Mightier than the Sword: Social Science and Development in Countering Violent Extremism

Abstract

Countering terrorism through social science-based development assistance is a new policy model that moves beyond traditional methods based on the application of military force, public diplomacy, pressure to democratize, or broad-based poverty alleviation. The core elements of this framework for countering violent extremism (CVE) involve 1) pushing U.S. military responses “downstream” and using them sparingly, 2) reducing marginalization of peripheral communities and encouraging re-integration, 3) providing locally based counter-narratives to those of violent extremist organizations, and 4) increasing the legitimacy and capacity of partner governments.

Keywords: terrorism, countering violent extremism, development, social science, USAID