VOICES FROM KENYA AND NIGERIA: WORKING WITH RELIGIOUS ACTORS TO PREVENT EXTREMISM

Religious Actors, Violent Extremism

In 2019 the Institute and the Alliance for Peacebuilding, with the generous support of the GHR Foundation, convened an Insights Forum in Nairobi. Our aim was to showcase to practitioners and policymakers the impact of working with religious actors to build peaceful and stable societies. More evidence on this is essential to support sustainable policy change and allocation of resources. The need for such an evidence base has become more pressing in 2020 due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, which is likely to lead to resources being diverted away from defending societies against violent extremism. This essay collection explores challenges and opportunities for policymakers working with religious actors, giving a platform to locally grounded perspectives and priorities, fresh thinking and innovative solutions to the ever-evolving, global challenge of confronting extremism. What are policymakers neglecting? What radical changes or policies are needed? What would help equip policymakers to deal with this challenge?