Security & Governance
Social cohesion and inclusive governance are critical for building peaceful, democratic societies. At Radar Europe, we explore the intersection of security, trust, and participation—supporting strategies that prevent violence and radicalisation and enhance community resilience.
Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism
Violent extremism is a complex and context-specific phenomenon that never emerges in a vacuum. Radicalisation into violent extremism or terrorism is driven by a combination of personal factors and external influences. It is rooted in complex layers of feelings of marginalisation, a strong sense of injustice, unresolved grievances, psychological trauma, lack of trust in the institutions and a personal quest.
From the threat of jihadist-inspired attacks to rising far-right movements and incels, the EU faces a complex and evolving landscape of rising violent ideologies. In response, Prevention and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) policies have increasingly recognised the importance of a multi-sectoral approach that addresses security concerns as well as the underlying social, political, and economic drivers of radicalisation.
The EU’s prevention and countering violent extremism agenda incorporates a wide range of interventions including:
The European Agenda on Security, adopted in April 2015, outlines the EU's strategy to address terrorism, radicalisation, organized crime, and cybercrime.
Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN): A platform that connects practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to share best practices and insights on preventing and countering radicalisation.
Horizon Europe: A EU’s research and innovation programme that includes funding for research projects aimed at understanding and countering radicalisation, violent extremism, and terrorism.
EU Internet Forum: A collaborative effort with online platforms to combat the spread of extremist content online.
Due to the latest geo political development, fostering social cohesion and building the capacities of local authorities, communities and organisations in preventing radicalisation processes remain crucial. The feelings of insecurity, injustice and helplessness could feed into vulnerability to extremist narratives.
At RadarEurope, we believe that effective prevention starts with smart cooperation between all involved stakeholders within society. From the strategical national policy level to the grass root level within the communities and families. From national and local authorities to the first line practitioners, schools, communities and families. Prevention and Countering Violent Extremism is rooted in the understanding that violent extremism is not just a security issue—it is a social and political challenge that must be addressed through sound and sustainable cooperation, fostering inclusion, dialogue, and trust-building.Our expertise focuses on:
Developing innovative research, evaluation, and knowledge sharing that brings local realities to the attention of national and EU-level stakeholders.
Identifying and addressing root causes of violent extremism, meaning the wide array of factors on the macro, meso and micro levels of analysis that play a role in the process of radicalistion.
Coordinating key actors networks such as the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN)
Supporting community-led initiatives that foster dialogue, strengthen social cohesion, and challenge narratives of hate and division.
Amplifying youth and women's leadership in peacebuilding and prevention, recognising their essential roles as agents of change.
RadarEurope works collaboratively with stakeholders across Europe to implement evidence-based strategies that foster resilience, promote social cohesion and support a proactive approach to security and governance.
Polarisation & Resilience
In an age marked by rapid technological advancement and global connectivity, European societies face complex challenges from ideological and social polarisation to widening income gaps. Polarisation brings about social fragmentation and increased risk of violence. It is also a breeding ground for radicalisation and violent extremism.
Problematic polarisation is not restricted to a single ideology. It takes various shapes and forms. It is fuelled by extremist ideologies and the spread of misinformation. As polarisation deepens within communities, recognising and staying attuned to social changes is a key skill for strategic societal planning.
At Radar Europe, we are dedicated to supporting organisations and institutions in their efforts to enhance governance in the face of radicalisation and polarisation. We work collaboratively with stakeholders across Europe. We support the implementation of evidence-based strategies that foster resilience and promote social cohesion. We enhance radicalisation awareness by:
Education and training: Developing comprehensive programmes that focus on critical thinking, media literacy, and empowering individuals potentially exposed to radical ideologies.
Strategic advice: Facilitating dialogue among diverse communities, promoting inclusivity and diversity, and debunking harmful and dividing stereotypes.
Community Engagement: Fostering community resilience through engagement initiatives for bridging divides and promoting social cohesion.
Research: Conducting innovative research to expose the underlying causes of radicalisation. Research is a key resource for practitioners and policymakers for developing evidence-based and effective interventions.
Policy recommendations: Providing policymakers with evidence and advice for workable policy solutions and effective governance strategies.
Online Hate
Radicalisation and Gender
In the rapidly changing world, it is challenging to keep up with the developments across the wide spectrum of radical violence. Women’s radicalisation as a phenomenon is not new, but there are differences between women’s and men’s motives, radicalisation pathways and roles in radical movements.
Understanding gender dynamics in extremist groups and the influence of anti-gender movements is integral for preventing radicalisation and violent extremism. Developing effective counter-strategies requires monitoring gendered narratives online and offline, and producing new knowledge, reliable forecasts and projections on radicalisation trends.
Radar Europe is a trusted partner of the European Commission and the European Radicalisation Awareness Network. We contribute to developing cutting-edge European approaches to the prevention of terrorism and extremist violence. We ask difficult questions: What are the gender hierarchies in and outside of radical movements? How do they influence individual pathways to radicalisation? How are they used by recruiters? We work with youth, health, welfare and forensic services and bring the social viewpoint to assessing radicalisation and security threats connected to extremism.
To us, integrating gender into radicalisation research means taking a critical look at the lenses through which radicalisation processes are studied and addressed. We in Radar Europe
Work with renown scholars and connect academic knowledge with wide range of practitioners
Help understand how intersectional fragilities from gender and socio-economic factors to age and ethnicity influence violent radicalisation and intergenerational transmission of radical ideologies.
Are specialised in facilitating multi-professional cooperation and information exchange between stakeholders from frontline workers to local authorities and policymakers.
