Deradicalization of Foreign Fighters and the Agency of Diaspora
In their newest article, our researcher Asya Metodieva and her colleague Dženeta Karabegović explore the role of ethnic and religious diaspora communities in deradicalization. Using Austria as a case study due to its long history of radicalization and diverse diaspora populations, the paper identifies challenges and opportunities in understanding these communities influence.
The paper bridges research on countering violent extremism (CVE)—where the role of ethnic and religious diaspora in deradicalization has been understudied and undertheorized—with diaspora and migration literature, which emphasizes diaspora actors as having their own agency and claim-making potential within larger transnational processes. Based on a review of both literatures and insights from interviews, Asya Metodieva and her colleague Dženeta Karabegović identify challenges and opportunities presented by the Austrian context and how these contribute to understanding the role of diaspora communities in deradicalization processes.
