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The first international in-person conference of the HOPE project
took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, on the 7th and 8th of April, 2022.
The Mid-term International Conference gathered dozens of experts on
violent extremism prevention and countering (P/CVE) from fourteen
countries and multi-lateral organisations, included key stakeholders
from the Council of Europe, United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime, General Directorates of Prison and Probation, civil
society/community representatives, and academic researchers.
The event was entitled “Preventing and countering violent extremism
in the Balkan, Southern, and Eastern European region: Current needs
and future steps” and provided a valuable overview of the current
findings, needs, and future steps for P/CVE, focusing on the Balkan,
Southern, and Eastern European contexts.
The conference hosted several specialised and insightful
presentations from various experts. Dorin Muresan, a Senior Expert
at IPS_Innovative Prison Systems (the project promotor), highlighted
the importance of regional specificities on the causes of
radicalisation in local P/CVE strategies.
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The expert in prison radicalisation from the Police Academy of the
Czech Republic Ondřej Kolář explained the prison radicalisation
process, focusing on the Czechia’s experience. He also accentuated
the need for prison staff training to overcome challenges faced with
radicalisation in prison.
Luisa Ravagnani, RAN Expert and renowned researcher from the
University of Brescia, Italy, provided an appealing presentation
about the role of probation officers and community practitioners on
extremist offenders under supervision. She highlighted the
continuity in P/CVE efforts as a way to overcome the challenges of
reintegration.
Lastly, Torben Adams, Coordinator of the UNODC Foreign Terrorist
Fighters Detention Programme, further deepened the topic of
rehabilitation with an overview of UNODC’s programme experience.
Staff training and multi-agency cooperation were highlighted, as
facilitators of the rehabilitation process of extremists and foreign
fighters.
The HOPE Mid-Term International Conference was also an opportunity
to present the European Survey and Needs Assessment Outcomes that
the project recently developed. Josep García Coll from FUNDEA
(Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies) and Matteo Pugliese from
Agenfor presented the main challenges and difficulties faced by
P/CVE professionals. Once again, staff training has been identified
as a critical need.
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More information about the HOPE Mid-Term International Conference,
including a detailed overview of its presentations, you may find on
the
HOPE Radicalisation Network.
By
joining HOPE’s network, members can stay abreast of all project
initiatives access hundreds of relevant resources and network with
more than sixty P/CVE experts and organisations worldwide. |
