Government of Canada announces funding to help counter ideologically motivated violent extremism

OTTAWA, ON, March 12, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, announced a federal investment of more than $195,000 to King's College London to expand their Repository of Extremist Aligned Documents (READ).

The expansion of the READ will be done in collaboration with Canadian universities, and through engagement with the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.

Housed at King's College London's International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence (ICSR), the READ is a secured online repository of information about ideologically motivated violent extremism (IMVE). It is designed to support in-depth work by researchers and practitioners to better understand forms of IMVE such as white supremacist, xenophobic, anti-authority, and gender-driven manifestations of violent extremism. This funding will support ICSR to develop and strengthen the READ, by expanding the range of IMVE actors and movements covered, improving the online interface, and providing more support for researchers and practitioners.

This funding will help improve understanding of violent extremism dynamics, as well as strengthen capacity to prevent violent radicalization and respond effectively to emerging threats through improved knowledge-sharing.

This investment is made through Public Safety's Community Resilience Fund (CRF), which supports partnerships and innovation in countering radicalization to violence.

Fostering collaboration among researchers and experts strengthens Canada's resilience and helps keep our communities safe.

"By investing in research tools like the Repository of Extremist Aligned Documents, we are supporting work which is critical to better understanding violent extremist ideologies, and which ultimately contributes to reinforcing our collective safety."

-       The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs 

"The support of Public Safety Canada's Community Resilience Fund is absolutely crucial in our effort to better understand ? and ultimately tackle ? violent radicalization and extremism. The expansion of READ will provide researchers and practitioners with additional resources to better understand the constantly evolving nature of the threat and respond effectively."

-       Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, PhD, Director, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, King's College London

• The Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (Canada Centre) leads the Government of Canada's efforts to counter radicalization to violence, and works with all levels of government, not-for-profit organizations, communities, youth, frontline practitioners, academia, law enforcement, and international organizations.
• The Community Resilience Fund, led by Public Safety's Canada Centre, provides financial support to organizations working to improve Canada's understanding and capacity to prevent and counter violent extremism.
• King's College London's War Studies department houses the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR), which conducts thematic research on pressing issues in the field of Violent Extremism. ICSR also oversees the Global Network on Extremism and Technology, an online academic research initiative that is backed by the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism and aims to better understand and counteract terrorist use of technology.

• Backgrounder: Government of Canada announces funding to help counter ideologically motivated violent extremism
• Government of Canada launches Call for Applications for projects to address radicalization to violence

• Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence
• Community Resilience Fund
• King's College London - International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation
• Repository of Extremist Aligned Documents
• Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism
• Global Network on Extremism and Technology

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada