This month, Oren Segal spoke to Joel Finkelstein at the Network Contagion Research Institute. “I hate my job. I don’t want to do this” says Joel. A neuroscientist by training, Joel found himself obligated to the work of dismantling hate and polarization knowing that brain science could drive solutions. In his work at NCRI, Joel tracks how hate and virtual deception spreads between social media communities and into the real world.

Joel warns that we must stay connected to our purpose in this work. “If it becomes an addiction, we become defined by the things we hate.” In today’s episode, we discover the lie that humans are obsolete and the truth that we are needed now more than ever. How and why will be driven by our compassion and, of course, science.

More on Joel’s work here: https://networkcontagion.us/about/

First collaboration between ADL and NCRI:https://www.adl.org/blog/when-twitter-bans-extremists-gab-puts-out-the-welcome-mat

Stay engaged and follow along for more on Twitter at @OrenSegal @ADL and @PERIL_AU

Oren Segal speaks with Amar Amarasingam, Assistant Professor in the School of Religion at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Amar has conducted years of research with foreign fighters and neo-Nazis around the world.

There is no one profile for an extremist, but the value of interview-based research has brought Amar a deeper understanding of why extremists are moved to engage in transnational activism. A common thread with conspiracy theorists is a shared sense of moral urgency. Today’s episode explores what this means for the complex problems we face globally.

More on Amar here: https://amarnathamarasingam.academia.edu/

Stay engaged and follow along for more on Twitter at @OrenSegal @ADL and @PERIL_AU

Kathy joins Oren Segal to remember the anniversary of the Pittsburgh attack. After years of research into white supremacy, this event gripped her own community.

How does white supremacy function as a political phenomenon? How has the role of women evolved? With a rich understanding of history, Kathy walks us through her top two calls to action and more on episode six of extremely.

Dean Kathy Blee is a professor of Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh. Her work as a scholar, writer, and administrator spans from Women’s Studies to Sociology to History.

More on Kathy’s work here: https://www.as.pitt.edu/about/kathy-blee

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“Did baby Heidi always want to get into the work of combating extremism?”

Oren Segal and Heidi speak about the way the research field of extremism has changed over the past few decades. Heidi shares her accidental journey from a college terrorism class to the Southern Poverty Law Center and her hopes for future interventions.

Heidi Beirich currently works at the Global Project on Hate and Extremism. She is an expert on various forms of extremism, including the white supremacist, nativist, and neo-Confederate movements as well as racism in academia.

More on the Global Project here: https://www.globalextremism.org Stay engaged and follow along for more:

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This episode of extremely covers fashion week, the war on drugs, and the work of dismantling inequality in America. Eric Ward shares with Oren Segal his take on how the white nationalist movement seeks to influence the mainstream of political discourse. How do you talk to diverse audiences about these topics? How do we understand the vulnerabilities that lead to hate group recruitment and radicalization? Eric shares his long-term vision for this important work.

Eric Ward is a national expert on the relationship between hate violence and preserving democratic institutions, governance, and inclusive societies, Eric K. Ward brings nearly 30 years of expertise in community organizing and philanthropy to his role as Western States Center’s Executive Director.

More on the Western States Center here: https://www.westernstatescenter.org/ Stay engaged and follow along for more:

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Oren Segal and Cynthia Miller-Idriss sit down to launch extremely! Cynthia shares her journey from a scholar of fringe subcultural groups in Europe to testifying before congress. They discuss the nuances of extremist groups, the digital landscape, and radicalization interventions across borders. Cynthia Miller-Idriss is a Professor of Education & Sociology at American University. She serves as the Director of Research at the Center for University Excellence (CUE) and the Director of Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL).

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Oren Segal and Seamus discuss the way that data and information are shared and how we engage with media coverage of terrorism. They dig into the dynamics of domestic terrorists’ cases and ways for the general public to engage in dismantling hate and extremism in their local communities.

Seamus Hughes is the Deputy Director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. He is an expert on terrorism, homegrown violent extremism, and countering violent extremism (CVE).

More on GW Program on extremism here: https://extremism.gwu.edu/ Stay engaged and follow along for more:

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Vidhya brings her offline anthropology background to the digital space. In conversation with Oren Segal, she brings empathy to understanding extremist movements. They talk about evidenced-based social work interventions and more.

“If relationships get people into these movements, relationships can get them out.” Vidhya Ramalingam is the co-Founder of Moonshot CVE, a company using technology to disrupt and counter violent extremism globally. She directs overall strategy and oversees campaigns, software development, and digital projects in over 25 countries.

More on GW Program on extremism here: http://moonshotcve.com/ Stay engaged and follow along for more:

Stay engaged and follow along for more on Twitter at @OrenSegal @ADL and @PERIL_AU