AVERT Newsletter
NOVEMBER 2024
Convenor’s Message
The second half of 2024 has been a busy and exciting time for the AVERT Research Network as we’ve continued to grow and celebrate new achievements. Highlights include convening industry workshops, contributing to the recent Australian Senate enquiry into right-wing extremism, delivering another successful Research Symposium and welcoming new members and contributors to the Network’s leadership team.
It has been gratifying to see the wide range of expertise, analysis, and informed recommendations offered by our members. Whether it is through their research publications, public commentary on important issues or contributions to government inquiries and consultations, our members have made an impact. All of these efforts demonstrate the ongoing value of the AVERT Network as a unique national security resource.
Throughout 2024, the AVERT webinar series has continued to showcase the latest research from researchers and practitioners; you can find more information on past and upcoming webinars below. We were also particularly pleased to host a number of international speakers to Australia, including Professor Bruce Hoffman who served as the keynote speaker for an international terrorism conference, sharing his in-depth analysis of emerging macro trends and trajectories in terrorism.
Our signature annual event, the AVERT International Research Symposium, was held to unanimous positive acclaim in late October. We would like to acknowledge and thank the Department of Home Affairs for their support that makes this important forum possible. This year’s theme ‘People, Places, and Spaces: New Dynamics and Shifting Responses to Violent Extremism’ proved popular and engaging, with over 150 attendees and participants taking part. Our keynote speaker, Professor Noemie Bouhana, presented her holistic insights into extremism and counter extremism and the practitioner special address from Dr Ghayda Hassan spoke to the challenges and responses of CVE practitioners. This year’s Symposium included for the first time a dedicated HDR Workshop committed to supporting and capacity-building the next generation of counter terrorism scholars. Overall, the Symposium surpassed already high expectations, with several attendees noting that it was ‘the best so far.’ We would like to warmly thank all those who worked to make it so, including our Coordinators, the Symposium Organizing Committee, all the presenters and the student volunteers who this year, as every year, ensured the Symposium ran smoothly.
In the midst of these activities, the Network made some important new appointments. We are delighted to welcome Professor Julian Droogan as the new AVERT Co-convenor. Julian is the Head of School of International Studies, at Macquarie University in Sydney and Editor of the Journal of Policing, Intelligence, and Counter Terrorism. Lydia and Julian will work together to convene the Network through 2025. Julian brings considerable skill and expertise to bear and his appointment underscores AVERT’s commitment to incorporating expertise and representation from across Australian universities and professional bodies.
We also made additional new appointments to our Executive and Steering Committees. After many years on our Executive Committee, serving as one of our foundational members, we bid farewell to Professor Adrian Cherney. Adrian has made an outstanding contribution to the development of AVERT and we sincerely thank him for his many years of service. We were pleased to welcome Dr Keiran Hardy from Griffith University to the Executive Committee who is already making strides with new energy and insights. We also welcome Professor John Horgan as our newest Steering Committee member. Professor Horgan is one of the foremost scholars in our field and it’s a privilege to have him as part of our senior advisory body.
This year, we also bid farewell Dr. Nell Bennett as AVERT Coordinator. Nell was a highly valued member of the AVERT Network and very ably managed several AVERT events and initiatives. We wish her well for her future career. We are very pleased to welcome the exceptionally capable Ms. Isel Ras as our new Coordinator. Isel has many years of experience addressing violent and hateful extremism, conflict resolution, and community-based approaches in Africa along with significant project management experience. Many of you will have already interacted with Isel through our meetings and events, and I am sure you will join us in welcoming her on board.
As always, our research members have continued to produce high-quality and innovative publications, research projects, and public engagement throughout the year. Thank you to those AVERT members who have sent us their latest news featured below. Keep scrolling for more detail about the latest AVERT activities, and links to AVERT resources.
AVERT will be taking a summer hiatus over the holiday period and into January, and we look forward to coming back refreshed and engaged in February 2025 for another exciting year ahead! Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year in 2025.
Lydia Khalil and Julian Droogan AVERT Co-Convenors
Lydia Khalil
AVERT Co-convenor
Julian Droogan
AVERT Co-convenor
Phase 2 National Research Scheme
AVERT is pleased to announce the Call for Proposals is now open for Phase Two of the National Research Project funded by the Department of Home Affairs. In support of the Department of Home Affairs’ objective to ensure that Australia’s counter terrorism and countering violent extremism policies and programs are fit for purpose, and with a focus on preventing radicalisation to violence, the Department seeks to commission up to four (4) research projects to address priority government P/CVE topics.
The Department of Home Affairs is now seeking to fund research projects to deliver operationally relevant research outputs that support future CT and CVE strategy, policy and practice by Australian agencies and practitioners.
Funding for Phase Two ($200,000 AUD per project) is administered by AVERT based on the execution of the National Research Project funding agreement with the Department of Home Affairs.
The call for proposals opens on Friday, 20 December 2024 and the deadline for proposals is Wednesday, 5 February 2025. Additional details are available in the Call Specification available here
National Research Project Literature Review
This Call for Proposals was also informed by the recently completed literature review into radicalisation and violent extremism in Australia commissioned under Phase One of the National Research Project. The literature review, titled ‘New Directions in Radicalisation and Violent Extremism’ and authored by A/Professor Joshua Roose, Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh and Dr Vivian Gerand, provides insights into the emerging violent extremism context post pandemic and identifies gaps and priority areas for future research.
