Annual Countering Violent Extremism Research Conference Presents Top Research From Around The World

Annual Countering Violent Extremism Research Conference presents top research from around the world

MELBOURNE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 10th Oct, 2019) With growing threats of violent extremism in the region, researchers, government officials, academics and development experts convened for a three-day global conference on preventing and countering violent extremism, P/CVE, in Melbourne, Australia, to identify ways in which theoretical P/CVE knowledge and research can support its coherent and practical implementation.

The Sixth Annual International CVE Research Conference 2019 was convened by Hedayah, Deakin University’s Alfred Deakin Institute, Addressing Violent Extremism and Radicalisation to Terrorism Research Network and school of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP.

It was sponsored in part by the European Union Commission, the Government of Spain, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Republic of Turkey and the Government of Victoria.

"The threats emerging from violent extremism continue to evolve at a rapid pace. As we intensify our efforts towards eliminating this scourge, equal efforts must be made towards establishing preventative measures. We look forward to working very closely with our global partners, and this research conference is yet another step towards realising that goal," said Ahmed Al Qassimi, Executive Director of Hedayah.

During the conference, participants identified the current need for the on-ground implementation of P/CVE programmes. Discussions also addressed the need to adapt to new technologies and Artificial Intelligence to counter the threat online.

"We know a lot more than we did 20 years ago about how we can address the challenges posed by violent extremism and the factors that nourish its dynamics. But violent extremist ideologies and movements are also highly resilient and adaptable, and our research and strategies must be similarly adaptive to stay on top of changing threat landscapes," said Professor Michele Grossman, Research Chair in Diversity and Community Resilience at Deakin University.

"The UNDP’s partnership with Hedayah has generated valuable insight and helped develop critical research which has resulted in creating successful programmes in preventing violent extremism in local communities in South-East Asia," said Valerie Cliff, UNDP’s Deputy Director for Asia and the Pacific.

To enhance international collaboration and share the burden on P/CVE efforts, Hedayah created a model where several institutions have supported the conference.

For 2019, the strategic partners are Afrobarometer, Albany Associates, the Canadian Network for Terrorism, Security & Society, Conflict Management Consulting, DAI, the George Washington University Programme on Extremism, the Global Engagement and Resilience Fund, M&C Saatchi, Macquaire University, Monash University, Moonshot CVE, Multicultural New South Wales, the Royal United Services Institute, The Stabilisation Network, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the University of Queensland, and Victoria University.