Preventing Violent Extremism

The Strong Cities Network (SCN) is a global network of 270+ cities across 65+ countries addressing hate, extremism, and polarization at the local level. Launched at the UN in 2015 with support from US State Department, Denmark, and Norway, SCN is hosted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. The network facilitates knowledge-sharing through regional hubs and global summits, provides policy guides and training, and supports city-led prevention across three levels: primary (community resilience), secondary (targeted intervention for at-risk individuals), and tertiary (disengagement/reintegration). Notable city models include Aarhus (Denmark), Orlando (USA - police coaching youth sports), and Kacanik (Kosovo - reducing foreign fighter flow).

The Aarhus Model is Denmarks pioneering multi-agency deradicalization program launched to prevent violent extremism through early intervention and reintegration rather than punishment. Key components include: InfoHouse (central intake for risk assessment), trained mentors (diverse in age/background) who guide at-risk individuals, school workshops on radicalization, a Parents Network for families of radicalized youth, ongoing dialogue with Muslim communities, and an Exit Programme for foreign fighters returning from conflict zones. Based on Life Psychology theory, the model achieved dramatic results: individuals traveling from Aarhus to Syria dropped from 31 (2013) to just 1 (2014). The approach has been adopted by the Strong Cities Network globally.

MotherSchools is a globally recognized program by Women without Borders that trains mothers as first-line defenders against youth radicalization. Based on research with 1,023 mothers across Pakistan, Palestine, Israel, Nigeria, and Northern Ireland, the model recognizes mothers central family role in detecting early warning signs. The program equips mothers with leadership skills, communication techniques, and knowledge of radicalization indicators. The SAVE (Sisters Against Violent Extremism) network extends this approach, and Mothers for Life connects parents whose children joined extremist groups across 12 countries (Canada, US, Germany, France, UK, Tunisia, etc.). Results show mothers become confident peace agents in their communities.

Average Mohamed is a counter-extremism cartoon series created by Mohamed Ahmed, a Somali-American gas station manager in Minneapolis. The cartoons target youth aged 8-16 with messages of peace, democracy, and anti-extremism, using Islamic theology to rebut extremist interpretations. Ahmed voices the cheerful Average Mohamed character himself, producing low-budget videos (USD 1,000-3,000 each) that directly respond to ISIS and al-Shabaab propaganda. The series includes videos like Flames of Hell (rebutting ISISs Flames of War) and has reached hundreds of thousands via YouTube. Ahmed conducts outreach in schools, mosques, and madrasas across Minneapolis - a city that has seen more Americans attempt to join ISIS than any other US location.

PAVE (Preventing and Addressing Violent Extremism through Community Resilience) was a 3-year EU Horizon 2020 research project (2020-2023, EUR 3 million budget) involving 13 partners from 12 countries. The project conducted empirical studies in 7 countries (Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Lebanon, Iraq) to understand drivers of radicalization and community resilience factors. Four key themes: religious/political/ethnic extremism interfaces, religious-state institution interactions, online/offline narratives, and transnational influences. Outputs include an interactive risk map, vulnerability/resilience toolkit, open-access training modules, and policy guidelines for multi-stakeholder engagement in prevention.