Three new research briefs offer insight to building programs that prevent violent extremism
With funding from the National Institute of Justice, START affiliates at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) evaluated the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s (MPAC) Safe Spaces program and found that the program as implemented was not successful, but some aspects showed potential and offered lessons that could help guide other programs and policies. In addition to a full NIJ report and forthcoming scholarly article, the researchers worked with START employees at the University of Maryland to produce three new research briefs which address:
- How can a public health framework be applied to preventing violent extremism?
- What should program designers consider to successfully develop and implement a public health approach to preventing violent extremism?
- What does a community-based organization need to successfully implement a public health approach to preventing violent extremism?
‘From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists’: First START-Oxford book is launched
The first title in the START-Oxford University Press book series, “From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists: Human Resources of Non State Armed Groups,” was released this month. The book, written by Vera Mironova, draws on her experiences being embedded with Iraqi special forces, and interviewing members of the Islamic State. Mironova uses labor market theory to explore why extremist Islamist groups were able to recruit and retain fighters. Read more.
DHS COE SUMMIT
Join START at the 2019 Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence Summit July 2019 – Aug. 1. Free and open to all and focusing on “Homeland Security Challenges: Evolving Threats and Dynamic Solutions," it will feature expert panel discussions – including START panelists William Braniff and Steve Sin – and demonstrations of COE tools and technologies and student research presentations. Register now at coesummit.org.
OPPORTUNITIES
**Enroll by July 1 to join inaugural cohort of free, online CVE course**
Learn how to develop a public engagement program to counter violent extremism in your community in a six-week, facilitator-led online course. Enroll by July 1 for the inaugural cohort of Designing Effective Community Responses to Radicalization to Violence, a FEMA-certified course made available at no cost to learners thanks to funding through the department of Homeland Security. Read more.
Apply by June 30 for Fall Internship with START
Undergraduate and graduate students from any university and discipline can participate in START's internship program. During the course of their internship, participants are exposed to the most up-to-date theories, methods and information related to the study of terrorism. They are versed in the critical questions tackled by homeland security practitioners, policy makers and researchers, and are mentored in a professional environment geared toward student success. Read more.
Summer school session two starts July 8
Students interested in terrorist behaviors and tactics are invited to take START’s summer session II courses, which are completely online and open to all students, regardless of university or major. Students can apply for classes up until the summer session start date on Monday, July 8. Classes include one on “Terrorist Hostage Taking” and one on "School Shooters and Spree Killers.” Read more.
Earn your Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis
START’s Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis is currently accepting applications for Fall 2019. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 26. The graduate certificate program provides participants with advanced education on the causes, dynamics and impacts of international and domestic terrorism. Read more.
PUBLICATIONS
Friends in High Places: State Support for Violent and Non-violent Ethnopolitical Organizations
Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict
Asal, Victor, and R. William Ayres, Yuichi Kubota
A Case Study of Climate Change, Extreme Weather Events, and Risk Communication in a Coastal Community
Risk Communication and Community Resilience
Craig, Christopher A., and Elizabeth L. Petrun Sayers, Song Feng
Weaponizing Peace: Colombia’s Demobilized FARC as a Lever of Russian Influence
SMA White Paper
Koven, Barnett S., and Abigail C. Kamp
Cry Wolf Effect? Evaluating the Impact of False Alarms on Public Responses to Tornado Alerts in the Southeastern United States
Weather, Climate, and Society
Lim, JungKyu Rhys, and Brooke Fisher Liu, Michael Egnoto
How Mobile Home Residents Understand and Respond to Tornado Warnings
Weather, Climate, and Society
Liu, Brooke Fisher, and Michael Egnoto, JungKyu Rhys Lim
Risk and Crisis Communication in Schools: Understanding Current Challenges and Opportunities
Risk Communication and Community Resilience
Page, Tyler G., and Brooke Fisher Liu, Holly Ann Roberts, Michael Egnoto
The Challenges of Terrorism in a Globalized World
The New World Disorder: Challenges and Threats in an Uncertain World
Pate, Amy
Examining Extrajudicial Killings: Discriminant Analyses of Human Rights’ Violations
Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict
Sommer, Udi, and Victor Asal
The Handbook of Communication and Security
Routledge
Taylor, Bryan C., and Hamilton Bean
NEWS
START senior researcher Barnett Koven travels to Benin to provide training
As a part of the project Community-oriented Policing and Community Engagement in Benin, START’s Barnett Koven went to Benin to provide training to officers of the Beninese Special Border Surveillance Unit (Unité spéciale de surveillance des frontiers, USSF), a special forces unit of the Republican Police. Read more.
Braniff speaks at Global Research Network on Terrorism and Technology conference
William Braniff recently appeared on a panel at the inaugural conference of the Global Research Network on Terrorism and Technology (GRNTT), a consortium dedicated to exploring the intersection of terrorism and technology. Braniff spoke about having realistic expectations of diminishing returns in countering terrorism in the online space. Read more.
Article based on PIRUS data among Criminology’s top 20 articles
The article “Correlates of Violent Political Extremism in the United States,” by Gary LaFree, Michael Jensen, Patrick James and Aaron Safer-Lichtenstein was among 2018’s top 20 most read articles in Criminology, the field’s top journal. First published in February 2018, the article uses the Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States (PIRUS) dataset to test whether variables derived from prominent criminological theories are helpful in distinguishing between nonviolent and violent extremists. Read more.
