Recording: Paper Launch: The Contested Relationship Between Youth and Violent Extremism

As part of the Prevention Project, RUSI’s Terrorism and Conflict Research Group has conducted extensive research on the effectiveness of global interventions aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). The Prevention Project aims to analyse P/CVE interventions, looking at what can and what has not worked.

The fifth webinar in this series will provide insights into the role youth-focused interventions play in preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). Given that young people make up a high proportion of those involved in terrorism, much of the programming in the preventive space is targeted at the ‘youth’ segment of the population. The programmatic focus on certain age groups can create the impression that all individuals in these groups are at risk of radicalisation and recruitment into violent extremism - an assertion not supported by evidence - while neglecting local and cultural variations of how ‘youth’ is defined and how extremist groups target youth. Interrogating the available evidence, the paper examines the key limitations of existing P/CVE youth empowerment interventions and identifies potential solutions to overcoming these restrictions.

In this webinar, Claudia Wallner, the author, will provide an overview of the paper’s main conclusions, and this will be followed by presentations from academics and practitioners working in the field.

Speakers

Claudia Wallner - Research Analyst, RUSI
Marc Sommers PhD -  International Consultant.
Achaleke Christian Leke - Civil society activist and youth expert.

This event is chaired by Dr Jessica White - Research Fellow, RUSI.