This book aims to provide an overview of the importance of communities to mitigate the threat of terrorism, drawing key lessons and experiences from countries adopting community-based approaches. There has been growing recognition among countries to understand the construct of radical ideology and the tools needed to counter its narrative through a more socially inclusive approach, using communities as key stakeholders that have the resolve to be resilient in the fight against terrorism. The chapters provide invaluable insights on the psychological aspects of radicalization, the centrality of counter-ideology and case studies of approaches to promoting moderation, religious harmony and community engagement in building the resilience and resolve against terrorism.

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.

Following the launch of the global war on terror, western nations commissioned multiple community focused projects aimed at preventing terrorism and countering violent extremism. With an understanding that a comprehensive approach entails both proactive counter-radicalization measures and rehabilitation initiatives, these community-based projects typically aim to build resilience and enhance prevention capacity within specific communities. This book focuses on the perceptions and experiences of twenty-nine community-based counter-radicalization project leaders in eight western countries: the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Scotland, and France. By closely examining these efforts across multiple national contexts and in diverse communities, this book examines the challenges and opportunities of community-focused projects as identified by such projects’ leaders. At the book’s heart are interviews about community engagement and experience from the people most closely attuned to this vital work. By highlighting the importance of listening to community members, the book offers a rare chance to directly hear community members’ ideas, frustrations, and hopes.

This book examines the actors that shape societal dynamics leading to, or preventing, violent extremism from taking roots in their communities, including state representatives, religious institutions, and civil society actors. The volume contributes to an emerging stream of research focusing on intra- and inter-group dynamics to explain the emergence and persistence of, or resilience against, violent extremism. It utilises an actor-centric approach, uncovering the landscape of actors that play relevant roles in shaping societal dynamics leading to, or preventing, violent extremism affecting their communities. The analysis builds on new empirical evidence collected in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Iraq, Lebanon, and Tunisia. This allows for an innovative comparative perspective on two regions in the European neighbourhood that are rarely studied together, even though they seem to share common patterns of (de-)radicalisation and violent extremism despite their distinct historical, political, and cultural trajectories and relations with the EU. In both regions, the book analyses the roles of and interactions between state, political, religious, and civil society actors in shaping community vulnerability to and/or resilience against violent extremism. Different types of community leaders are equipped with varying levels of authority, trust, legitimacy, and influence over community members. As such, the categories of actors analysed can play either detrimental or beneficial roles, which makes vulnerability and resilience to violent extremism two sides of the same coin. This volume will be of much interest to students of countering violent extremism, terrorism, political violence, security studies, and International Relations generally.

"Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Together against Terrorism: Building Terrorism Resistant Communities, Washington D.C., USA, 26-27 September 2008."--T.p. verso.

The post 9/11 era has produced structured rehabilitation programmes in a wide range of countries including Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, Iraq, and Uzbekistan. There are also ad hoc and emerging programmes in Nigeria, China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom, and Nepal. Due to the threat from global Islamist terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS), the focus has tended to be on Islamist groups. However, Sri Lanka also has a multifaceted rehabilitation programme that was created after the ethno-nationalist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) group was defeated in 2009, which can teach us some valuable lessons. This book consists of a series of case studies of different terrorist rehabilitation initiatives that have been attempted around the world. Each initiative is critically analysed to develop a sound understanding of the significance of different approaches and strategies of terrorist rehabilitation in helping potential terrorists integrate back into society. Sharing and examining case studies, by both practitioners and scholars, this book provides vital tools to address the challenges faced by practitioners of terrorist rehabilitation programmes.

With recent changes in social and political landscapes around the world the focus of preventive counter-terrorism has shifted in many places from government to civil society. The contributors analyze the different approaches of Civil Society Organizations in preventing and countering violent extremism in various countries in South and Southeast Asia. The cases examined include, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The key emphasis is on understanding the context within which each example was initiated, and the factors that determined their relative success or failure. The evidence from these cases suggests that much can be achieved through empowering communities to engage in aiding both the indoctrinated and those who pose the greatest risk of radicalization. A valuable contribution to the literature on preventing and countering violent extremism.