In the latest WwB Open House Talk, Professor Mia Bloom and Georgia Holmer, two experts in the field of extremist radicalisation, discussed how we can address the corrosive narratives that have been undermining the stability of our global security.

Economic, social and health crises have put an immense strain on the fabric of our society. Across the ideological spectrum, extremists have exploited and capitalised on these multiple and alarming developments. As a result, we are witnessing a rise in disinformation, hate speech, and polarisation. What role can we play to counter this new age of crisis and conspiracy? What types of threats do conspiracy theories play beyond rending the fabric of democracy, and do they, as some government agencies and think tanks have asserted, constitute a terrorist threat?

Mia Bloom is he International Security Fellow at the New America and a professor at Georgia State University. Bloom conducts research in Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia and speaks eight languages. She is the author of six books and over 80 articles on violent extremism. Her next book, Veiled Threats: Women and Jihad will be published by Cornell University Press in 2024.

Georgia Holmer is the former Head of the Action Against Terrorism Unit at the OSCE Secretariat and the former Director of CVE at the United States Institute of Peace. She has worked in a variety of capacities- as leader, advisor, facilitator, researcher, analyst and advocate – with governments, international organisations, NGOs, academia, and the private sector on issues related to the prevention of conflict and violent extremism, and the human rights aspects of counterterrorism policy.