“We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re also fighting an infodemic. Fake news spread faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous.” This was a statement by the Director-General of the World Health Organization in mid-February. “The situation is not new, of course. But what makes it so striking is its rapidity,” says Marie-Ève Carignan, a professor at the communications department of the Université de Sherbrooke.

In 2019, the UNESCO-PREV Chair started conducting a mapping of centers of expertise in prevention of violent extremism (PVE), which includes expert individuals and organizations working in primary, secondary and tertiary PVE programs. The UNESCO-PREV Chair is proud to unveil its interactive map.

In conjunction with the United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Project Someone is proud to announce the upcoming launch of PROFILE, a practical toolkit that aims to understand racial and social profiling. In this short teaser video-clip, Will Prosper—founder of Hoodstock and former RCMP officer—talks about the broad ways in which profiling occurs and Quebec’s failure to recognize the problem.

The Canadian Practitioners Network for Prevention of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism (CPN-PREV) and the Research and Action on Social  Polarisation team from the SHERPA Institute

On February 21st, 2020, Mr. Séraphin Alava, Associate Member of the UNESCO Chair in Prevention of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism, was awarded the prestigious 2019 PAM Award. The presentation ceremony took place in Athens as part of the 14th Plenary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean at the Hellenic Parliament.

Vivek Venkatesh, UNESCO co-chair in prevention of radicalization and Concordia professor, met the CJAD 800 team to discuss radicalization among Canadians. “Our team spoke to ten individuals, ten former extremists. […] It is important to treat this issue with empathy and humanism”, explains Mr. Venkatesh.

Why do people join extremist movements? Researchers at Concordia think they know part of the answer. In a study, researchers spoke to 10 people who joined radical movements. “The pathway to radicalization isn’t necessarily something that’s very distinct,” UNESCO co-chair in prevention of radicalization Vivek Vekatesh told CTV Montreal.