Webinar
  • Sara Silvestri; Andrew Glazzard; Martine Zeuthen
May 2016

  On May 11 2016, Dr. Sara Silvestri (City University London), Andrew Glazzard and Martine Zeuthen (RUSI) discussed issues raised in their reading packs on religion and conflict and violent extremism.  An audio-only version is available below.

Violent extremism

E-Learning
  • Reading pack
  • Andrew Glazzard and Martine Zeuthen
February 2016

‘Violent extremism’ is rarely defined: neither the United Nations nor the European Union has an official definition. USAID defines it as “advocating, engaging in, preparing, or otherwise supporting ideologically motivated or justified violence to further social, economic or political objectives”. However, this apparently simple and obvious statement conceals a great deal of controversy and uncertainty….» more

Extremist radicalisation towards non-state political violence in Jordan

Helpdesk Report
  • Emilie Combaz
September 2015

Within available evidence, there are a number of knowledge gaps on issues, social structures (such as gender), and geographic areas. To reflect this state of knowledge and to be precise about the sources of specific findings, this report presents references in the form of an annotated bibliography. Key findings and themes include: There has been little non-state ...» more

Islamist radicalisation and terrorism in Tanzania

Helpdesk Report
  • Elisa Lopez-Lucia
May 2015

The literature generally emphasises that while relations between Christian and Muslim groups are increasingly tense, there is evidence that Tanzania is not ‘a battleground for conflicting civilisations’ (Heilman & Kaiser 2002, p. 692). Many argue that while a number of identity groups (political, religious, ethnic) have served as the basis for political organisation and ...» more

Role of development assistance in countering extremism and terrorism

Helpdesk Report
  • Róisín Hinds
March 2015

The relationship between development assistance and security has attracted particular attention since the post-2001 ‘global war on terror’. Heightened international concern about religious extremism has placed the development-security nexus into a renewed focus, with increasing recognition of the links between development, governance, and terrorist threat. Drawing from the ...» more

Jobs, unemployment and violence

E-Learning
  • Reading pack
  • Christopher Cramer
March 2015

(This 10-minute presentation accompanying the reading pack was recorded at the GSDRC Seminar on Conflict and Development, London, 23 March 2015.) The notion that unemployment is a strong probable cause or motivating factor behind violence and violent conflict is remarkably pervasive in international development. It is believed that unemployment triggers participation in insurgencies, prompts people…» more

Radicalisation of diaspora communities

Helpdesk Report
  • Huma Haider
January 2015

Much of the literature emphasizes that radicalisation cannot be attributed to any one factor, but is rather the outcome of a multiplicity of factors. Individual and community influences (micro level) include: Identity crisis: second and third generation immigrant and diaspora communities may experience ‘cultural marginalisation’ in terms of alienation and lack of ...» more

Targeting groups at risk of extremism through security and justice programming

Helpdesk Report
  • Siân Herbert
November 2014

Several governments and NGOs are engaged in domestic and foreign 'countering violent extremism' (CVE) programming in the security and justice fields. USAID and the Danish government have been particularly active in this area. CVE activities are often divided into: hard power approaches (military, legislative, policing, infrastructure protection, crisis planning, border ...» more

Refugee, IDP and host community radicalisation

Helpdesk Report
  • Huma Haider
October 2014

Socioeconomic conditions: In some circumstances, poor socioeconomic conditions (e.g. impoverishment, unemployment, lack of access to services and infrastructure, overcrowded living conditions) may make it more likely for refugees/IDPs to become radicalised. However, Lischer (2005) finds instead that there is generally little evidence to support the connection between particular ...» more

Strategic communications and foreign fighters

Helpdesk Report
  • Shivit Bakrania
August 2014

Key Findings: There is limited coverage of strategic communications programmes specifically aiming to prevent the recruitment of citizens who travel to conflict zones to become foreign fighters. There is relatively more coverage of strategic communications with respect to broader counter-radicalisation or countering violent extremism (CVE) approaches, but there are few case ...» more

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