# Global Project Against Hate & Extremism (GPAHE)

    This is a discussion of an interview on 2024-08-22 with Heidi Beirich, a co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Global Project Against Hate & Extremism (GPAHE). After the interview, at most 29 minutes from it was broadcasted the following Tuesday as Radio Active Magazine on KKFI, followed a few days later by a 29:00 mm:ss audio file prepared for distribution as the "Media & Democracy" show syndicated for the Pacifica Radio Network of over 200 community radio stations.
    It is posted here to invite others to contribute other perspectives, subject to the Wikimedia rules of writing from a neutral point of view citing credible sources and treating others with respect.
Heidi Beirich, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Global Project Against Hate & Extremism (GPAHE) discusses their work. This includes what they and others are doing to reduce political polarization and violence and what individuals and governments can do to combat these threats.
Beirich has authored multiple publications on issues related to hate and extremism. This includes co-editing (2008) Neo-Confederacy: A Critical Introduction (University of Texas Press) and testifying on "Alarming Incidents of White Supremacy in the Military – How to Stop It?" 2020-02-11 before the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee of the US House of Representatives.
She said that many teenagers, especially teenage males with difficult home lives, get recruited online into a violent extremist ideology. Some are encouraged to become a "lone wolf" extremist like Timothy McVeigh, who committed the Oklahoma City bombing 1995-04-19. She mentioned the neo-Nazi Atomwaffen Division, which has been connected to multiple murders.
In addition to teenagers, many current military and law enforcement personnel are recruited into neo-Nazi groups. Veterans are often recruited as they are leaving the military; this is a particularly vulnerable time for many.
She said the military should be doing more. Lloyd Austin, the current US Secretary of Defense, became aware of this as a Lt. Col. and wanted to do something about it at Secretary of Defense. However, Republicans in the US Congress have explicitly zeroed out his budget to prevent him from doing anything to minimize the problem with violent extremists in the US military.
When asked what concerned parents or community members should do to minimize the risks of teenagers in their community involving themselves in extremist violence, she recommended PERIL, the Polarization and Extremism Research & Innovation Lab, headed by Professor Cynthia Miller-Idriss at American University: They are "Equipping communities with tools for change", including resources for, parents & caregivers, government and policymakers, faith leaders & small businesses, educators & mental health counselors, community members, and victims & survivors.

## Beirich

Heidi Beirich earned a doctorate in political science from Purdue and worked for the Southern Poverty Law Center from 1999 until she left to found the Global Project Against Hate & Extremism in 2020.
She is interviewed by Karl Brooks and Spencer Graves.

## The threat

Internet company executives have knowingly increased political polarization and violence including the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar, because doing otherwise might have reduced their profits. Documentation of this is summarized in Category:Media reform to improve democracy.

## Discussion

    [Interested readers are invite to comment here, subject to the Wikimedia rules of writing from a neutral point of view citing credible sources and treating others with respect.]