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Countering Violent Extremism Evaluation Tool home

Community Awareness and Prevention Program, World Organization for Resource Development and Education (WORDE)

Jurisdiction
International
Year
2013-2016
Outcomes
DiversionResilience

WORDE is a U.S. community, Muslim-led organisation whose focus is on creating networks of civically engaged individuals to act as peer gatekeepers to prevent violent extremism.

The Program includes regular community education events, a network of social workers, youth-violence prevention specialists, psychologists, clergy, police, county staff and community activists who direct at-risk individuals to appropriate help. Promoting volunteerism, the program brought together young people and adults from diverse faith and ethnic groups, to prepare and deliver food for the homeless, in an atmosphere intended to foster inclusivity and honour volunteer community service. Multi-cultural programming included activities such as bringing together culturally diverse youth to collaborate on digital artistic works such as short films on themes of social change.

Key takeaways

An evaluation of the program found:

  • Those best positioned to notice early signs of violent extremism might be those individuals' friends.
  • Peer gatekeepers, despite their fears of damaging relationships, were most willing to intervene when fear was at its greatest
  • The volunteering and multicultural programming activities were effective.
  • Factors that improved participation in the program included making it satisfying to participants, making it more attractive than competing alternatives, and enhancing personal investment.

Relevant reports