Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucuses

Within the region, national authorities, civil society organizations, youth, and religious leaders are working to bolster community resilience against extremism, supporting the rehabilitation and reintegration of former terrorist fighters and their families, and ensuring ongoing efforts to address the needs of other vulnerable people. Instability in neighbouring countries due to extremism and violent extremism also poses threats. While historically violent extremism in the region has predominantly stemmed from groups such as Daesh, al Qaeda, and their regional affiliates, Extreme Right Wing Terrorism and other racially and ethnically motivated extremism and violent extremism have also been concerning, as highlighted by Hedayah’s recent reporting which explored the impacts of pandemic-related extremist and violent extremist narratives both online and offline in the Balkans, alongside four other regions.

Through tailored programs, we empower governments, civil society organizations, and other local stakeholders in building resilient communities. We support local actors in developing localized messages that effectively counter extremist and violent extremist ideologies and rhetoric. Our work also involves expanding research on local drivers of extremism and violent extremism and assessing the effectiveness of prevention efforts at the national and local levels. A central focus is strengthening cooperation among regional organizations and institutions engaged in prevention, while supporting governments in developing effective rehabilitation and reintegration programs, as well as national and communications strategies to prevent and counter extremism and violent extremism.