Lunch Briefing: Ideology and radicalisation; perspectives from Belgium, Sweden, Egypt and the UAE

On 27 March 2018, the European Foundation for Democracy, in partnership with TRENDS Research & Advisory, organised a lunch briefing on "Ideology and radicalisation; perspectives from Belgium, Sweden, Egypt and the UAE". The speakers for the event were; Mr Aje Carlbom, University of Malmö; Mr Magdi Abdelhadi, broadcaster and former BBC Arab affairs analyst; Dr Richard Burchill, TRENDS Research and Advisory. The event was moderated by EFD's Ms Roberta Bonazzi.

Recent reports from the Belgian and Swedish governments have highlighted that ideology plays a role in the radicalisation process that can lead individuals to commit acts of violence and terrorism; an ideology often promoted by non-violent extremist groups. These groups are often supported financially by governments across Europe because they claim to represent entire religious or cultural communities.

Our guest speakers provided insights from Belgium, Sweden, Egypt and the Gulf and made recommendations to EU policy makers on how to develop a deeper understanding of the role ideology plays in the radicalisation process and how best to address this.