The proliferation of violent extremist groups presents a major threat to the enjoyment of human rights and security of individuals around the world. From Syria and Iraq, where women are being enslaved, to Nigeria and Pakistan, where extremist organizations have launched an assault on freedom of expression, non-state actors are increasingly responsible for human rights violations. This poses a major challenge to the international human rights infrastructure, which was built around holding governments accountable for human rights abuses. HRI produced a pioneering report through its high-level Commission on Countering Violent Extremism that offered strategies to undermine extremist ideologies and reduce their appeal to youth around the world. Building on this critical effort, HRI uses its convening power to build support for the Commission’s recommendations and conduct research on human rights-centered approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism. Moreover, HRI is leading the way in thinking about how to apply atrocity prevention and transitional justice tools to deal with a wide range of threats from state and non-state actors.
