The Global Jihad in Flux: Nexus Project Launch

Summary

On March 7, 2021, the Program on Extremism launched a new project— The Global-Local Jihadist Nexus: Islamic State and Al-Qaida Affiliates Monitor (Nexus). This project draws on a global network of subject matter experts and locally-based researchers to monitor Islamic State and al-Qaida affiliates across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, as well as their support and enabling networks in the West. The project regularly publishes analysis through our new platform, Nexus.

As part of the launch event, the Program released the first tranche of articles and reports written by our inaugural authors. The event opened with remarks by Program on Extremism Director Lorenzo Vidino, and then turned to keynote presentations from three of our distinguished authors:

• Bulama Bukarti, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
• Tricia Bacon, School of Public Affairs at American University
• Farkhondeh Akbari, Gender, Peace, and Security Centre at Monash Univeristy 

Their analysis covered regions including West Africa, Somalia, and Afghanistan. A moderated discussion followed chaired by Program on Extremism Senior Research Fellow Haroro Ingram and Research Fellow Andrew Mines.