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This comparative synthesis report – building on four country case studies covering Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia – was produced in the framework of a participatory research project on “Opportunities for Preventing Violent Extremism in the Western Balkans”. Together with with four local research partners, we explore why some communities are particularly affected by individuals inspired by and/or joining the Islamic State (IS) or similar violent extremist groups, while other communities may show greater resilience to the same phenomenon. The project also includes policy outreach activities, both nationally and internationally, as well as local dialogue initiatives, in cooperation with local stakeholders and affected communities, in order to explore and develop strategies to prevent violent radicalisation in the Western Balkans in light of the research findings.

• Year2019
• Author(s)Engjellushe Morina, Beatrix Austin, Tim Jan Roetman, Véronique Dudouet

Ky raport krahasues, i bazuar në katër raste të ndryshme studimore në Shqipëri, Bosnjë dhe Hercegovinë, Kosovë dhe Maqedoni, u zhvillua në kuadër të projektit kërkimor “Mundësitë për Parandalimin e Ekstremizmit të Dhunshëm në Ballkanin Perëndimor”. Së bashku me katër partnerë hulumtues vendorë, në këtë raport shqyrtojmë pse disa komunitete janë veçanërisht të ndikuar nga individë që frymëzohen apo bëhen pjesë e Shtetit Islamik apo të grupeve të ngjashme të ekstremizmit të dhunshëm, ndërkohë që komunitete të tjera janë më të qëndrueshme ndaj të njëjtit fenomen. Në këtë projekt janë realizuar edhe diskutime me komunitetet, si në vend ashtu edhe në rang ndërkombëtar, si dhe nisma dialogu në nivel vendor në bashkëpunim me aktorët vendorë dhe komunitetet përkatëse për të shqyrtuar dhe hartuar strategji me qëllim parandalimin e radikalizimit të dhunshëm në Ballkanin Perëndimor nën dritën e gjetjeve të këtij hulumtimi.

• Year2019
• Author(s)Engjellushe Morina, Beatrix Austin, Tim Jan Roetman, Véronique Dudouet

Овој компаративен извештај нуди сознанија од заеднички истражувачки проект, комбиниран со иницијативи за дијалог со заедницата, спроведени во 2017/18 год. во четири земји од Западен Балкан: Албанија, Босна и Херцеговина, Косово и Македонија. Разбирливо, четирите земји вклучени во студијата имаат многу сличности кои се вкоренети во заедничките историски незадоволства, но исто така се поврзани со неразвиени економии, лошо владеење и административна дисфункционалност, национални и етнички тензии и нерешени прашања со идентитетот. Истражувачкиот проект се фокусираше на мезо ниво и се обидe да ги идентификува факторите на ранливост и отпорност на заедницата на насилниот екстремизам и да ги формулира и тестира препораките изготвени од градењето на мирот за делотворно спречување на насилен екстремизам (СНЕ). Со цел откривање и разбирање на она што ги прави заедниците отпорни на насилниот екстремизам, истражувачите ги анализираа карактеристиките на заедниците во одреден социо-економски, идеолошки и политички контекст.

• Year2019
• Author(s)Engjellushe Morina, Beatrix Austin, Tim Jan Roetman, Véronique Dudouet

Ovaj komparativni konsolidirani izvještaj, koji se temelji na četiri studije slučaja koje pokrivaju Albaniju, Bosnu i Hercegovinu, Kosovo i Makedoniju, izrađen je u okviru participatornog istraživačkog projekta nazvanog „Prilike za sprječavanje nasilnog ekstremizma na Zapadnom Balkanu”. Zajedno sa četiri lokalna istraživačka partnera, ispitivali smo zašto u nekim zajednicama ima mnogo pojedinaca koje inspirira Islamska država (IS) ili koji se pridružuju njoj ili sličnim ekstremističkim grupama, dok druge zajednice pokazuju veću otpornost na tu istu pojavu. Projektom su bile obuhvaćene i aktivnosti prikupljanja podataka od relevantnih aktera neophodnih za formuliranje politika, u zemlji i na međunarodnom novu, kao i lokalne inicijative za pokretanje dijaloga, u saradnji sa lokalnim akterima i pogođenim zajednicama, da bi se ispitale i razvijale strategije za sprječavanje nasilne radikalizacije na Zapadnom Balkanu u kontekstu nalaza ovog istraživanja.

