ISD Germany co-Director Julia Ebner was interviewed by Der Standard about radicalization in a world where fringe ideas and conspiracy theories have been normalized.

Julia describes how times of crises often allow extreme ideologies to gain traction, with the same tropes resurfacing again and again.

“We see the same patterns and narratives over and over again, which are adapted to current contexts,” she said. “In a way, history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.”

The leveraging of these hateful ideas has further polarized society, but Julia believes there is a path forward.

“One approach to preventing polarization is to emphasize the suffering shared with other groups previously perceived as enemies.”

Read the full article on Der Standard.