By Eric Rosand and Khalid Koser | July 27, 2016

There is something of a paradox emerging around global efforts to counter violent extremism. In the wake of terrorist attacks in Aden, Baghdad, Dhaka, Istanbul, Kabul, Nice, Orlando, and elsewhere, public awareness of the problem and the need to address it has never been greater. Even as states and international organizations are beginning to turn their attention to preventing violent extremism, however, funding and organizational weaknesses are limiting their progress. The result is that the world’s increased attention to violent extremism has not produced CVE programs that are as effective as they should be. These problems have some clear solutions, and donors should embrace them quickly.

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By Eric Rosand | July 5, 2016

The creation of the Global Counterterrorism Forum was a success for the international community’s counterterrorism efforts, but was it enough? Over the decade and a half since the 9/11 attacks, calls for more international counterterrorism co-operation have become a stock element of political leaders’ speeches. Following each successive terrorist attack, leaders have underscored the need for greater collaboration among military, intelligence, law enforcement and criminal justice officials to counter increasingly transnational threats. These calls have been echoed at the multilateral level, with the UN and regional organisations adopting resolutions reiterating the need for intensified inter-state co-operation and outlining steps that national governments should take to address the threats facing them.

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By Eric Rosand | July 1, 2016

In the face of near weekly terrorist attacks and heightened threat levels around the globe, political leaders and security professionals are struggling with how to demonstrate toughness and resolve, while at the same time searching for new strategies to deal with a threat that continues to grow. Military leaders are becoming increasingly outspoken about how we can’t kill or arrest our way out of the problem. There are increasing calls for complementary approaches that don’t rely on force or jail but focus on community-led interventions to steer individuals away from violence and reintegrate them into society — so called “off ramps.”

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