1-2 March & 9-10 March 2022
Diving into tabletop exercises
Following the launch of the GCTF “Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism” Toolkit Initiative, a wide-range of participants came together for a two-day workshop focused on scenario-based discussions. The virtual workshop series was held twice at different times to facilitate diverse and inclusive participation from across the globe.
The GCTF Initiative Leads, the United States and Norway, took this interactive approach to further develop the toolkit. The tabletop exercises allowed participants to explore REMVE-related threats. Participants were divided into breakout groups to communicate, coordinate, and problem-solve the policy, operational, and legal challenges of REMVE through four different scenarios related to prevention, criminal intervention and prosecution, financing, and building resilience against attacks and challenges.
The takeaways from these discussions will inform the development of the GCTF “REMVE” Toolkit, which will include technical, concrete recommendations on how states can approach this evolving threat.
What is the GCTF “REMVE” Toolkit Initiative?
Led by the United States and Norway, this GCTF Initiative builds on the April 2021 GCTF exploratory dialogues and existing GCTF resources, including the Memorandum on Good Practices on Strengthening National-Local Cooperation in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism, the New York Memorandum on Good Practices for Interdicting Terrorist Travel, and the Antalya Memorandum on the Protection of Soft Targets in a Counterterrorism Context. Additionally, the toolkit will also build on the Criminal Justice Practitioner’s Guide for Addressing REMVE developed by the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ)—a GCTF Inspired Institution.
The Asser Institute and Valens Global serve as implementing partners for this GCTF Initiative.
Though terminology and focus differ, there is consensus that the “REMVE” threat landscape encapsulates a wide range of violent ideologies. It involves individuals or groups that promote or perpetrate terrorist attacks in the name of defending against perceived threats to their racial or ethnic identity or ensuring the superiority/supremacy of this identity, but they can also be rooted in gender-based grievances, anti-authority narratives, or a mixture of motivations and grievances.
Other related GCTF resources: