Government of Canada announces funding to establish international network to combat violent extremism

On March 11, 2024, Public Safety Canada announced a federal investment of $199,910.64 over two years to the SOCLES International Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, to work with the Canadian Practitioners Network for Prevention of Radicalization and Extremist Violence to create the Transatlantic Network Against Extremism. This funding was made possible under the Community Resilience Fund (CRF).

SOCLES International Centre for Socio-Legal Studies with the Canadian Practitioners Network for Prevention of Radicalization and Extremist Violence (CPN-PREV)

Project title: Transatlantic Network Against Extremism (TransNex) 

Total funding amount: $199,910.64

Project Duration: 2023-2025 (2 years)

For this project, SOCLES International will partner with CPN-PREV to create the TransNex. This initiative will support peer-to-peer exchange between frontline practitioners, subject matter experts and policymakers from Canada and Germany, as well as from the United States and Europe more broadly, to enable more direct and regular collaboration on building knowledge and developing new resources for combatting violent extremism. Field visits and workshops will help TransNex members identify key gaps in prevention programming and share expertise and experience on promising practices. This collaborative network is designed to develop solutions tailored to local needs, such as training and tools for prevention practitioners to help them adapt to the evolving threat environment and learn more about effective methods to prevent and counter violent extremism.

The Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (Canada Centre)

Launched in 2017 and housed at 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 front-line providers through the CRF.

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 front-line individuals working to prevent radicalization to violence.
• Supporting interventions through the Canada Centre's Community Resilience Fund 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 ideologically motivated violent extremism in the online space.

Community Resilience Fund (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 and has provided more than $69 million in funding to 78 projects since its creation in 2017.