Issue Brief – Engaging religious actors to transform violent extremism: lessons from Kenya

Including religious actors in transforming violent extremism has been a policy recommendation for years.

Less has been said on how to do this in practice, or how to do it well  – despite existing models such as Kenya’s “whole of society approach”. As a result, state and security actors often struggle to involve religious actors – or even avoid the issue altogether, missing key opportunities.

This brief begins by highlighting core principles for effective religious engagement in transforming violent extremism. It then explores the example of Kenya’s National Strategy for Countering Violent Extremism. Finally, it outlines best practices and policy recommendations.