Download or read book Promoting Online Voices for Countering Violent Extremism written by Todd C. Helmus and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2013 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: American Muslims have played an important role in helping to counter extremism and are increasingly using social media to this end. RAND researchers reviewed literature and interviewed American Muslims experienced in social media to understand and explain key challenges facing these Muslim activists, and to identify ways in which the public and private sector can help empower these voices online.

Download or read book Promoting Online Voices for Countering Violent Extremism written by Todd C. Helmus and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2013 with total page 17 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: American Muslims have played an important role in helping to counter violent extremism (CVE) and support for al-Qa'ida, and are increasingly using the Internet and social media to these ends. Discussions with a number of Muslim leaders active in social media suggest that it is possible to expand such efforts even further, and doing so is a major objective of the August 2011 White House strategy to counter violent extremism. RAND researchers reviewed literature and interviewed American Muslims experienced in social media to understand and explain key challenges facing Muslim activists against extremism, and to identify ways in which the public and private sector can help empower CVE voices online. Their recommendations include reducing the national security focus of CVE where possible: addressing sources of mistrust within the Muslim community, focusing engagement and education on those influential in social media, and enhancing both government and private-sector funding and engagement

Download or read book Countering Violent Extremism Through Public Health Practice written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-06-30 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Countering violent extremism consists of various prevention and intervention approaches to increase the resilience of communities and individuals to radicalization toward violent extremism, to provide nonviolent avenues for expressing grievances, and to educate communities about the threat of recruitment and radicalization to violence. To explore the application of health approaches in community-level strategies to countering violent extremism and radicalization, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a public workshop in September 2016. Participants explored the evolving threat of violent extremism and radicalization within communities across America, traditional versus health-centered approaches to countering violent extremism and radicalization, and opportunities for cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration and learning among domestic and international stakeholders and organizations. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Download or read book Countering Violent Estremism in Pakistan written by Anita M. Weiss and published by . This book was released on 2021-04-29 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book identifies and analyzes the impact of the various ways in which local people are responding, taking stands, recapturing their culture, and saying 'stop' to the violent extremism that has manifested over the past decade (even longer) in Pakistan. Local groups throughout Pakistan are engaging in various kinds of social negotiations and actions to lessen the violence that has plagued the country since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan which let loose abarrage of violence that overflowed into its borders. In so many ways, Pakistanis are engaging in powerful actions that transform how people think about their own society, impeding extremists' rants while acting on 'envisioning alternative futures'. This book, hence, focuses on finding the sparks ofhope that local people are creating to counter violent extremism based on close ethnographic study of ground realities about not only what people are doing but why they are selecting these kinds of actions, how they are creating alternative narratives about culture and identity, and their vision of a future without violence. This book is also designed to celebrate what is flourishing in cultural performances, music, social activism, and the like in Pakistan today because of people's commitmentto take stands against extremism.

Download or read book Challenging Extremist Views on Social Media written by Jan-Jaap van Eerten and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-07-23 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a timely and significant examination of the role of counter-messaging via social media as a potential means of preventing or countering radicalization to violent extremism. In recent years, extremist groups have developed increasingly sophisticated online communication strategies to spread their propaganda and promote their cause, enabling messages to be spread more rapidly and effectively. Counter-messaging has been promoted as one of the most important measures to neutralize online radicalizing influences and is intended to undermine the appeal of messages disseminated by violent extremist groups. While many such initiatives have been launched by Western governments, civil society actors, and private companies, there are many questions regarding their efficacy. Focusing predominantly on efforts countering Salafi-Jihadi extremism, this book examines how feasible it is to prevent or counter radicalization and violent extremism with counter-messaging efforts. It investigates important principles to consider when devising such a program. The authors provide both a comprehensive theoretical overview and a review of the available literature, as well as policy recommendations for governments and the role they can play in counter-narrative efforts. As this is the first book to critically examine the possibilities and pitfalls of using counter-messaging to prevent radicalization or stimulate de-radicalization, it is essential reading for policy makers and professionals dealing with this issue, as well as researchers in the field.

Download or read book Violent Extremism in America written by Ryan Andrew Brown and published by RAND Corporation. This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Terrorism and ideologically inspired violence are persistent and serious threats to U.S. national security. This report uses interviews to explore why and how 32 individuals joined extremist organizations and how some of them exited these groups.

Download or read book Violent Extremism Online written by Anne Aly and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-05-05 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the interface between terrorism and the internet and presents contemporary approaches to understanding violent extremism online. The volume focuses on four issues in particular: terrorist propaganda on the internet; radicalisation and the internet; counter campaigns and approaches to disrupting internet radicalisation; and approaches to researching and understanding the role of the internet in radicalisation. The book brings together expertise from a wide range of disciplines and geographical regions including Europe, the US, Canada and Australia. These contributions explore the various roles played by the Internet in radicalisation; the reasons why terroristic propaganda may or may not influence others to engage in violence; the role of political conflict in online radicalisation; and the future of research into terrorism and the internet. By covering this broad range of topics, the volume will make an important and timely addition to the current collections on a growing and international subject. This book will be of much interest to students and researchers of cyber-security, internet politics, terrorism studies, media and communications studies, and International Relations.

