Compromising Dignity? Preventing Violent Extremism in the Sahel, Africa

This project responds to the experience of policymakers and practitioners working on ‘preventing violent extremism’ (PVE) who find policies developed and implemented under the rubric of PVE to be ambiguous and vague which can lead to dignity being compromised. This mixed-methods research in the G5 Sahel region aims to generate tools appropriate for use at multiple levels which i) enable stakeholders to think together about violence as it manifests itself in actual events and processes, ii) bring into the open diverse conceptualisations of dignity and the way it is compromised by different PVE actors, and iii) explore heritage as a source of symbolic and instrumental resources for the prevention of violence. This research seeks to move beyond state-centric models of engaging with ‘extremism’, recognises that states, themselves can be the source of insecurity, rights abuses and indignity, and uncovers the power of individuals and communities to change society and politics. 

Research Team: Dr Chuck Thiessen, Coventry University; Dr Patricia Sellick, Coventry University; Dr Justine Coulidiati-Kiélem, University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Professor Amadou Sall, University of Nouakchott, Mauritania