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17
Feb

Countering violent extremism to be explored at D.C. symposium

Homeland Security Secretary to keynote April 6 & 7 event

Washington, D.C. – Two hundred experts will explore challenges, best practices and next steps in countering and preventing violent extremism during an April 6 and 7 symposium, Creative Associates International and the International Peace and Security Institute (IPSI) announced.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson will be the keynote speaker April 6 at the CVE Symposium, which will be held at the Ronald Regan Building in Washington D.C. Registration is open to the public. Seating is limited.

Secretary Johnson will be joined by elected officials, policymakers, diplomats, development practitioners, researchers and others in advancing the substantive outcomes from the 2015 White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism and the United Nations General Assembly in September. A CVE Symposium preliminary agenda is now available.

“The CVE Symposium will delve into what we call the ‘how’ aspects of countering these global threats,” says Thomas Wheelock, Senior Vice President at Creative. “How we disrupt the agendas of violent extremist groups, how we reimagine interventions to undermine the attraction and messaging of extremist movements and ideologies and how we redefine our future.”

Countering domestic & international violent extremism

By bringing together a wide range of actors working domestically and internationally in ways that are framed and also allow for organic conversation and collaboration, Wheelock says the CVE Symposium “will ensure the flexibility necessary to surface the innovation that the field drastically needs.”

The CVE Symposium is the first of its kind interactive, public and cross-sectoral forum on the topic, says Cameron Chisholm, President of the International Peace and Security Institute.

“The framework of the event is not to provide answers, but to stimulate discussion and innovations around wicked questions in the CVE space and to both take advantage of existing initiatives, lessons learned, and approaches, and to stimulate new cross-cutting and cross-sector solutions and strategies,” says Chisholm.

Breaking down silos

Through experiential workshops and built-in knowledge exchanges designed to break down silos, CVE Symposium participants will work together to better define global extremism and its actors.

“The symposium will act as a catalyst for further discussions, working groups, and will define a clearer approach towards resourcing and planning CVE utilizing combined assets,” says Pamela Aall, Chairperson of IPSI’s Board of Directors

Approaching the issues from multiple perspectives, participants will delve deep into topics like radicalization, reintegration and recruitment; the influence of women, youth and communities; and the intersection of technology and counter messaging.

“Leveraging a cross-section of approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism will promote collaboration and a whole-of-society approach to tackling these challenging issues,” says Wheelock.

Media registration

Working press may cover the CVE Symposium. To accommodate demand and ensure space, prior registration is required. For additional details or to register, please call (202) 966-5804.