START hosts Australian students for June study tour
START welcomed 20 graduate students from the Policing, Intelligence, and Counterterrorism (PICT) program at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, for the fifth iteration of the “U.S. Perspectives on Contemporary Security Issues & U.S.-Australia Cooperation” workshop. Read more.
START continues to seek opportunities to fund the GTD beyond 2019
If your organization uses the GTD and would like to explore options to support data collection or purchase a license for commercial use, please contact us at gtd@start.umd.edu. If you are an individual who would like to support the GTD, you may make a gift directly to START through the University of Maryland College Park Foundation (UMCPF). START also welcomes testimonials sent to gtd@start.umd.edu from individuals and organizations regarding the value of the GTD to ongoing analytical efforts.
EVENTS
Book Talk: “How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat”
11:30 a.m. July 9, at START Headquarters
Author, foreign policy strategist and former diplomat Farah Pandith will give a talk on her groundbreaking new book “How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat.” Pandith argues that the solutions to the crisis of recruitment and radicalization are available and affordable. A pioneer in the war of ideas, her unprecedented experiences for President Bush and President Obama reveal information about Washington’s soft power challenge. She calls out the claim that “ISIS is defeated” and focuses on the importance of defeating the ideology.
Register to attend.
Jihadi intelligence: The case of Al Shabaab’s Amniyat network
3:00 p.m. July 15, at START headquarters
Dr. Ken Menkhaus, Professor and Chair of the Political Science department at Davidson College, will provide a lecture on intelligence gathering and analysis, and its importance to terrorist organizations, with a case study of al Shabaab’s Amniyat network.
Register to attend.
Lecture: A Tale of Two Caliphates
2:00 p.m. July 16, at START headquarters
In this lecture, START Director William Braniff will compare and contrast al Qaida and its global movement with the Islamic State and its global movement, examining the implications of this global competition.
Register to attend.
Terrorist Financing, Sanctions, and Emerging Risk
12:30 p.m. July 18, at START Headquarters
Researchers from Refinitiv World-Check will lead a discussion about regulatory finance and compliance research related to high risk entities and individuals. The conversation will serve as a snapshot of the team’s work on combating the financing of terrorism, narrative sanctions and other areas of emerging risk.
Register to attend.
Virtual Information Session: Graduate Certificate
6:00 p.m. July 18, online
The graduate certificate program provides participants with advanced education on the causes, dynamics, and impacts of international and domestic terrorism. Participants also develop the methodological skills necessary to pursue advanced research on and analysis of terrorism. This program is appropriate for both academicians and practitioners and is flexible in structure. Students can complete the program in as few as 12 months to 24 months.
Register to attend.
Career Talk: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Danny McGlynn, Treasury Dept
1:30 p.m. July 25, at START Headquarters
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Danny McGlynn, of the US Department of the Treasury, will give a career talk at START Headquarters. Mr. McGlynn has over 20 years of service with the Department of the Treasury, where he has held a variety of positions in OIA and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). He most recently served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for OIA, responsible for managing the organization’s receipt, analysis and dissemination of intelligence related to the Department's mission to safeguard the international financial system from abuse and to combat threats to U.S. national security.
Register to attend.
TRAINING
FEMA-certified Courses
- Coalition-Building for Countering Violent Extremism and Community Resilience
- Community-led Action in Response to Violent Extremism (CARVE)
- Countering Violent Extremist Narratives
- Integrating Mental Health and Education Approaches into CVE
- Designing Effective Community Responses to Radicalization to Violence (DECRRV)
Other Courses
- Cyber Threats You Face and Ways to Mitigate Them
- Using the Global Terrorism Database
- Training in Risk and Crisis Communication
START IN THE NEWS
National Geographic: Surrounded by chaos, Niger is a nation on the edge
This article on instability in Niger uses data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).
NPR: National Security Officials Debate What To Call The Far-Right Threat
START researchers Michael Jensen, Elizabeth Yates and Patrick James were interviewed for this All Things Considered radio spot about defining far right extremism.
NPR: After Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, The Challenges Of Putting 'Stronger Than Hate' Into Practice
START was cited on NPR’s Here and Now, in a piece discussing trauma and its relationship to radicalization, as well as the community response to the Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting: “Stronger Than Hate.”
Yahoo News: Military grapples with white nationalists in ranks
START researchers Elizabeth Yates and Patrick James were quoted in this articleabout radicalization in the military.
MSN News: Rebelling against extinction
START researcher Erica Chenoweth is quoted in this article about nonviolent resistance among climate change protests.
Tribune-Review: Experts: Refugee vetting effective despite alleged Pittsburgh terror plot
START researcher Patrick James was quoted in this Tribune-Review article about refugee vetting.
This is a selection of news clips from the past month.
A complete list of START’s media coverage can be found here.
SUPPORTING START
Help Support START Research and Education
The START Consortium is dedicated to generating knowledge of the human causes and consequences of terrorism. Applying rigorous standards to both research and education, START seeks to illuminate one of the most highly politicized and understudied phenomena in the social sciences for students, practitioners and policy-makers. Funded primarily through research grants to date, START is seeking to generate an endowment that will provide the flexibility and autonomy to ensure that it can continue to serve as an objective source of data and empirically based analysis into the future. To donate, or for more information, please click here.
Copyright © 2019 The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), All rights reserved.
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The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START)
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