Former Extremists: Preventing and Countering Violence

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This collection is the first on ex-extremists and combatants (Formers) in violence prevention work. While the engagement of Formers in violence prevention programs--especially in the context of countering and preventing violent extremism (P/CVE), and peacebuilding--has expanded across the world, their involvement has been controversial and contested. This volume captures a variety of work Formers are engaged in across a range of contexts, broadly divided into three themes on their effectiveness, ethical considerations, and implementation. Written by a range of authors with diverse perspectives including academics, former extremists, peer mentors, program leaders, and practicing psychologists, chapters include Formers in North American research, the role of former Northern Irish combatants in peacebuilding, collaborating with Formers, the ethical imperatives of engaging Formers in P/CVE efforts, and more. Taken together, the book ultimately offers a snapshot of the ongoing policy debates while contributing to the future direction of work involving Formers in violence prevention.

Gordon Clubb is an Associate Professor at the University of Leeds. He has written several publications on de-radicalization and has been regularly invited to present research to international practitioner audiences. He has conducted research on the role of "Formers" in countering violent extremism and peacebuilding. Another dimension of his work looks at how de-radicalization programs can generate positive public relations and how community support for reintegration of ex-extremists can be facilitated through messaging and transparency.

Ryan Scrivens is an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. He is also an Associate Director at the International CyberCrime Research Centre at Simon Fraser University and a Research Fellow at the VOX-Pol Network of Excellence. He conducts problem-oriented interdisciplinary research with a focus on terrorists' and extremists' use of the Internet, right-wing terrorism and extremism, and combating violent extremism.

Md. Didarul Islam is an Assistant Professor at the Department of World Religions and Culture, University of Dhaka. He is a commonwealth scholar pursuing his Doctoral Studies at the School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds. His doctoral research focuses on how a norm receiving state frames and formulates Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) policy from a public policy perspective. His research interests include CVE, counterterrorism, radicalization, international security, public policy, migration, and religion and politics.