Countering Violent Extremism Among at Risk Refugee Communities in Malaysia

This project aims to conduct a landscape review and capacity building project that investigates the push and pull factors of refugee communities towards violent extremist groups such as the Islamic State. Project activities include: (1) conducting interviews and shadowing with at-risk refugee communities across Malaysia; (2) hosting a series of focus group discussions with at-risk refugee communities both with mixed gender and women only groups; (3) formulating public policies for preventing and countering violent extremism upon engaging with relevant field experts taking into consideration gender components and sensitivities; (4) conducting stakeholder engagement with closed door meetings and roundtable discussions with decision-makers and influencers in governments and civil society; and (5) developing and facilitating capacity building training programs targeting community leaders activists and vulnerable community leaders to counter violent extremism.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased understanding by government entities civil society and refugee communities of the radicalization to violence risks and the gender and human rights issues faced by refugee communities; and (2) government entities and civil society organizations are better equipped to counter violent extremism among their constituents.