Download or read book Countering Violent Extremism Online written by Joanne Nicholson and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this report, the authors seek to understand how violent extremists behave in an increasingly complex online ecosystem. This ecosystem, which is characterised by technological innovation and diversification of platforms, offers significant utility and advantages to violent extremists. By interrogating the variety of tactics and strategies being used globally, the authors have identified gaps in the understanding of the expansive contours of the violent extremism (VE) online landscape. The study highlights the extent to which these challenges require enhanced policy settings. Violent extremists have learned to adjust their behavioural posture through a variety of tactical measures to evade common counters. Although law enforcement agencies are conscious of how enforcement and denial actions change behaviours, there will always be a trade-off between keeping extremists where they can be monitored online and deplatforming them to reduce potential harm. Some of the ongoing adaptations of violent extremists are illustrated in this report, using case studies and examples from a variety of different platforms. At the strategic level, the authors dissect the ways in which violent extremist networks engage across alternative-technology and mainstream platforms according to the opportunities afforded by each platform. Developing a greater, more detailed understanding of the online VE landscape is imperative because of the extraordinary proliferation of VE activity online.

Download or read book Bombshell written by Mia Bloom and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2012-08-13 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 1985 and 2008, female suicide bombers committed more than 230 attacks—about a quarter of all such acts. Women have become the ideal stealth weapon for terrorist groups. They are less likely to be suspected or searched and as a result have been used to strike at the heart of coalition troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. This alarming tactic has been highly effective, garnering extra media attention and helping to recruit more numbers to the terrorists' cause. Yet, as Mia Bloom explains in Bombshell: Women and Terrorism, female involvement in terrorism is not confined to suicide bombing and not limited to the Middle East. From Northern Ireland to Sri Lanka, women have been engaged in all manner of terrorist activities, from generating propaganda to blowing up targets. What drives women to participate in terrorist activities? Bloom—a scholar of both international studies and women's studies—blends scrupulous research with psychological insight to unearth affecting stories from women who were formerly terrorists. She moves beyond gender stereotypes to examine the conditions that really influence female violence, arguing that while women terrorists can be just as bloodthirsty as their male counterparts, their motivations tend to be more intricate and multilayered. Through compelling case studies she demonstrates that though some of these women volunteer as martyrs, many more have been coerced by physical threats or other means of social control. As evidenced by the March 2011 release of Al Qaeda's magazine Al Shamikha, dubbed the jihadi Cosmo, it is clear that women are the future of even the most conservative terrorist organizations. Bombshell is a groundbreaking book that reveals the inner workings of a shocking, unfamiliar world.

Download or read book Feeling Terrified written by Lise Waldek and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-12-09 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Element presents original research into how young people interact with violent extremist material, including terrorist propaganda, when online. It explores a series of emotional and behavioural responses that challenge assumptions that terror or trauma are the primary emotional responses to these online environments. It situates young people's emotional responses within a social framework, revealing them to have a relatively sophisticated relationship with violent extremism on social media that challenges simplistic concerns about processes of radicalisation. The Element draws on four years of research, including quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups with young people, and presents a unique perspective drawn from young people's experiences.

Download or read book Countering Violent Extremism by Winning Hearts and Minds written by Adib Farhadi and published by Springer. This book was released on 2021-08-08 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 9/11, the United States and its allies have been waging an endless War on Terror to counter violent extremism by “winning hearts and minds,” particularly in Afghanistan. However, violent extremism remains on the rise worldwide. The effort and sacrifice of the War on Terror have been continually undermined by actions, narratives, and policies that many of the 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide perceive as Islamophobic. Incidents of Islamophobia on the part of Western governments, media, and civilians, whether intentional or unintentional, alienate the majority of Muslims who are law-abiding and would be key allies in the fight against violent extremism. In Afghanistan, for example, violent extremist groups portray U.S. and NATO forces as blasphemous, anti-Muslim invaders to frighten Afghan villagers into compliance. A similar perception weakens domestic countering violent extremism programs in the West that rely on cooperation with Muslim communities. As the Great Powers Competition emerges among the U.S., Russia, and China, America and the West can ill afford any further impairment in their counterterrorism strategy. The dangers of Islamophobia must be recognized and eradicated immediately. In Countering Violent Extremism by Winning Hearts and Minds, Adib Farhadi demonstrates how Islamophobia poses a threat to U.S. national security by utilizing historical context, statistical analysis, and in-depth case studies. Farhadi, who headed Afghanistan’s National Development Strategy, describes how Koran burnings, anti-Islamic rhetoric, and racial profiling harm relationships with the majority of Muslims who are not involved in violent extremism and thus perpetuate the War on Terror. America has sacrificed thousands of lives and has spent more than $6 trillion on the War on Terror. It can ill afford to squander more valuable resources in a strategy undermined by Islamophobia or perception of Islamophobia. As Farhadi explains, only through a reconciliatory narrative, can we work toward a shared future where violent extremism is eradicated. This book is essential reading for scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and executives who are invested in maintaining and rebuilding American credibility essential to global security and peace.

