For 13 years now, the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) has been supporting first-line practitioners across the EU in their efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE) in their communities, both on- and offline. RAN has become a benchmark in networking and collaboration in the field of P/CVE.
In that time, the network has grown to some 6,500 members, from every corner of the EU, it has expanded to incorporate a range of different working fields, from Communications & Narratives (C&N) to Victims and Survivors of Terrorism (VoT) among many others, and has evolved to include the Western Balkans and a new network of young professionals.
Over the course of the past 13 years, the network has not only had to respond to new and emerging violent extremist threats, such as foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) to Syria and Iraq and lone actor attacks in EU Member States, but it has had to adapt and respond to global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as to the latest trends and innovations, such as the emergence of new digital tools and technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).
Through regular Working Group meetings, expert-meetings, study visits, training events and publications, members of the network have had the chance to share and learn from one another, exchange insights, experiences and ideas, and develop new practices.
As RAN begins its next chapter, with the introduction of the EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation, this final edition of the Spotlight magazine takes a look back at some of the achievements of RAN over the past 13 years and a look ahead at some of the challenges to come and how the Knowledge Hub is set-up to support policy makers, academics and first-line practitioners alike to deal with them. Please get in touch with the ran
radaradvies [dot] nl (RAN Practitioners communications team).