Course Overview

What is Violent Extremism?

Terrorism is an issue of global concern. As a result, there has been the initiation of a Global War against Terror for over two decades. However, this approach has focused solely on security-dominated responses, although its results are insufficient to combat the spread of violent extremism worldwide. Violent Extremism (VE) as a concept is the employment of violence based on an ideological commitment to goals which could be political, religious, or social. They are often carried out by individuals or groups with exaggerated beliefs or ideologies.

Why is Preventing and Countering Extremism (PVE & CVE) Program needed?

In the counter-terrorism field, the terms Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) refer to several programs, including community development programs and intervention by armed states against extremist cells. CVE is a concept that became popular in the late 2000s and has been in existence for decades ago. On discovering the shortcomings of CVE, the idea of PVE came to be to provide an in-depth strategy for not only existing security-based counter-terrorism measures but organic preventive measures which also deal with agents of violent extremism. Simply put, CVE programs seek to analyse the effect of the presence of violent extremism, while PVE programs aim to deter violent extremism from occurring.

This Zoe course will empower you with an in-depth knowledge of these programs and their differences to aid research for trainees.

Course Objectives

The key objective of this course by Zoe Talent Solutions is to provide trainees with:

• Unified understanding of the concepts of ‘terrorism,’ ‘extremism,’ and ‘radicalisation’ to encourage and ensure development, putting to practice, and assessment of standard counter-terrorism programs
• Ability to clear the misconception of CVE and PVE as one and identical concept, and the ability to decipher the separate concepts in a Counter-Terrorism Action Plan and instances when they overlap
• The zeal to truncate violent or extremist actions and prevent them from employing violence as a means of change
• A broadened horizon of knowledge on the need for dialogue and conflict prevention, good governance, the rule of law, youth empowerment, gender equality, and strategic communication
• The ability to engage in partnership between the state, civil organisations, and communities
• An improved relationship with law enforcement agencies and civil organisations to combat violent extremism
• Ability to counter the lure of violent extremism through the interruption of the radicalisation process

Training Methodology

Zoe Talent Solutions is a platform that provides training courses on diverse topics. Experience professionals are employed to deliver the training. These trainings are offered through PowerPoint presentations, video materials, trainees’ assessments, open-access materials for further reading, exercises, and case studies.

Zoe Talent Solutions initiated this training format, and it is used for all its courses called the Do-Review-Learn-Apply Model.

Organisational Benefits

With trainees undergoing this course by Zoe Talent Solutions, organisations that encompass states and communities will benefit in the following ways:

• A developed and improved relations with the needs of citizens and matters of security
• Improved, well-structured, and developed political and economic institutions at all levels
• Decrease in violent attacks and violent conflict by extremist groups
• A better understanding of the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factor which enables terrorist attacks
• The realisation of the need to tackle the cause of violent extremism, rather than agents of violence
• Ability to highlight the risks of violent extremism in the state and initiate tenable strategies to prevent and combat them
• An in-depth understanding of the value of collaborating with civil society, organisations, and communities against violent extremism

Personal Benefits

Individuals who engage in this training will benefit and obtain:

• An instilled knowledge and expertise of how to stop, prevent and disrupt acts of violence or its repetition
• Quality sensitisation of fundamental human rights and the superiority of the law
• Garner skills to help prevent violent extremism
• The ability to detect, truncate and terminate strategised terror attacks
• Enlightenment on the need to avoid discrimination and stigmatisation of ‘violent extremism’ on a particular religion, sect, or group

Who Should Attend?

• Students that are pursuing a career in Counter-Terrorism Studies or Criminology
• Policymakers who are interested in addressing the heinous act of terrorism
• Policy analysts who are interested in understanding the concept of terrorism and how to address it
• Individuals and groups who are at high risk of violent extremism
• Radical groups or individuals strategising to engage in violent extremism
• Community partners interested in nation-building and development
• National Intelligence Agency involved in issues of national security
• States and civil societies, communities, and organisations that are interested in nation-building

Course Outline

This course covers the following relevant topics regarding Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PVE & CVE) program.

Module 1: Background of PVE/ CVE

• Meaning
• Objectives
• Rationale for these approaches
• Implementation

Module 2: PVE/ CVE Programs

• Development programs
• De-radicalisation programs
• Training of security agencies
• Social media sensitisation
• Debunking of ‘extremist’ propaganda
• Local awareness and campaigns

Module 3: Drivers of Violent Extremism

• Environmental conditions &structural context
• Marginalisation & discrimination
• Unresolved conflicts
• Socio-economic opportunities
• Poor or inadequate education
• Radicalisation Process
• Background of individuals
• Group victimisation
• Diverse political and ethnic ideology
• Leadership
• Religion

Module 4: Policy Framework of Violent Extremism

• Global/Intercontinental strategies
• Regional PVE strategies
• National CVE/PVE strategies

Module 5: Management of CVE

• Funding
• Branding
• Participants
• Targets
• Information exchange
• CVE surveillance
• Dangers and problems of CVE

Module 6: Principles for Developing PVE Programmes

• Context analysis-based programming
• Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) programming
• Sensitivity to VE programming
• Result-Based Management (RBM) PVE programming

Module 7: Strategies and Targets of PVE

• Education and Inclusion of PVE in curriculum
• Teachers, schools, and educational institutions as agents championing PVE
• Children and young people
• Active social campaigns on PVE
• Safe places and accessible platforms for PVE

Module 8: Challenges and Obstacles of PVE & CVE

• Identification of severity
• Visibility impact of the programs
• The Conflict between state’s security rules and fundamental right of speech and privacy
• Disruption of a community’s norms and practices
• Politicisation of programs
• Absence of the desired impact on specific communities

Module 9: Recommendation

• Dispute resolution
• Improved governance, human rights and the rule of law
• Community sensitisation
• Youth empowerment
• Gender equality
• Media sensitisation
• Education and skill acquisition