Over the past decade, the understanding of how and why individuals engage in violent
extremism and terrorism has evolved and become more nuanced, as have the tools to
prevent these threats. A field of policy and practice called counter violent extremism (CVE) has emerged that focuses on countering the pull of terrorist recruitment and influence
by building resilience among populations vulnerable to radicalization. As the domain of
CVE continues to mature and expand, moving further upstream to address root causes of
extremist violence, much of the work touches the realm of peacebuilding.
Peacebuilders, through their broader agenda of conflict prevention, also focus on
countering extremist violence. Violent extremism is a driver of conflict, and violent
extremists are often spoilers in peacebuilding efforts. Peacebuilding and CVE work
increasingly intersect, though approaches and practice in the two domains often differ.
This report bridges that divide by exploring complementary spaces and the limitations in
their overlap.