The RESOLVE Network is a global consortium of researchers, research organizations, policymakers, and practitioners committed to empirically driven, locally defined research on the drivers of violent extremism and sources of community resilience.

About

International stakeholders established RESOLVE to generate, facilitate, aggregate, and synthesize methodologically sound, locally informed research on the dynamics of violent extremism.

RESOLVE is a resource hub for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in need of nuanced, multidisciplinary, empirical approaches to analyze the drivers of violent extremism and sources of community resilience. RESOLVE’s work provides key insights on violent extremism by establishing connections and asking critical questions to enhance and inform preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) research, policy, and practice.

The RESOLVE Network Secretariat manages RESOLVE’s suite of research projects, convening efforts, and Network activities. The Secretariat is housed at the U.S. Institute of Peace, building upon the Institute’s decades-long legacy of deep engagement in conflict-affected societies.

Vision

Better research. Informed practice. Improved policy on violent extremism.

Mission

RESOLVE provides insights into violent extremism around the world, elevates local, rigorous research, and networks the research, policy, and practice communities.

Network

The RESOLVE Network comprises of Member Organizations and the Research Advisory Council. Populated by leading experts and scholars in the field, the RESOLVE Network Research Advisory Council supports RESOLVE’s mission to develop and deliver high-quality, methodologically rigorous research and insights on violent extremism.

Research

RESOLVE partners with international stakeholders on research and convening projects that build connections, ask critical questions, elevate research findings, and inform P/CVE research, policy, and practice. RESOLVE publications provide insight on global and local dynamics of violent extremism, identify gaps in the literature for future research, and present actionable recommendations for local and international actors. Our thematic and regional research initiatives include:

Convenings

RESOLVE hosts public events and expert roundtables to highlight new insights and research findings, convenes regional research agenda setting working groups and trainings, and connects local research organizations and researchers with P/CVE stakeholders.

Our signature event, the annual RESOLVE Network Global Forum at the U.S. Institute of Peace, is a hub of expertise for professionals in preventing and countering violent extremism and an entry point of multidisciplinary knowledge and innovation into mainstream P/CVE efforts.

For more information, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter at @resolvenet

Related Publications

USIP’s Work on Violent Extremism

USIP’s Work on Violent Extremism

Monday, May 22, 2023

In over 20 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the threat from extremist violence and terrorism has evolved considerably. Terrorist attacks worldwide have increased in number, diffused geographically and diversified ideologically. These developments in the terrorist landscape have been fueled by violent conflict and state fragility, and they present opportunities for strategic rivals to challenge the value of democratic governance and the rules-based international system.

Type: Fact Sheet

Violent Extremism

Community-Based Armed Groups: A Problem or Solution?

Community-Based Armed Groups: A Problem or Solution?

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

The RESOLVE Network’s multiyear research on Community-Based Armed Groups (CBAGs) has established critical findings for the international community on how to engage, manage and transform violent actors in conflict-affected states. While mitigation efforts tend to target anti-state extremist organizations, understanding the behavior of CBAGs is essential for comprehending complex conflict ecosystems and reassessing approaches toward peace and stability. 

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & PreventionViolent Extremism

Getting to the Source: The Importance of Field Research

Getting to the Source: The Importance of Field Research

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Travel restrictions and social distancing practices put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have largely ground field research to a halt. Fieldwork plays an essential but often underappreciated role in both understanding violent extremism and developing policy responses to it. It is vital, therefore, that funders and policymakers support the return of such important work in a post-pandemic world.

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & PreventionEducation & Training

2020 Trends in Terrorism: From ISIS Fragmentation to Lone-Actor Attacks

2020 Trends in Terrorism: From ISIS Fragmentation to Lone-Actor Attacks

Friday, January 8, 2021

In the past five years, terrorist attacks have declined notably around the globe. While this is certainly good news—particularly in the 20th year of the so-called global war on terror—terrorism remains a pervasive threat. Despite declines in its prevalence, the scale of the challenge posed by terrorism and the violent ideologies that underpin it is still immense and the mechanisms by which to address it remain complex and in need of further coordination on a global scale. What trends did we see in 2020? And how can those trends inform policy to counter violent extremism?

Type: Analysis

Violent Extremism

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Latest Publications

Amid a Changing Global Order, NATO Looks East

Amid a Changing Global Order, NATO Looks East

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

As NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, the Euro-Atlantic security alliance continues to deepen its engagement with Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, collectively known as the IP4. NATO has collaborated with these countries since the early 2000s, but Russia’s war against Ukraine, security challenges posed by China and renewed strategic competition have led to increased engagement. As the war in Ukraine grinds on and U.S.-China competition shows no sign of abating, the United States has much to gain from collaboration between its allies and partners in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.

Type: Question and Answer

Global Policy

Mental Health and Violent Conflict: A Vicious Cycle

Mental Health and Violent Conflict: A Vicious Cycle

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

When we think about the damage wrought by war, we often think about the physical consequences such as injuries and destroyed infrastructure. However, the often-invisible mental scars left behind by war are no less important.

Type: Analysis

Human Rights

Mirna Galic on NATO’s Long-standing Engagement in the Indo-Pacific

Mirna Galic on NATO’s Long-standing Engagement in the Indo-Pacific

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Contrary to China’s assertions, NATO has a long history of engagement with the Indo-Pacific. But the alliance’s deep partnerships in the region have taken on renewed importance in recent years amid Russia’s war on Ukraine and renewed strategic competition between the U.S. and China, says USIP’s Mirna Galic.

Type: Podcast

China Forces Myanmar Scam Syndicates to Move to Thai Border

China Forces Myanmar Scam Syndicates to Move to Thai Border

Monday, April 22, 2024

While Myanmar has long been the chief venue for the criminal operations of Chinese-origin gangs in Southeast Asia, these organizations have always stood ready to move — internally or across borders — if their sources of protection dissolved. In recent months, the organized crime kingpins have once again faced a fraying safety net. This time, the cause is the weakening of Myanmar’s corrupt coup regime in the face of a rising, multi-front revolution and, perhaps more importantly, an aggressive push by China’s law enforcement authorities.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

For Peace in Africa, Boost Regional Blocs — Like West Africa’s ECOWAS

For Peace in Africa, Boost Regional Blocs — Like West Africa’s ECOWAS

Friday, April 19, 2024

As the United States and international partners work to stabilize Africa’s Sahel region — and to prevent its warfare, violent extremism and armed coups from metastasizing into Africa’s densely populous and strategic Atlantic coast — the West African multinational bloc, ECOWAS, has proven its value in resolving crises and promoting stability. Yet, as global security threats have evolved, ECOWAS, like other multinational bodies, needs updated capacities to meet new challenges. International democracies’ most effective initiative to support West Africa’s stability would be to partner with West Africans to strengthen their vital regional community. A similar strategy is valid across Africa.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & GovernanceGlobal Policy

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