STRIVE Cities Impact Overview: Strengthening City-Led Prevention of Hate, Extremism and Polarisation

Cities are critical frontline actors in preventing hate, extremism and polarisation: global crises like climate change and regional and international conflicts are expected to further exacerbate drivers of insecurity at the local level, and local governments need and want to be supported to protect their communities.

Demand for support is high: local governments in ESA and MENA want more tools and capacities to address drivers of hate, extremism and other forms of insecurity in their communities, demonstrated by the investment and desire to engage from both local political leadership and municipal officials.

The Potential for impact is significant: the programme’s focus on raising awareness and building capacity of cities to prevent and respond to hate, extremism and polarisation led to demonstrable change on the ground – local governments started investing in initiatives such as youth councils, more inclusive community engagement efforts, community-based partnerships and more to better understand and address insecurities driving hate and extremism.

Peer learning and city-to-city partnerships accelerate innovation and impact: cities adapted and replicated approaches from one another, from neighbourhood safety models to youth engagement structures, demonstrating the power of peer learning to spread practical solutions within countries and across regions.

Stronger NLC is essential for sustainable prevention: while both Hubs made significant progress with strengthening NLC on prevention, particularly in Iraq, Malawi, Morocco, Tunisia and Uganda, it remains an often-overlooked area requiring investment and support.

Municipal associations can serve as effective amplifiers, leveraging their networks to scale and sustain impact: in both regions, local government associations helped bring cities to the table, enabling the Regional Hubs to engage more city officials. Raising awareness of city-led prevention amongst such associations also raised their capacity and confidence to incorporate prevention into their existing advocacy efforts.