While all eyes across the Atlantic were focused on a historic election on Tuesday, Europe was waking up to another day of mourning. The shooting in Vienna on Monday evening threatens to spread across Europe the tensions that have been rising in France over the past few weeks. Communicating in the aftermath of a (suspected) terrorist attack is an incredibly difficult task, but one that political and community leaders in particular have a duty to get right.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the world with profound social and economic consequences, disinformation has increasingly been weaponised in an effort to divide communities and mobilise hate. To understand how disinformation exploits a distrust of media and a restricted news intake to exacerbate existing community tensions, promote conspiracy theories and increase polarisation, the SCN has successfully piloted an initial localised assessment in the Municipality of Kumanovo, North Macedonia.
The destruction of the Babri Masjid in 1992 marked a seminal event in India’s post-independence history, setting the stage for the rise of the Hindutva-aligned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to national prominence. At the time, then chief-minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi cemented a national image defined by two narratives; first as a staunch Hindutva leader who allowed one of the deadliest incidents of anti-Muslim violence in post-independence India, and second as a pro-business reformer. Both catalyzed his rise to Prime Minister in 2014. Modi’s premiership and the BJP’s dominance of national politics has ensured both are able to implement their vision of transforming India into a Hindutva state.
With bedrooms and kitchens turning into offices over the past six months as Britain and other countries around the world introduce measures to stem virus transmission, we’ve seen a magnitude of unforeseen consequences. Across the country, incidents of domestic violence have rocketed and mental health problems have seen widespread deterioration. A vital and yet tragically overlooked consequence has been the ripple effect playing out on our online spaces, leading to an epidemic of online abuse, especially for women and non-binary people. Now that a new report has exposed that almost half of UK women and non-binary people have experienced online abuse since the lockdown, it’s time institutions deal with this growing problem.
At this very moment, almost 80 million men, women and children are on the move, violently dislocated from their homes and livelihoods. There are more refugees and internally displaced people in the world than at any point since the Second World War. And the challenges are set to worsen. Hundreds of millions more will soon be forced to move as a result of droughts, floods, rising seas and other climatic shifts.
Karolin Schwarz, Journalist and author Karolin Schwarz is a journalist, author, fact-checker and trainer, focusing on the far right, political disinformation and the intersection of the internet and society. Her book “Hasskrieger: Der neue globale Rechtsextremismus” (Hate Warriors: the new global right-wing extremism) was published in February 2020. She gives lectures and trainings on disinformation…
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The concept of “countering violent extremism” (CVE) – which involves the use of non-kinetic tools to undermine recruitment and mobilization to terrorism and focusing attention on the drivers and not just the manifestations of the violence – was not new when then President Obama convened the White House CVE Summit five years ago. However, the unprecedented high-level gathering of governments, civil society, and the private sector elevated the issue as a priority in many capitals around the globe.
This virtual event takes place 30 September 2020, 09:30 – 11:00 EST / 13:30 – 15:00 UTC. This September, the Strong Cities Network (SCN) will be celebrating five years of achievements since it launched at the U.N. General Assembly in 2015. To mark the occasion, we are organising a celebratory event showcasing the leadership of…
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Above: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan launches the Shared Endeavour Fund at Google’s headquarters in London in January 2020 9 September 2020 While society has had to focus on the huge challenges posed by COVID-19, another virus continues to spread. Bigots, supremacists and extremists have sought to use the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic to…
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Above: The explosion at the Port of Beirut on 4 August 2020 killed more than 200 and injured at least 7,000. 26 August 2020 Nidal Khaled, Coordinator and Focal Point for Majdal Anjar Local Prevention Network, Lebanon. President of Youth Initiatives Association On 4 August, a powerful explosion ripped through Beirut’s port, killing at least…
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Facilitate systematic sharing of knowledge, expertise and lessons learned on building social cohesion and community resilience to prevent violent extremism across cities on an international basis, through both regional workshops and international conferences.
Raise awareness of existing policy, programming, and practice through a dynamic and searchable ‘Online Information Hub’, providing an extensive library of existing local approaches and responses to prevent violent extremism.
Directly support cities to develop strategic frameworks and capabilities to build resilience that safeguard the rights of their local communities, including through capacity building seminars and interactive training modules on themes of mutual interest.
Directly seed the development of new and innovative projects through ‘Local Innovation Grants’, providing support for cities on innovative project development and support for the transfer of promising projects that could be adapted across different locations.
Directly support cities to develop strategic frameworks and capabilities to build resilience that safeguard the rights of their local communities, including through capacity building seminars and interactive training modules on themes of mutual interest.
Provide a global platform to enable cities to jointly voice their needs and those of their communities, to inform national and international decision-making on preventing the spread and growth of violent extremism.
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