17. December 2024

Annual Review 2024

A dynamic year is coming to a close. Together, we reflect on the work of BAG RelEx and developments in the field of radicalization prevention.We wish you strength in these challenging times and a peaceful end to the year! For those celebrating: Happy Hanukkah and a relaxing (pre-)holiday season!

Our Year 2024: Highlights and Developments

Expanding Our Network

In 2024, we continued to grow our network. New members include:

• Hallesche Jugendwerkstatt gGmbH
• beRaten. e. V.
• Sekten-Info Nordrhein-Westfalen e. V.
• Esoterik- und Religionsinfo BW e. V.

We’re excited to work together! You can find an overview of all member organizations here.

Key Discussions and New Formats

The Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have had significant repercussions in Germany. These topics were also central to our work:

• Expert Conference & Ligante#7: Examining how the Middle East conflict fuels antisemitism, racism, and radicalization in Germany.
• Expert Dialogues: Topics included artificial intelligence, radicalization and prevention, and Islamist extremism within Chechen communities. Recordings are available in our media libary and on YouTube.
• Policy and Press Roundtable: At “Prevention vs. Repression: Balancing Approaches to Islamism”, panelists — including Sandra Bubendorfer-Licht (FDP), June Tomiak (The Greens), Christoph Koopmann (Süddeutsche Zeitung), and Rüdiger José Hamm (BAG RelEx) — explored how society can balance preventative and repressive measures.

New Initiatives: The „policy:brief“

In 2024, we launched the policy:brief series, which takes a step back to explain critical issues while offering actionable, audience-specific recommendations. This format enhances communication with external stakeholders from politics, academia, administration, and business, supporting targeted and effective collaboration.

So far, we’ve published:

• Policy:brief No. 1: Strengthen, Protect, or Prevent? The Role of Prevention of Islamism in Democratic Societies
• Policy:brief No. 2: Addressing Root Causes, Not Just Symptoms: The Impact of the Middle East Conflict on the Prevention of Islamism.

Advocacy and Collaboration

As part of our advocacy work, we engaged in cross-party discussions with politicians and administrators to address:

• Security debates around bans on associations
• Digital prevention strategies
• The role of prevention in security policy discussions

Our goal: amplify the voices of civil society, advance critical discourses, and promote effective measures. Follow us on LinkedIn to stay updated!

Our Contribution to PrEval

As part of the PrEval project (Eva­luation and Quality Manage­ment in Extremism Preven­tion, Demo­cracy Promo­tion and Civic Education: Analysis, Moni­toring, Dialogue), we:

• Identified knowledge gaps in evaluation and quality assurance.
• Developed training formats to address these needs, scheduled for 2025.

We’re excited to continue our involvement in PrEval next year.

The BAG RelEx in KN:IX

In collaboration with ufuq.de and Violence Prevention Network gGmbH, we published the annual KN:IX Report, highlighting key topics and challenges in prevention work. Focus areas include:

• Social Media Mainstreaming: How extremist actors place their agendas online.
• Antisemitism vs. Racism: Addressing polarization in prevention work.
• Authoritarian Thinking: Its implications for prevention efforts.

The report also offers practical recommendations and insights for professionals.

This year, we also released four episodes of KN:IX talks:

• The Middle East Conflict as a Catalyst for Islamism?
• Female Radicalization as Empowerment?
• Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISKP: Islamism in Afghanistan and Its Impact on Germany
• Focus on Islamism Prevention: Reflections and Future Perspectives

Find all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

Additionally, publications like “Holy Facade? Challenges and Controversies Around Christfluencers” (Impuls #11), „”Islamic State Khorasan Province: The Rise of the Afghan IS Branch and Its Relevance for Germany” (Impuls #14) and “Salafism Online: A Struggle for Media Presence or Theological Authority?” (Analysis #16) provided deep dives into critical topics and actionable insights for prevention professionals.

Looking Ahead

December 31, 2024, marks the end of the KN:IX project. Over the past five years, KN:IX has become a central platform for knowledge-sharing, networking, and expertise in preventing Islamist extremism.

While KN:IX concludes, the organizations behind it—including BAG RelEx—remain committed to this vital work. We’ll take on new projects and challenges in 2025.

Stay tuned—we’re just getting started!

For access to past KN:IX publications, visit www.kn-ix.de. Print copies are available upon request at info@bag-relex.de.