In maintaining its commitment to bringing nuanced perspectives from experts in the field of violent and non-violent extremism, the Program on Extremism regularly hosts panel discussions, invited speakers, and other events.
A list of all previous Program on Extremism events is available below. To receive information and registration details for future events, please join our email listserv.
Foundations of the Foreign Fighter Problem: Investigating Blindspots Relating to Gender, Minors, and Families
On February 2 at 10 AM EST, The Program on Extremism at The George Washington University and the National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) will hold a virtual event titled "Foundations of the Foreign Fighter Problem: Investigating Blindspots Relating to Gender, Minors, and Families."
Almost three years after the Islamic State's territorial collapse in Syria and Iraq, questions remain regarding the men, women, and children from around the world who traveled to join the conflict. This event seeks to focus on discussing the scope of the "foreign fighter problem" and providing insight into some of the major existing knowledge gaps relating to gender, minors, and families. Devorah Margolin, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Senior Research Fellow will moderate a discussion. Speakers will include:
o register for this virtual event.
This event will also be live streamed to the Program on Extremism’s YouTube Channel.
*This event is in support of a grant project funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T).
December 15, 2:00 PM EST: Six Months After the Countering Domestic Terrorism Strategy: A Conversation with John Cohen
Six months ago, the Biden Administration released its new National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism. Rooted in assessments by numerous government, academic, and civil society stakeholders, the new strategy outlined a four-pillar plan to tackle our nation’s top domestic terrorism challenges. As a major stakeholder and implementing agency, the Department of Homeland Security plays a key role in these efforts.
To discuss the new strategy and more, on December 15 at 2:00 PM EST, the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) and the Program on Extremism at George Washington University will host an online panel featuring John Cohen, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Undersecretary of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS. Mr. Cohen will discuss how DHS sees the current threat of domestic terrorism, the difficulties tied to resource allocation, and the successes and challenges with implementing the strategy so far. He will be joined by Gina Ligon, the Director of NCITE, and Seamus Hughes, Deputy Director of the Program on Extremism, for a moderated panel following his remarks.
December 9, 10:00 AM EST: Rise of the Reactionaries - Panel Discussion
On December 9 at 10 AM EST, The Program on Extremism at The George Washington University and the National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) held a virtual event to accompany the release of its newest report, Rise of the Reactionaries: Comparing the Ideologies of Salafi-Jihadism and White Supremacist Extremism, authored by Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, Blyth Crawford and Valentin Wutke.
The study provides an in-depth assessment of the ideological similarities between white supremacist extremists and jihadists. It explores the underlying reactionary and violently intolerant nature of both movements, arguing that they can be understood as the products of very similar political impulses which are gaining traction around the world.
Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, Research Director at the Program on Extremism moderated a discussion on the report’s findings and more. Speakers included:
J.M. Berger - Research fellow with VOX-Pol and a Ph.D. candidate at Swansea University's School of Law, where he studies extremist ideologies. His research encompasses extremism and terrorism, propaganda, and social media analytical techniques. He is a member of the advisory board of the RESOLVE Network and the independent advisory committee of the Global Internet Forum for Counter Terrorism.
Blyth Crawford - Research Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation where she specializes in far-right online social movements. She is also a Ph.D. candidate at King’s College London where she studies far-right radicalization within online forums utilizing an ethnographic method.
Julia Ebner - Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, where she leads projects on online radicalization, disinformation, and hate speech. She is also the author of the bestselling books Going Dark: The Secret Social Lives of Extremists and The Rage: The Vicious Circle of Islamist and Far-Right Extremism.
Christopher Wall - PhD student at King’s College London’s (KCL) Department of War Studies, where he researches and writes about global far-right extremism from a comparative perspective. He is the author, with the late Walter Laqueur, of The Future of Terrorism. In addition, he has a secondary research track examining how AI/ML affect the counterterrorism enterprise in democratic societies.
December 2, 10:00 AM EST: Salafism and the Alt-Right Online Subcultures
On December 2 at 10:00 AM EST, the Program on Extremism, in conjunction with the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center (NCITE) and Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) hosted a virtual event to examine trends in Salafism and its relationship with various online subcultures. The event accompanied the release of a new ISD report, Islamogram: Salafism and Alt-Right Online Subcultures. This report provides an ethnographic deep dive into an emerging online Salafi ecosystem.
Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, Research Director at the Program on Extremism and expert on extremist movements in the United States and United Kingdom, moderated a discussion on the findings of the ISD report and broader contextual landscape today. Speakers included:
Moustafa Ayad - Executive Director for Africa, the Middle East, and Asia at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), overseeing more than 20 programs globally, and has more than 15 years of experience designing, developing and deploying multi-faceted elections, reintegration and rehabilitation as well as conflict resolution projects in conflict and post-conflict environments across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
Milo Comerford - Head of Policy & Research, Counter Extremism, leading ISD’s work developing innovative research approaches and policy responses to extremism. Milo regularly briefs senior decision-makers around the world on the challenge posed by extremist ideologies, and advises governments and international agencies on building effective strategies for countering extremism.
Blyth Crawford - Research Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation where she specializes in far-right online social movements. She is also a Ph.D. candidate at King’s College London where she studies far-right radicalization.
