Bjørn Ihler is an internationally renowned expert in countering and preventing radicalization into violent extremism through the design of healthier communities on and off-line. Ihler is also a member of the group Extremely Together working under the Kofi Annan Foundation to empower youth internationally to challenge violent extremism in their local communities and work against radicalization across the globe. He is currently serving as Chairperson of the Independent Advisory Committee of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.
Through his international work, Ihler has among others worked with and advised both local organizations, national governments, and international institutions such as the EU, OSCE, and the UN to develop strategies to more effectively prevent radicalization into violent extremism that may lead to terrorism, and build more peaceful communities.
You can read more about Ihler’s work on www.khalifaihler.org
One of the greatest risks to national and international security and liberty is the failure to view complex threats in a proper context. So far far-right groups, attacks, and political parties have largely been viewed in isolation, or within national and linguistic silos. By establishing the European Network of Antifascist Monitoring and presenting our findings to the world we begin to chip away at this risk by mapping the interconnected nature of the European far-right. Furthermore, the establishment of this network aims to bridge the gap between long-existing antifascist efforts, groups, activists and researchers, civil society actors, and the wider world of efforts to stop the spread of violent extremism and terrorism that threatens fundamental freedoms and rights.
Having spent the past decade fighting back against fascism and extremism across the continent, and having pushed across sectors, for the recognition of the risks posed by the far-right it is with great excitement that I offer my patronage to the European Network of Antifascist Monitoring and its important work to monitor and map the international far-right.