Survivors of violent extremism can and must play an integral role in PVE efforts. However, they need support to translate their traumatic experiences into action and stop the spread of extremist ideologies. In order to empower those affected and concerned and highlight their part in PVE, Women without Borders (WwB) and the Hedayah Centre in Abu Dhabi convened experts, practitioners, academics, policy makers, government officials, and survivors of violent extremism for a two-day working conference in Vienna in 2013. They discussed how the international community could better support survivors and the need for their inclusion in of PVE programming and policy. The working group aimed to produce a set of specific principles and guidelines to help support those affected and concerned by violent extremism, to identify concrete next steps in supporting these individuals, and to build a network of experts that could advance global understanding of civil society in PVE.

Speakers:

Lani Shamash, United Nations

Max Boon, The International Centre on Counter-Terrorism – the Hague

Christina Nemr, US State Department

Richard Chalk, UK Research, Information, and Communications Unit

Jo Dover, The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace

Denise Lifton, UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force

Guillaume Denoix de Saint Marc, RAN Network

Mehdi Knani, Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe

Rachel Briggs, Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Marta Requena, UN Office on Drugs and Crime

Maria Lornezo Sobrado, UN Office on Drugs and Crime

Shazia Khan, Pakistan (via Skype)