Violent extremism and its impact on the work of local authorities

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the concept of extremism has played an important role in development policies and programs at the international and local levels having undergone several developments. The current focus of most actors has shifted to mitigating, preventing, and countering violent extremism. This term was coined in an attempt to reframe the global war on terrorism in a way that shifts the focus from the overly militarized responses of the 1990s and early 21st century to approaches linked to social support and prevention. While counterterrorism focuses on confronting terrorists with physical means, the P/CVE approach aims to prevent the emergence of violent extremist organizations through less militarized methods. Therefore, P/CVE programs aim to enhance the resilience of communities that may be vulnerable to violent extremism.