Government of Canada Funding for Research to Identify "Extremism"
On March 12, Public Safety Canada announced a federal investment of $195,231 over three years to King's College London in England "to expand their Repository of Extremist Aligned Documents (READ)."
The repository is housed at King's College London's International Centre for the Study of Radicalization (ICSR). This funding was made possible through the Community Resilience Fund (CRF), Public Safety Canada informs. The announcement states:
"The READ is a secured, controlled resource comprised of documents and primary sources 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."
According
to Public Safety Canada, "This project will enable ICSR to develop and
strengthen the READ, through expanding the range of IMVE actors and
movements covered, improving the online interface, and providing more
support for researchers and practitioners, including trend analysis.
This
expansion of the READ will involve collaboration with Canadian
universities, as well as engagement with the Global Internet Forum to
Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), including to help identify and address
research and policy needs to respond to current and emerging trends."
The March 12 announcement also gives information about the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (Canada Centre). It says:
"Launched in 2017 and housed in Public Safety Canada, the Canada Centre is the government's Centre of excellence domestically and internationally on prevention of violent extremism. Its work is complementary to -- but distinct from -- national security, law enforcement, and criminal justice approaches. The Canada Centre leads the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence, working with academia and community-based organizations to better understand and prevent radicalization to violence before tragedies occur. The Canada Centre also funds targeted programming for research and frontline providers through the CRF [Community Resilience Fund].
"The Canada Centre's activities include:
"Policy guidance including the development and implementation of the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence; promoting coordination and collaboration with a range of stakeholders to build and share knowledge, and to respond to local level realities and prevent radicalization to violence; funding, planning and coordinating research to better understand radicalization to violence and how best to counter it, and mobilizing research to frontline individuals working to prevent radicalization to violence; and supporting interventions through the Canada Centre's CRF to provide financial support to initiatives that aim to prevent radicalization to violence in Canada.
"Preventing and countering online hate and violent extremism in all its forms is a complex and ever-evolving issue. The Government of Canada actively works with Five Eyes partners, through the Five Country Ministerial process, as well as with its G7 allies, the technology industry, experts, and civil society to more effectively counter IMVE in the online space."
The announcement then explains the CRF:
"Public Safety Canada's CRF supports research and community-based projects for the prevention of violent extremism.
"The CRF provides opportunities for local communities, organizations, practitioners, researchers and youth-led initiatives to receive funds for countering radicalization to violence initiatives, as well as for international subject matter experts to help develop evidence-based prevention in Canada. Supporting and enhancing partnerships and innovation in research and programming is key to countering radicalization to violence in Canada.
"The CRF has a total of $7 million available annually to fund new and innovative projects. More than $69 million in funding to 78 projects has been provided through the program since its creation in 2017."
This article was published in
Volume 54 Number 4 - May 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/M540045.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca