On the 25th and 26th of January, CONNEKT is celebrating its Final Conference in Brussels, co-organised by the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the IEMed.
The first day of the conference will delve into “New Insights on Radicalisation and Violent Extremism from the MENA and the Balkans.” This includes a multi-level analysis of drivers in the regions, mapping the interplay of these drivers at macro, meso, and micro levels. The conference will feature speakers such as Muamer Hirkić (UNSA), Tasnim Chirchi (JFRC), Amina Er-rifaiy (UMI), and others, presenting a cross-regional comparative approach to identify distinctions and differences in the interplay of drivers between the MENA and Balkans. The discussions will be facilitated by Corinne Torrekens (Université libre de Bruxelles).
The second day will shift towards “Bridging Science to Policy and Action,” focusing on translating research into practical strategies. The presentation of CONNEKT Prevention Toolkits to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the cross-regional guidelines to local authorities will be highlighted by Florian Bieber and Lura Pollozhani (University of Graz), among other researchers. These toolkits offer locally relevant resources to CSOs for developing activities and strategies to prevent violent extremism, while local authorities receive recommendations to enhance their prevention strategies.
The conference will culminate with a session on “Addressing P/CVE Challenges at the EU Level,” where policy recommendations for EU cooperation with the MENA region and the Balkans will be presented to facilitate knowledge transfer. The closing remarks will be delivered by CONNEKT’s Project Coordinator, Lurdes Vidal.
