Prevention Practitioners Network

A network of interdisciplinary professionals dedicated to preventing targeted violence and terrorism in the US.

Since October 2020, ISD has partnered with the McCain Institute and a steering committee of violence prevention and social safety experts to develop an interdisciplinary network of professionals working on the prevention of targeted violence and terrorism in the US. The aim of this initiative is not only to provide a community of practice across the US, but to build the capacity and efficacy of programmes through workshops and practice guides, covering both conceptual and practical elements of delivering prevention and intervention initiatives.

ISD supports the McCain Institute through the development of information packs and practice guides for network members, covering key topics ranging from behavioural assessment to legal liability and staffing multidisciplinary interventions. By leveraging ISD’s global insight and networks, as well as our unique digital research capability, we provide the Network with resources that are informed by international good practice and a joined-up picture of the domestic and international threat landscape.

The Prevention Practitioners Network will serve as a forum connecting practitioners for peer-learning and capacity building opportunities, where members can leverage bespoke resources and workshops to build their skills and confidence to respond safely and appropriately to targeted violence. As part of this effort, the McCain Institute and ISD are also building a directory of services that Network members can draw from to learn about other prevention programmes across the US, build partnerships and, where needed, hold case consultations. This aims to streamline intervention responses at a local level, and build national capacity to respond appropriately to a complex and growing series of threats.

Resources produced for the Network can be found in ISD’s Publications library, and recordings of past workshops can be found here.

For more information about the Network and its membership, please email [email protected].

Latest Training & Capacity Building Resources

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ISD’s Training & Capacity Building team

Moustafa Ayad

Executive Director; Africa, the Middle East and Asia (AMEA)

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Moustafa Ayad is the Executive Director for Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (AMEA) at ISD, with more than 15 years worth of experience designing, developing, and deploying multi-faceted counter extremism projects in conflict and post-conflict environments across AMEA. He has experience in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kenya, Senegal, as well the United States, with a range of government and non-governmental partners on violent extremism, conflict resolution and strategic communications. Moustafa’s research on hybrid extremism and the use of social media platforms by extremist groups and their supporters has been featured in the Associated Press, BBC, The Times, VICE, CNN, NPR, Wired, and The Daily Beast.

Rashad Ali

Senior Fellow

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Rashad Ali is a Senior Fellow at ISD. Rashad is a counter terrorism practitioner who works on deradicalisation initiatives alongside Prisons, Probation Services, Police and community groups. He was formerly a national leadership member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, the revolutionary Islamist organisation and has been actively involved in undermining its extreme ideology and perversion of Muslim faith since his departure. As a researcher he has given testimony and contributed submissions to the Home Affairs Select Committee on Radicalisation, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Intelligence and has briefed the London Mayor's office on Counter Terrorism and has been consulted by think tanks and governments in Germany, Denmark, the EU and the US. He is an external lecturer for Derby University’s Master Class courses on Radicalisation and Counter Terrorism. He has written for The Observer, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, The Times, Dissent Magazine, Birlingske in Denmark, Conservative Home, and given commentary for Newsnight, BBC News. He is the author of Islam, Shariah and the Far Right published by Demoqratiya journal, A Guide to Refuting Jihadism published by HJS and EFD, and the author of the ISD report Blasphemy, Charlie Hebdo, and the Freedom of Belief and Expression. He is classically trained in Islamic theology and jurisprudence and Modern studies in Islam. He studied at al-Azhar University, Cairo, and the Markfield Institute.

Kelsey Bjornsgaard

Director of Practice, Strong Cities Network

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Kelsey Bjornsgaard is the Director of Practice for the Strong Cities Network where she develops training models and resources to enhance locally-led approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism. She works closely with youth, civil society and national and local government actors to identify good practice, build critical capacities and drive cross-sectoral coordination to promote community-based solutions on a global scale. Kelsey leads the delivery of Strong Cities’ youth pillar, Young Cities, and is driving work on National Local Cooperation. Kelsey holds a Master's in International Conflict Studies from King’s College London and a Bachelor's in European Studies from the University of Oklahoma.

Simeon Dukić

Deputy Director of Global Engagement, Strong CIties Network

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Simeon Dukić is the Deputy Director of Global Engagement for Strong Cities, overseeing the Network’s Regional Hubs in the Western Balkans and South Asia. His key responsibilities include facilitating city-to-city learning and national-local coordination, while supporting the deployment of local initiatives based on member needs. Simeon also supports strategic Central and East European city engagement under the Strong Cities Transatlantic Dialogue initiative. He previously served as a Project Associate at the National Committee for Countering Violent Extremism and Counterterrorism of the Republic of North Macedonia, where he supported the coordination of 22 government ministries, CSOs, and multilateral and regional counterparts, and was involved in the drafting of the country’s first National CVE Strategy. He holds an MA (Distinction) in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College London and a BA (Magna Cum Laude) in Global Challenges from Leiden University College. He is fluent in Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian and English, and has intermediate proficiency in Russian.

Charlotte Moeyens

Senior Manager, Networks & Civic Action

Charlotte Moeyens is a Senior Manager, Networks & Civic Action, at ISD, sitting in the central Resources and Methods team to support with the collation and distribution of counter-extremism best practice, overseeing the development and international delivery of training modules, materials and resources for practitioners and civil society. She has supported the delivery of the Google.org Impact Challenge on Safety in Europe, Africa Online Safety Fund and Mayor of London’s Shared Endeavour Fund. Most recently, she is working with the McCain Institute to develop and build the capacity of a US Prevention and Intervention Practitioners Network. Charlotte also forms part of the Strong Cities Network's (SCN) Central Management Unit, and is co-author of the SCN's Multi-Agency Models for Preventing Violent Extremism: A Guidebook for Bangladesh, as well as ISD reports YouthCAN: The Many States of Activism and Women, Girls and Islamist Extremism.