About the Series

The webinar series aims to identify a conceptual understanding and appreciation of the importance of rehabilitation and aftercare efforts in countering violent extremism. Driven by empirical evidence and case studies, the webinar series also intends to provide an overview on terrorist and extremist rehabilitation and deradicalisation efforts as well as the latest trends and developments in the landscape.

Abstract

Self-radicalisation has become a familiar phenomenon, particularly with the rise of the internet as a key node of extremist communication, recruitment and financing. The Global Terrorism Index 2019 reported the proportion of attacks by unaffiliated individuals increased to almost 70 per cent, largely due to the proliferation of online propaganda by extremist groups. Hence, counterterrorism measures would need to incorporate an effective and sustainable rehabilitation counterstrategy directed at the self-radicalised individual.

In this webinar, Dr Zora A. Sukbadi and Dr Nafees Hamid will present the dynamics of and challenges to terrorist rehabilitation efforts against the evolving nature of the terrorism threat, including the psychological aspect. Our two speakers will provide their perspectives on current rehabilitation strategies while highlighting key considerations for rehabilitation directed at group-based radicals versus self-radicalised individuals.

Speakers

Dr Zora A. Sukabdi is a forensic psychologist and expert in Counterterrorism, Deradicalization, and Human Capital in security systems. Her approach to terrorism through a number of disengagement and deradicalisation programmes is holistic which includes psychosocial, vocational, spiritual-ideology, and cultural aspects. Currently, Dr Zora is working as a lecturer at the University of Indonesia, Jenderal Achmad Yani Military University, and Atma Jaya Catholic University on several subjects: Forensic Science, Forensic Psychology, Psychology of Terrorism, Terrorism Risk Assessment, Radicalism, and Deradicalization and Aftercare. She holds several appointments, including analyst in the Center of Crisis Control (Pusdalsis) at the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), Head of Forensic Psychology Association (APSIFOR) of Jakarta, Indonesia, and the Deputy Head in the Department of Character Building of the Indonesian Council of Ulamas.

Dr Nafees Hamid is a Senior Research Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King’s College London (KCL). He is the Research and Policy Director for the KCL component of XCEPT; a multi-country project that explores the role of trauma and mental health on pathways to peace versus violence in fragile and conflict-affected states. Dr Hamid’s research includes ethnographic interviews, survey studies, social network analysis, and psychology and neuroscience experiments with members of extremist organisations, including jihadists, white nationalists and others. Dr Hamid’s publications have appeared in several peer-reviewed journals, and he has provided interviews, presentations and talks to various media outlets.