RAN POL Local Training Programmes in P/CVE, online meeting 24-25 November 2021

The prevention and countering of violent extremism (P/CVE) landscape is changing strongly. The playing field of radicalisation and violent extremism is more shattered, diversified, and plays a role on meso, macro and micro levels, which makes it harder to grasp.

To understand these new developments and challenges, local training programmes are needed, tailored to the local radicalisation context and the specific local multi-agency cooperation in P/CVE. On 24 and 25 November, police experts in education and police trainers gathered online to share and discuss their experiences and insights on local training programmes.

More specifically, the focus was on local training programmes that empower local actors to be effective in preventing and countering radicalisation leading to violent extremism and terrorism.

The key outcomes were:

• Based on the presentations and discussions, there seems to be agreement on basic fundamentals for local training programmes: training in mixed groups (building and boosting cooperation and trust in the local networks); a shift away from sending information / “knowledge” towards practicing (interactivity, exercises, practicing skills).
• Training in the existing local networks should be aimed at searching for and finding the common sense of urgency for P/CVE and a shared language. Multi-agency working is grounded in understanding and respecting the other actors and using a common language by first-line practitioners.
• There was huge support for the Hexagon tool from the Canadian Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence. The participants suggested an event in 2022 for multiple working groups to discuss this approach and develop a European version that is adaptable to local contexts and translated into Member States’ languages. This European version should also have a train-the-trainer component.

This paper summarises the discussion at the online Police and law enforcement Working Group (RAN POL) meeting held on 24 and 25 November. It starts by presenting the highlights of the discussion on different local training programmes in P/CVE from the last 2 years onwards and on practical materials and exercises to use during the trainings. After discussing the key elements from the presentations, the paper also contains recommendations for developers and deliverers of the local training programmes. Finally, it concludes by describing practices of interest, and also makes recommendations and provides suggestions for follow-up and further reading.