Webinar: Combating the Financing of Violent Extremism – Challenges and Opportunities

Extremist ideas negate the rights of the individual and basic human rights and freedoms as well as democratic structures. They undermine not only societal cohesion but in their violent form generate a significant amount of crime and violence. Furthermore, regularly the radicalization paths of individuals begin with an attraction to extremist ideas and interest in extremists groups and networks. Therefore, extremist entities can also act as an accelerator for terrorism. However, as extremist entities have not yet reached the legal threshold of terrorism, defensive systems—including legal frameworks set up to protect society—do not, by and large, apply to these phenomena. A difficult balance between fundamental freedoms, such as the freedom of expression and the legitimate security interests of society has to be struck.

Therefore, combating the financing of extremist and violent extremist phenomena presents a particular challenge, while at the same time income streams are the Achilles’ heel of extremist and violent extremist entities. As counterterrorism financing provisions outside very specific circumstances do not apply, modified legal provisions, alternative administrative instruments, and novel approaches are necessary to tackle this challenge. This webinar will give an overview of the current state of play on the financing of violent right-wing extremism and Islamist extremism using concrete examples to highlight both the challenges as well as the opportunities to enhance the protection of free and democratic societies by exposing and disrupting the income streams of extremist and violent extremist entities.

The Counter Extremisms Project (CEP) and the European Eye on Radicalization (EER) are inviting you to a webinar focusing on combating the financing of violent extremism. Extremism and violent extremism remains one of the major security challenges for societies.

The webinar will be conducted in English via Zoom.
Date: February 8, 2023 Time: 9:00 a.m. ET / 15:00 CET to 10:30 am ET / 16:30 CET

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