• Year2019
• Author(s)Engjellushe Morina, Beatrix Austin, Tim Jan Roetman, Véronique Dudouet

Increasingly, governmental strategies for preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) are regarded as a necessary complement to broader counterterrorism strategies. Such inclusion is an acknowledgement that a pure securitisation approach is not entirely effective, and that a strategy which includes a “soft approach” to countering terrorism must seek to address social factors as well. However, within the Western Balkans region – and particularly in the Macedonian context – strategies to counter terrorism have been slow in adopting P/CVE approaches.

• Year2018
• Author(s)Filip Stojkovski, Natasia Kalajdziovski

This country case study on Bosnia and Hercegovina was produced, alongside three others covering Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia in the framework of a participatory research project on “Opportunities for Preventing Violent Extremism in the Western Balkans”. Together with four local research partners, we explore why some communities are particularly affected by individuals inspired by and/or joining the Islamic State (IS) or other similar violent extremist groups, while other communities may show greater resilience to the same phenomenon. Based on the research findings, the project partners will conduct policy outreach and local dialogue initiatives, in cooperation with local stakeholders and affected communities, in order to explore and develop strategies to prevent violent radicalisation in the Western Balkans.

• Year2018
• Author(s)Sead Turčalo, Nejra Veljan

This country case study on Kosovo was produced, alongside three others covering Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Macedonia, in the framework of a participatory research project on “Opportunities for Preventing Violent Extremism in the Western Balkans”. Together with four local research partners, we explore why some communities are particularly affected by individuals inspired by and/or joining the Islamic State (IS) or other similar violent extremist groups, while other communities may show greater resilience to the same phenomenon. Based on the research findings, the project partners will conduct policy outreach and local dialogue initiatives, in cooperation with local stakeholders and affected communities, in order to explore and develop strategies to prevent violent radicalisation in the Western Balkans.

• Year2018
• Author(s)Rudine Jakupi, Garentina Kraja

This country case study on Albania was produced, alongside three others covering Bosnia-Hercegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia, in the framework of a participatory research project on “Opportunities for Preventing Violent Extremism in the Western Balkans”. Together with four local research partners, we explore why some communities are particularly affected by individuals inspired by and/or joining the Islamic State (IS) or other similar violent extremist groups, while other communities may show greater resilience to the same phenomenon. Based on the research findings, the project partners will conduct policy outreach and local dialogue initiatives, in cooperation with local stakeholders and affected communities, in order to explore and develop strategies to prevent violent radicalisation in the Western Balkans.

• Year2018
• Author(s)Redion Qirjazi, Romario Shehu

Berghof Handbook Dialogue No. 13 looks more deeply at what it takes to formulate transformative approaches to violent extremism. The lead article by Mohammed Abu-Nimer puts a call for interreligious peacebuilding centre-stage, which takes seriously and truly integrates the perspective of actors otherwise often defined as part of the problem. Respondents from a variety of backgrounds will, over the months to come, discuss these propositions. They will shed light on systemic contexts, the role of identity and gender, practice-oriented work with youth and regional contexts such as the Western Balkans and the MENA region.

• Year2018
• Author(s)Beatrix Austin, Hans-Joachim Giessmann

This interview with Rudine Jakupi, Garentina Kraja, Rrona Kamberi, Redion Qirjazi, Sefer Selimi, Romario Shehu, Sead Turcalo and Nejra Veljan is an edited conversation with a team of researchers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia who are researching issues of radicalisation, violent extremism and prevention in the region and their respective countries. The interview was recorded in Sarajevo on 27 March 2018 and edited for brevity and clarity. Berghof Foundation works with the researchers interviewed here in the context of the participatory research project "Opportunities for Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) in the Western Balkans".

• Year2018