Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Institute for Strategic Dialogue logo

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) is a London-based ‘think and do tank’ that has pioneered policy and operational responses to the rising challenges of violent extremism and inter-communal conflict. Combining research and analysis with government advisory work and delivery programmes, ISD has been at the forefront of forging real-world, evidence-based responses to the challenges of integration, extremism and terrorism. ISD's founder and president was George Weidenfeld, Baron Weidenfeld.^[1] Its Director/CEO is Sasha Havlicek.^[2]

ISD runs a wide ranging programme of work on extremism which ranges from traditional research papers^[3] through to the facilitation of practitioners networks^[4][5] and the development of counter narrative tools.^[6] Their work ranges from work on Al-Qaeda^[7] through to work on the Far Right^[8] and even integration^[9] Major programmes include:

• Against Violent Extremism (AVE) network: a global network of former extremists, survivors of violence and interested individuals from the public and private sectors - working together to counter all forms of violent extremism.^[10]
• Far Right Extremism: ISD runs a programme on far-right extremism; managing a European Commission funded initiative with the Swedish government to promote European cooperation to tackle the far right.^[11]
• Youth Civil Activism Network (YouthCAN): the leading global youth network of counter-extremism activists, YouthCAN provides marketing and digital tools to spur the creation of counter-narrative content for the Millennial generation.^[12]
• Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI): builds on ISD’s existing partnership with Facebook to develop new understanding and responses to the challenge of hate speech and violent extremism on social media.
• Extreme Dialogue: a multi-media education resource for teachers and social workers centred on compelling films of ‘formers and survivors’ of extremism.^[13]
• One to One: an innovative engagement initiative that facilitates interventions between former extremists and young people who show serious extremist tendencies.
• Strong Cities Network (SCN): the first ever global network of municipal-level policy makers and practitioners united in building social cohesion and community resilience to counter violent extremism in all its forms.^[14]
• Policy Planners’ Network: ISD manages the PPN, a European inter-governmental network of policy chiefs from integration and interior ministries created to systematise cross-border exchange and develop upgraded, coordinated responses to the dual challenges of integration and extremism.^[15]

In delivering their projects ISD partners with governments^[16] and leaders of the technology sector such as Google.^[17] ISD also chairs the EU’s Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) working group on the internet and social media.^[18]

External links

• Official website

References