Download or read book Preventing violent extremism through education written by UNESCO and published by UNESCO Publishing. This book was released on 2017-04-17 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Preventing Ideological Violence written by P. Daniel Silk and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-04-24 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents the voices of police and community members who have been involved in engagement and partnership projects designed for countering violent extremism. Though the threat of the so-called Islamic State garners a great deal of current attention, the book explores ideological violence prevention efforts in a number of contexts, to include that of paramilitary organizations as well as Qa'ida inspired actors.

Download or read book Countering Extremism Building Social Resilience Through Community Engagement written by Rohan Gunaratna and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2013-03-25 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique work is the first to address the subject of community engagement strategies in countering extremism, and explores the development and research of these strategies. In so doing it demystifies the process of community engagement, while simultaneously extolling the virtues of the ground breaking strategies to have been effectively employed in Asia, the Middle East, and the West.The book then proceeds to examine the efforts of community engagement made by several countries against their unique operational and geopolitical environments. Finally, detailed reference is made to the role and work of the media and non-government organizations to have conducted effective community engagement efforts.With contributions from authors of diverse backgrounds, including media, the social services, security, and academia, this book will be of interest to both the general public and to researchers.

Download or read book Mining the Personal to Carve a Space of One s Own written by Orla Lehane and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This research focuses on individuals working to counter violent extremism at grassroots level. It details the way in which these practitioners draw on their own personal experiences to carve a space for themselves within a domain of policy that has seen an ever increasing variety of actors seek to augment their positions. That it is possible to intervene and avert people from being influenced by violent extremist organisations to perpetrate acts of violence is the impetus behind this growing 'countering violent extremism' (CVE) industry. CVE policy, a major concern for governments around the world, marks a shift within counter-terrorism towards prevention. This move comes as a response to well publicised acts of "homegrown" violent extremism, such as the 7/7 bombings in London (2005) and the Madrid train bombings (2004). The idea is that individuals can be "radicalised" to commit such acts, whether by friends or family, other significant individuals in their lives, online materials created and disseminated by violent extremist organisations, or by the wider socio-political context that creates a variety of situations and issues that may fuel individuals' decisions to take violent action against a perceived enemy. Those seeking to intervene in or reverse the "radicalisation process" range from government officials and offices to Silicon Valley corporations, from educators, NGOs, and private companies to individuals seeking to exert some influence. One set of these actors is focused on herein: grassroots level CVE practitioners. These are individuals who work independently of government and policy makers; they are not part of the "official" system. This research uses grounded theory to uncover grassroots CVE practitioners main concerns and to theorise the way in which they seek to resolve these concerns. A predominantly inductive method, interviews were conducted with thirty grassroots CVE practitioners working to counter a variety of ideologies, including right wing violent extremism, violent jihadism and violent extremism associated with republicanism and loyalism in Northern Ireland. Those interviewed include former violent extremists, former gang members, survivors of acts of violent extremism, Imams, youth workers, artists, and individuals who feel personally compelled to engage in CVE efforts. By taking a grounded theory approach to explore their experiences, this research offers an account of the way in which these grassroots practitioners function within the CVE industry. Mining the personal conceptualises the way in which these individuals draw on their own very personal experiences, repurposing these along with their skills and capacities, to establish themselves as credible and authoritative voices within the CVE arena. In doing so, these practitioners are carving a space for themselves from which they can work on their own terms, remaining independent while continuing to mine the personal as a way in which to resolve the frustrations they experience as a result of what they believe to be poor policy and practice on the part of other CVE actors.

Download or read book Youth and violent extremism on social media written by Alava, Séraphin and published by UNESCO Publishing. This book was released on 2017-12-04 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Countering Violent Extremism in Indonesia written by Elizabeth Bodine-Baron and published by . This book was released on 2020-09-30 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report presents the results of an evaluation designed to assess the effects of countering violent extremism-themed social media content used in a campaign to promote tolerance, freedom of speech, and rejection of violence in Indonesia. The campaign was partially successful in its appeal to the intended audience, its communication of its message, and its positive effects on certain attitudes. However, there were also negative effects.