EU-wide CVE Programmes: Exploring the Gap between Theory and Practice

Abstract

Author: Giorgi Kaishauri Study programme: International Security Studies Master's thesis: EU-wide CVE Programs: Exploring the Gap between Theory and Practice Abstract The aim of this research was to determine congruence between the EU-initiated P/CVE program, CT MORSE, and prominent theoretical and empirical insights present in the academic literature on P/CVE. This research presents an exploratory qualitative study which employs a deductive approach to explore a potential gap between counter-radicalization theory and counter- radicalization practice as observed in a major EU project. The data collected and analyzed in this research suggests a partial correlation between academic insights and project's activities. Three out of eight determinants of effective P/CVE strategy discussed in the literature - community engagement, community resilience, and the role of women, are fully accounted for by the project, while the other three - dialogue, identity formation, and personnel expertise are partially present in the form of their constituting elements. Individual resilience and inclusion of former radicals receive neither implicit, nor explicit focus in the project's undertakings across the globe. Moreover, the data suggests that existing congruence is not completely arbitrary, however, a substantially deeper...