This policy brief explores how basic principles of organizational change can help intelligence and law enforcement agencies weed out human rights abuses and build organizational cultures that promote, rather than undermine, human rights and the rule of law in their efforts to counter terrorism.
Promoting Organizational Change to Ensure Respect for Human Rights While Countering Terrorism
This policy brief presents a case study of a Danish initiative within the field of counterradicalization that provides channels for group interaction between state authorities and members of the Muslim community in Denmark. What makes the initiative unusual and interesting is that the main government actor involved is the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (Politiets Efterretningstjenneste, or PET).
As part of the Global Center’s expanding work on transnational threats, this policy brief examines the effects of “dirty money” on security and governance in West Africa and the Sahel. Illicit money, particularly from drug trafficking, is rapidly undermining the region’s political and economic governance, infecting legislatures, police forces, militaries, courts, and presidential offices, as well as chambers of commerce, in countries across the region. The brief considers the nature and provenance of these problems and some unorthodox ideas to tackle them.
This policy brief profiles a community counterradicalization program in the United Kingdom known as STREET as a case study of that country’s Prevent strategy. The brief examines how STREET operates and why it appears to be so successful and attempts to identify lessons in good practices that might be applicable in nascent counterradicalization strategies and programs in development by other states.
In this policy brief, Integrity Research and Consultancy presents innovative tools and methodologies for monitoring and evaluating counterterrorism programming. The brief looks at three specific monitoring and evaluation tool kits in common use among the research and development communities, and how, through their use, practitioners may gain new insights in measuring the effectiveness of prevention efforts.
This policy brief looks at how a culture of peaceful cohabitation between diverse Kenyan communities has been threatened in recent years by terrorism and violent extremism. The brief describes efforts to prevent radicalization in the country, particularly among Kenyan youth, and explores opportunities for expanding counterradicalization programming throughout the region.
This policy brief explores ideas for programs to counter violent extremist ideologies and approaches to dissuade youth from joining violent extremist groups. The brief delves into factors of social alienation and discrimination that increase identity seeking and examines the salience and resonance of violent extremist groups’ appeals to identity seekers. It concludes by exploring the potential role of cultural production policies as inoculation as well as diversion strategies and by offering some additional steps to effectively reorient cultural sector policies and reforms to reduce youth vulnerability to violent extremist and terrorist group radicalization.
This policy brief looks at the role of the Internet in violent radicalization. Terrorists increasingly draw inspiration, reinforcement, support, and guidance from a variety of online sources. The brief provides an overview of the challenges this poses to effective counterterrorism efforts, while arguing that the Internet also offers a potent tool for countering violent radicalization. The brief offers key stakeholders examples of how they can use the Internet more effectively to prevent and counter violent radicalization.
This policy brief offers eight targeted policy recommendations for combating the convergence of terrorism, crime, and politics. Rather than simply warning about the potential interaction and synergy of these transnational threats, the brief explores possibilities for exploiting their divergences. Drawing on insights from the criminological, conflict transformation, peace-building, development, and sociological arenas, the brief presents a wide array of policy ideas relating to, for example, security sector reform, post conflict economic policy, strategic communication, and law enforcement strategies.
This policy brief examines the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Humanitarian Law Project v. Holder and its potential impact on public and private actors that engage with terrorist organizations to promote peace and development. The brief notes that the decision has left many international actors uncertain as to whether their routine activities, particularly in conflict situations, could result in criminal prosecution or a civil suit under U.S. law. This uncertainty is exacerbated by international counterterrorism measures that require states to prohibit a broad range of support activities for terrorist organizations without requiring exemptions for humanitarian, development, or peacekeeping actors. The brief argues that there is a need for greater clarity in U.S. and international law to isolate those that should be prosecuted for material support and to guide the conduct of those who, in their efforts to promote peace and development, must engage terrorist organizations.