A year has now passed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Much like other global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has given new opportunities to violent extremists to radicalise and recruit. Understanding how violent extremists capitalise on such events and the consequences for preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) is a key priority for RAN Practitioners this year. In this edition of the RAN Practitioners Update therefore, we take a brief look at some of the challenges that the conflict has created and the work being done by practitioners to address it. The Update also features some of the latest papers published on the RAN Practitioners website and highlights a number of upcoming events.
Ukraine
Event
In April, practitioners, policy makers and academics from across the EU came together in Brussels at a RAN Cross-cutting Thematic Event to discuss the impact of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine on P/CVE. Jointly organised by RAN Practitioners and RAN Policy Support, the event explored a range of issues, including the impact of the war on polarisation, the return of foreign volunteers to EU Member States and war-related extremist narratives.
Film
In the margins of the cross-cutting event, RAN Practitioners spoke with two experts – Francesco Farinelli from European Foundation for Democracy and Virginie Andre from International Center for Counter Terrorism – about the impact of the conflict in Ukraine on the P/CVE environment, including the spread of disinformation and conspiracy narratives by Violent Right Wing Extremist Groups.
Spotlight
In an issue of the RAN Practitioners Spotlight magazine, published last year, leading experts analysing the conflict and RAN practitioners shared their insights and first-hand experiences of the conflict in Ukraine. The Spotlight includes content on community sentiments towards the war, emerging narratives around migration and refugees, evolving disinformation narratives and the foreign volunteer challenge.
Upcoming Events
Stay tuned to the Calendar page on the RAN Practitioners website for more updates on meetings which will take place in 2023.
Publications
How to prevent and mitigate anti-government extremism at the local level?
A paper, published by RAN Practitioners in May 2023, explores the topic of anti-government extremism and how it manifests in different cities or regions. The paper also discusses various approaches for preventing and countering this phenomenon, with a particular focus on restoring normality and rebuilding trust between governments and citizens in an attempt to mitigate further escalation (violent or non-violent).
Dealing with false or non-compliance in prison
A paper, published by RAN Practitioners in May 2023, explores the nature and scale of false and non-compliance of violent extremist or terrorist offenders (VETOs) in prison. The paper determines the implications for their risk and needs management and identifies available interventions and strategies, lessons learned and current needs of practitioners in dealing with these phenomena.
Contact us
RAN Practitioners is implemented by RadarEurope, which is a subsidiary of the RadarGroup:
- Phone: +31 (0)20 468 06 08 (office)
- E-Mail: ran
radareurope [dot] nl (ran[at]radareurope[dot]nl)
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