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Material grievances – especially high youth unemployment – are a far greater breeding ground for extremism than religious or political beliefs. This is the conclusion of a major international study involving the Research Centre Global Dynamics at Leipzig University. Researchers examined local and structural factors that foster extremist radicalisation in 17 countries in the Balkans, the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel region. The key findings have just been published in the open-access book “Resisting Radicalization. Exploring the Nonoccurrence of Violent Extremism”.
In their studies conducted between 2020 and 2023 across 17 countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia; Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt; Mali and Niger; and Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – the researchers found that trust in local regulatory authorities and strong social cohesion play a crucial role in preventing the spread of extremism. Western military interventions and interference in sovereign regional structures, on the other hand, are often counterproductive and may even contribute to strengthening extremist discourse.
Creating economic incentives for the future
“The project taught us a lot about the role of socio-economic factors, which can either foster or help contain radicalisation. Wherever it is possible to create prospects – whether through state structures, EU funding programmes or other international stakeholders – this gives rise to economic incentives for the future,” says Dr Gilad Ben-Nun from the Global and European Studies Institute at Leipzig University, who is co-editor of the open-access publication. He adds that these could be jobs, infrastructure projects or major investments – and that this gives people something to feel positive about, as opposed to feeling stuck and having nothing to lose. This in turn could be exacerbated by extremist influences, such as Islamist violence. The researchers also believe that providing training for teachers, social workers and local security forces can help identify risks in time.
Together with 14 European partner institutions and the coordinating Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), researchers from the Research Centre Global Dynamics at Leipzig University conducted quantitative surveys as well as qualitative interviews and discussions with focus groups in the respective countries. In addition to representatives of local administrations, religious authorities and security agencies, the main respondents were people living in communities perceived to be at risk of radicalisation. Local religious leaders such as imams or traditional dignitaries were actively involved in the research, as they enjoy the trust of the community and are quicker to spot ‘extremist’ influences. In this way, it was possible to gain deep insights into local living conditions, prospects and resistance strategies. Field observations also contributed to the findings. In each country, local researchers were also directly involved. Funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, the scholars were able to gain a deep insight into regional specificities by working closely with local stakeholders and mixed research teams.
University researchers contribute their expertise in area studies
“Participating in the PREVEX project was important for Leipzig University because it allowed us to expand our international cooperation network with good partner institutes and pre-eminent colleagues. In addition, we have contributed our own complementary area studies expertise on the Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa, and Africa,” says Professor Ulf Engel from the Institute of African Studies at Leipzig University and co-editor of the book. In addition to him and Dr Ben-Nun, the open-access book was edited by Dr Kari Osland and Morten Bøås from NUPI.
The authors emphasise that future efforts should focus on tackling structural and economic causes and building trust in local institutions. Particularly when dealing with Muslim-majority societies, cooperation with recognised religious authorities is crucial to developing sustainable solutions.
Susann Sika, translation: Matthew Rockey
Roman Krawielicki
Science Communication Officer from Research Centre Global Dynamics, Leipzig University
+49341-9737881
Email: roman.krawielicki@uni-leipzig.de
Web: https://recentglobe.uni-leipzig.de/en
Professor Ulf Engel
Professor of Politics in Africa
Institute of African Studies
Email: uengel@uni-leipzig.de
Web: https://www.uni-leipzig.de/en/profile/mitarbeiter/prof-dr-ulf-engel
Dr. phil. habil. Gilad Ben-Nun
Research fellow
Global & European Studies Institute
Email: gilad.ben-nun@uni-leipzig.de
Web: https://www.uni-leipzig.de/en/profile/mitarbeiter/dr-gilad-ben-nun
“Resisting Radicalization: Exploring the Nonoccurrence of Violent Extremism”; Morten Bøås, Gilad Ben-Nun, Ulf Engel, Kari Osland; published as open access by Lynne Rienner Publishers: https://www.rienner.com/title/Resisting_Radicalization_Exploring_the_Nonoccurren...
Material grievances are a stronger breeding ground for extremism than political beliefs. (File image ...
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Material grievances are a stronger breeding ground for extremism than political beliefs. (File image ...
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