25 April 2024
There is a growing recognition of the pivotal role that education plays in shaping attitudes, behaviors, and resilience against extremist ideologies. Education as a universal value transcends cultures and contexts and can, therefore, be leveraged in P/CVE efforts and interventions.
On 25 April, the GCTF Initiative on Education for the Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism, led by the European Union and Morocco with Hedayah – The International Centre of Excellence for Countering Extremism and Violent Extremism – as Implementing Partner, held a Thematic Expert Workshop in Brussels, Belgium.
This interactive workshop enabled GCTF Members and experts to exchange insights, share best practices, and explore innovative approaches to education for P/CVE. Hedayah will consolidate the input received from the experts, together with additional research, in a research brief, and will develop a Toolkit and a Training-of-Trainers curriculum to support the practical application of the Abu Dhabi Memorandum for Good Practices on Education and Countering Violent Extremism and its Action Plan.
Prior to this workshop, Hedayah gathered experts on 23 and 24 April to identify and discuss key areas of education in Countering Violent Extremism (CVE). The two days’ event included exercises with a participatory approach and presentations by the expert participants to share knowledge and promote further thinking on the issue.
The GCTF Initiative on Education for the Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism is a concerted effort aimed at updating existing good practices outlined in the Abu Dhabi Memorandum to ensure that the latest insights on the topic and related experiences are incorporated. The Initiative focuses on Africa, more specifically the Sahel, where the terrorism threat has been increasing systemically according to UN reports on terrorism activities.
