Disengaging from Violent Extremism
Channel: United States Institute of Peace
Date: 2020-01-23

Disengaging from Violent Extremism: Kickoff for USIP Initiative on Violent Extremist Disengagement and Reconciliation

Governments and communities worldwide are now grappling with what to do when citizens who participated in violent extremist conflicts return home. Though the violent radicalization process is complex, it is inherently social in nature—and disengagement efforts will need to address those social factors too. Many returning persons will face prosecution, while others will reintegrate directly into local communities. But once the justice systems mete out their sentences, returnees need processes that enable them to abandon their violent attitudes and behaviors, and communities need approaches that can create social cohesion to avoid further violence, revenge, and future radicalization.

Join USIP as we kick off our VEDR initiative to progress past conventional notions of deradicalization—which generally focus on transforming a person’s beliefs about ideologies—and instead develop a systemic approach that simultaneously encourages disengagement and builds social cohesion and community resilience to prevent the reoccurrence of violence.

This panel will explore the cognitive, social, and structural factors involved in the disengagement, reintegration, and reconciliation of violent extremists within local communities. The premise of the panel is that sustained, positive, inclusive engagement with local communities is critical for building bonds, generating a sense of belonging, and fostering a cognitive opening to disengage from violent extremism.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #ReintegratingExtremists.

Panelists
Dr. David Yang, opening remarks
Vice President, Applied Conflict Transformation, U.S. Institute of Peace

Dr. Laura G. E. Smith
Senior Lecturer, University of Bath

Dr. Mary Beth Altier
Clinical Associate Professor, New York University

Dr. B. Heidi Ellis
Director, Refugee Trauma and Resilience Center, Boston Children’s Hospital

Dr. Rebecca J. Wolfe
Lecturer, University of Chicago

Dr. Stevan M. Weine
Professor of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago

Mr. Chris Bosley, moderator
Senior Program Officer, Countering Violent Extremism, U.S. Institute of Peace


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The United States Institute of Peace is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. To reduce future crises and the need for costly interventions, USIP works with governments and civil societies to help their countries solve their own problems peacefully. The Institute provides expertise, training, analysis, and support to those who are working to build a more peaceful, inclusive world.