This report aims to summarise the findings of the CONNEKT research project undertaken during three years in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region on social contexts and the drivers of radicalisation and violent extremism (VE) in four countries: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.
Departing from traditional, security-focused research approaches, the project adopts an innovative, multi-level, and interdisciplinary methodology to analyse and understand radicalisation and VE within the intricate web of social, political and economic contexts. The project’s primary objective is to map and investigate the interplay and specific relevance of these contexts, exploring seven potential drivers: religion, economic deprivation, political grievances, cultural and leisure opportunities, digital literacy, territorial inequalities, and transnational dynamics.
This comprehensive examination occurs on three distinct levels of analysis: the macro level, meso level and micro level. By adopting this layered framework, the project seeks to build a cumulative knowledge and a deeper understanding of the complex phenomenon of radicalisation.
This report aims to synthesise the findings of research activities undertaken in the MENA region within this multilevel framework and discuss their intersections and significance.
