University of Notre Dame
Kroc Institutde for International Peace Studies

September 2021

Countering Terrorism the Right Way

Countering Terrorism the Right Way

After 20 years, culminating in the collapse of the U.S.-supported government in Afghanistan, it is clear that militarized counterterrorism policies have failed. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq led to increased numbers of global terrorist attacks which remain at high...

Seven Peacebuilding Reflections on Violent Extremism

Seven Peacebuilding Reflections on Violent Extremism

What have peacebuilding experts learned from twenty years of counterterrorism? Here are seven reflections. 1. Violent extremism results from fear and frustration paired with the fantasy of a “pure” society.  Since 2001, Muslims have spoken out about the stigma they...

Gender and Counterterrorism

Gender and Counterterrorism

In the first 15 years of the United Nations’ post-9/11 counterterrorism program, gender issues were hardly mentioned. This, despite the clearly stated intention of violent extremists and terrorist groups to suppress gender equality, women’s rights, girls’ education,...