Extremism and radicalisation of young people do not stop at borders. Therefore, it is all the more important to find solutions that not only work on a national level, but also across multiple nations. Violence Prevention Network has already been active on an international level since its inception. The international work covers the following core areas:
One focus of our international work is networking with other organizations and institutions to target radicalisation prevention and deradicalisation. We rely on a combination of established and far-reaching network structures and smaller networks in which innovative forms of exchange of ideas and vision are developed. Violence Prevention Network is a founding member of the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN), affiliated to the European Commission. In addition, we are a member of the Steering Committee and Co-Chair of the working group “EXIT”. The main focus here is the transfer of knowledge and expertise to countries that have special needs. We establish networks and create opportunities for networking between various key players and decision-makers. The European Practice EXchange (EPEX) organises, in an explicitly informal setting, an exchange of ideas exclusively with and by practitioners working directly with extremists and at-risk youth. Job shadowing visits provide specific insights into the different workings of the member organisations. Resulting, transnational topics from the practical perspective are documented in a participatory writing process by all participants in a concluding publication.
Mutual knowledge transfer is the second cornerstone of our international work. From our point of view, transnational cooperation works more effectively and sustainably when they are run in a joint collaborative process: Even though we already have many years of expertise in deradicalisation work, the respective cooperation partners are experts for the local matters. Only when both sides work together can an effective work approach be developed for specific local and situational circumstances. We are currently cooperating with the Generalitat de Catalunya in the Preventing Radicalisation through Probation and Release (PREPARE) project. Through coaching and participation in conferences and workshops we also want to share our expertise, learn from other approaches and share ideas across borders. To promote a European approach, we emphasise two-way knowledge transfer and open discussions about different methods and approaches. Therefore, we present and discuss our work regularly, e.g. on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office abroad, at conferences and in front of international delegations. Through training sessions and workshops we support and qualify local organisations in the fields they desire.
Our third type of international engagement is political advice. Our aim is to contribute the findings of our practical work in various international committees and organisations. We work with various organisations and NGOs, including the UN, the OSCE, Impact Europe and the European Commission, as well as Hedayah and the Global Centre on Cooperative Security. In addition, we advise think tanks and research institutes.