INTRODUCTION

The Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) organised a Workshop titled, ‘Extremism: Old Paradigms; New Frontiers’ on 4 and 5 October 2022 at the Park Royal Collection, Singapore. The workshop aimed to a) enhance our understanding of radicalisation from a multi-disciplinary perspective, b) learn how countries and organisations around the world are confronting extremism and c) explore new methods to counter extremism.

The Workshop consisted of seven panels over the course of two days. The focus of the first day was on the extremism situation in the Southeast Asian region. The three panels discussed issues such as jihadist activity and the resurgence of hate speech and intolerance in the online space in countries like Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia. The second day consisted of four panels with a diverse range of topics which looked at more global issues of radicalism in-depth.

Nineteen speakers from institutions in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States shared their insights. Workshop participants included members of the Singapore civil service, the private sector, and academia involved in examining counter terrorism, religious conflict, hate speech and other national security topics.

This report summarises key points from the panel speakers’ presentations. Key takeaways made by participants during the syndicate discussions and the Q&A sessions, are included at the end of each panel section.