Thematic Trainings on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism

The EU is a global leader in preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). EU programmes are advancing knowledge and learning on P/CVE as well as helping to identify best practice. RUSI has been implementing P/CVE training workshops on behalf of the EU since 2014.

RUSI delivers a variety of P/CVE workshops for EU staff, EU member states, civil society representatives and national governments:

Regional trainings are designed primarily for EU officials and key stakeholders who are non-P/CVE experts, bringing together practitioners from across a given region to facilitate learning and to enable networking and the sharing of ideas.
National trainings are designed to be country-specific, and the primary beneficiaries are national government actors and key non-governmental stakeholders.
RUSI has also delivered hybrid and virtual trainings, as well as bespoke trainings to meet the specific needs of key EU stakeholders.

Project team

Joana de Deus Pereira (Senior Research Fellow, RUSI Europe)
Claudia Wallner (Research Fellow, RUSI Europe)
Chris Goodenough (Project Manager, Terrorism and Conflict, RUSI Europe)

In addition, a variety of subject matter experts are invited to speak at the workshops on region-specific topics.

Aims and objectives

The trainings aim to improve the capabilities of EU staff, governments and civil society organisations. The courses are designed to increase understanding of P/CVE concepts and to provide the methods, tools and approaches to design, implement, monitor and evaluate P/CVE programming.

Each year, RUSI updates its training and associated training material to include emerging knowledge on radicalisation, lessons learned and best practice in P/CVE. The aim of each training is to ensure that participants develop the skills and attitudes required to design, support and advise on a range of P/CVE interventions. This takes places in countries with a high threat or risk of violent extremism, supporting the EU’s broader objectives to prevent and counter violent extremism.

Project outputs

RUSI Europe has delivered 18 in-person trainings in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, in addition to 5 trainings in Europe and North America and one online training. Training locations have included Albania, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Georgia, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.

Project impact

Feedback from workshop participants has consistently been overwhelmingly positive. Beneficiaries have welcomed the academic rigour of the training curriculum and the content of each training module. Others value the opportunity to share ideas with practitioners and policymakers from across their region. Pre- and post-course evaluation confirms significant improvements in the understanding of the issues discussed and of the skills required to integrate learnings into future P/CVE activities.