When Less Empathy Is Desirable: The Complexity of Empathy and Intergroup Relationships in Preventing Violent Extremism

by Niccola Milnes/

As practitioners of preventing violent extremism (PVE), our aim is to reduce the drivers and enablers of extremism, whatever they may be, and in doing so, reduce the willingness to engage in or support violent acts against ‘the other’. As empathy is traditionally associated with lower propensities towards violence, this has led to the fostering of empathy as a program goal in some PVE activities. Messaging and alternative narratives are often included in PVE programming in pursuit of this aim.

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How do you create change in the face of complex systems challenges?

by Kate Simpson/

What do you do when faced with a problem so vast so complex and so confusing that you can’t really work out what’s going on and have little idea what to do or where to start? The short easy answer is – you don’t work on it; the longer, harder answer is you work on the conditions that create the problem.

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Violent extremism in East Africa since 2013

by Flora McCrone/
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A Champion for African agriculture: To be or not to be?

by Alex Rees/

What does being a champion for African agriculture mean? This is a key question for those of us heading to Africa’s premier annual forum for agriculture …

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What’s the difference between a complex or complicated problem?

by Kate Simpson/

What’s the difference between 12 boys trapped in a cave and 20 trapped in an orphanage in Lybia? All children, all victims of circumstances not of their own making (except perhaps those in the cave).

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70 years of the NHS — Bring on the next 70 years

by Kate Simpson/

For 70 years the NHS has been providing not just health care free …

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