07 May 2021
GNET-CENS Online Workshop on Right Wing Extremism: East and West
Abstract
Singapore’s first reported case of a right-wing extremism (RWE) plot underscored how multicultural Asian societies are potentially vulnerable to ideologies more often associated with ‘the West’. It sparked concern over this brand of radicalism that is relatively novel to Asia. Intolerance and the pervasiveness of echo-chambers online create a diffused movement across countries with opportunities for mimicking tactics and (re)appropriating narratives. This online workshop brought together a diverse group of leading academics and practitioners at the intersection of extremism and social resilience. While RWE may have roots in white-supremacy, it finds fertile ground in parts of Asia where minority identities are contested, and manifestations concurrently resonate and vary from the ‘West’.
The event was organised by the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) and the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET). GNET was established in early 2020 as the academic research arm of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) and convened by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King’s College London. The GIFCT was founded by Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube in 2017 to prevent terrorists and violent extremists from exploiting digital platforms.
Abstract
Singapore’s first reported case of a right-wing extremism (RWE) plot underscored how multicultural Asian societies are potentially vulnerable to ideologies more often associated with ‘the West’. It sparked concern over this brand of radicalism that is relatively novel to Asia. Intolerance and the pervasiveness of echo-chambers online create a diffused movement across countries with opportunities for mimicking tactics and (re)appropriating narratives. This online workshop brought together a diverse group of leading academics and practitioners at the intersection of extremism and social resilience. While RWE may have roots in white-supremacy, it finds fertile ground in parts of Asia where minority identities are contested, and manifestations concurrently resonate and vary from the ‘West’.
The event was organised by the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) and the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET). GNET was established in early 2020 as the academic research arm of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) and convened by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King’s College London. The GIFCT was founded by Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube in 2017 to prevent terrorists and violent extremists from exploiting digital platforms.
