Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism: Localization in Kenya, Kosovo, and the Philippines

Violent Extremism, National Action Plans, Localization, Kenya, Kosovo, Phillipines

Violent extremism has become a substantial international concern. Efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE) were formalized at the 2011 Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), where 30 countries identified community-level efforts to reduce violent extremism. National Action Plans (NAPs), and in some cases, Local Action Plans (LAPs), are developed to prevent and counter violent extremism. Based on this community-driven focus, the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) was founded in 2016 to assist and fund local communities in their efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism. We address three key research questions to provide insight as to how NAPs and localization promote the P/CVE agenda: 1. To what extent do National Action Plans consider local governments or local entities as part of planning and structure? 2. How should GCERF support its local partners in the future? 3. What are some shared strategies for preventing and countering violent extremism in the three case study countries’ National Action Plans?