Beyond Us and Them. Podcast on radicalization in the times of social polarization

Rasha Nagem from French organisation Les Militants des Savoirs talks about emotions and human needs that recruiters of extremist groups use online to play on, and why young people can easily give in to these actions and enter the process of radicalisation during online activities. She also explains how computer games and collaborative work on a disinformation film about a global conspiracy using 'Chinese noodles' can be used to build knowledge and sensitise young people to the challenges they may face online

Francesco Ragazzi from the University of Leiden tells Filip Pazderski about counter-radicalisation in European schools. He particularly highlights the dangers of trying to identify cases of radicalised young people, linked to human rights violations. He raises questions about the limits of educational staff's entry into the role of police and the changes in the philosophy of law enforcement, where more and more emphasis is placed on predicting who might commit a crime. He also points out that in trying to protect ourselves from violence by radicalised individuals who undermine our freedoms and personal rights, we ourselves may be choosing to hand them over to law enforcement...

A conversation with Patricia Hladschik, Director of polis - the Austrian Centre for Civic Education in Schools, on why education, including civic one, is not a kind of fire brigade, but when conducted systematically builds a solid foundation to counter radicalisation and violent extremism in society. Sometimes simple and proven teaching methods are better than very sophisticated innovations. However, it is important to bear in mind the preparation of the educators themselves, who should reflect on their own competences for working with such difficult subjects. We also discuss how they can complement each other in local communities with social workers

Researcher from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHES) in Paris describes the differences in the online activity of each of these groups, the international relations between their representatives and who are the most important influencers in these environments. She also shows how the activity of these groups is hampered by the algorithms that govern social media and considers how to counteract this.

Matjaž Gruden, a Director of Democratic Participation at the Council of Europe, tells Filip Pazderski how CoE realized that for democracy to function it is not enough to have only institutions, but it also needs people who trust them and know how to use them. He also explains what the "Swiss Army Knife for education for democratic culture" is and describes other results of the Council of Europe's work, inviting to use LEMON (platform at www.coe.int/lemon) and DISCO (programme).

A conversation with Markus Pausch from the Salzburg University about the positive and negative aspects of the polarisation process for democracy and its impact on social radicalisation. What theses phenomena look like in Austria? How are they responded to at the local level  and why do we need the “unexpected kindness” shown by social workers especially towards rebellious youngsters? 

In the first part of the podcast we talk to Dr Lukasz Jurczyszyn about why interest in the process of radicalisation has increased worldwide after the terrorist attacks of the early 2000s, and explain that radicalisation should not only be viewed stereotypically from the perspective of these events. We also look at places where radicalisation is more prevalent than elsewhere and identify examples of how to counter such developments at the local communities level...