AVERT International Research Symposium 2024
The 2024 AVERT International Research Symposium was held at Deakin Downtown on 28 – 31 October. This year’s theme was “People, Places, and Spaces: New Dynamics and Shifting Responses to Violent Extremism.” Symposium presenters provided insights into what these emerging dynamics mean for violent extremism risk and threat analysis and their implications for policy and practitioner responses.
This year’s Symposium featured two fantastic keynote speakers, Professor Noemie Bouhana and Dr Ghayda Hassan, whose presentations explored the evolving dynamics of violent extremism globally. Prof. Bouhana addressed the role of fragmented social ecologies in fostering fluid extremism and Dr Hassan emphasized practitioner challenges in countering these threats through integrated, evidence-based approaches. Australian Department of Home Affairs Deputy Secretary for National Security Nathan Smyth opened the Symposium, highlighting the crucial role research plays in informing policy and practice and the importance of learning from diverse perspectives. Symposium keynote speeches and many presentations are available to view here.
AVERT Seminar and Webinar Series
The AVERT Seminar/Webinar series has featured important and timely research over the past few months.
On 19 November, we hosted a seminar with Dr. Matthew Levitt, Program Director of Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Dr Mariam Farida of Macquarie University. During this hybrid seminar, Dr. Levitt discussed his upcoming book Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon’s Party of God. Both Drs Levitt and Farida reflected on Hezbollah's current strategic position, recent developments in its conflict with Israel, and the implications for Western governments and local communities.
A/Prof Mario Peucker, Victoria University presented on his forthcoming book ‘Democracy Strikes back: Understanding and Countering the Rise of the Far Right (Palgrave, January 2025). Dr. Peucker discussed how framing the far right solely as ‘extremist’ or ‘radical’ overlooks their historical and ongoing alignment with societal norms, emphasizing that far-right ideological markers such as authoritarianism and racism are pervasive in mainstream society, and how grievances and the fundamental need for recognition and respect make individuals more susceptible to far-right messaging.
On 30 August 2024 – Dr. Suraj Lakhani form the University of Sussex presented on ‘the nexus between videogaming and violent extremism’.
On 14 June 2024, Dr. Julia Ebner presented during a webinar titled ‘Is There a Language of Terrorists?’ Based on her research, Dr Ebner provided insights into psycholinguistic patterns of radicalisation across different ideologies. Throughout the webinar, Dr. Ebner explored whether would-be perpetrators of extreme violence be reliably identified by the linguistic traces they unintentionally leave behind in their online communications?
On 8 July 2024, Dr. Aaron Zelin presented on the evolution of the Islamic State, highlighting its transformation of the global jihadi movement, its continued operations and territorial control in four African countries, its governance projects, and its reinvigorated external operations capacity, emphasizing its enduring significance despite shifting global policy and research focus.
Upcoming Webinars
We have an engaging lineup of webinars planned for 2025. Join us on 6 March 2025 4.00 – 5.30 PM for a hybrid webinar titled ‘The State of British Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE)’ which will host Professor Paul Thomas from the University of Huddersfield, UK.
On 1 June 2025, Professor Claire Hamilton (Maynooth University, Ireland) will present on Security, Emotions and Radical Right Populism: Beyond a ‘Flaunting of the Low’?
Registration details for these upcoming webinars will be available early next year.
Terrorism Trends Conference
AVERT convened a forum alongside our colleagues at the ANU National Security College on “The Trajectory of Terrorism.” A number of international experts convened to offer their assessments on future global terrorism trends and threats. Professor Bruce Hoffman served as the keynote speaker alongside a couple of other AVERT member presenters.
The AVERT Research Network is pleased to announce that we will be holding an event with Professor Bruce Hoffman on Tuesday the 25th of June, 4.00-6.00pm at Deakin Downtown, in Melbourne.
Professor Hoffman will be discussing his latest book, God, Guns, and Sedition, co-authored with Jacob Ware, followed by networking drinks.
This free event is exclusive to AVERT Research and Affiliate Members.
AVERT testimony to the Senate inquiry public hearing into right-wing extremist movements in Australia
In June, the authors of the AVERT submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee inquiry into right-wing extremist movements in Australia gave evidence at the public hearing to further assist in the inquiry’s report. The public hearing provided an opportunity for AVERT Members to respond to questions from the committee, and to share their expertise on right-wing movements in Australia.
You can find AVERT’s submission in our publications page and the inquiry’s full report is now available on the Senate Committee’s Parliamentary webpage.
Read the latest AVERT Commentary
AVERT publishes commentary on current issues in preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalisation to terrorism.
HDR/ECR Updates
This year, the AVERT Research Network undertook new initiatives to increase the engagement, visibility, and professional development of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students and Early Career Researchers (ECR). The activities focused on promoting inclusivity, providing opportunities for collaboration, and fostering connections between academic and industry-based researchers. The AVERT 2024 Annual Symposium featured a dedicated HDR/ECR session that highlighted the evolving relationship between academia and industry-based research, with some participants sharing their experiences of how practitioners are increasingly engaging in HDR studies while academics transition to industry roles. Plans are already underway for initiatives to better serve our HDR members and community. Stay tuned!
New Members
New Steering Committee Member - Professor John Horgan
John Horgan is a Distinguished University Professor at Georgia State University’s Department of Psychology, where he directs the Violent Extremism Research Group (VERG). His research focuses on terrorist psychology, and his books include The Psychology of Terrorism, Walking Away from Terrorism, and the recently published Terrorist Minds: The Psychology of Violent Extremism from al Qaeda to the Far Right (2023). He is Editor-in-Chief of Terrorism and Political Violence and has held academic positions at leading institutions, including Penn State and the University of St. Andrews.
New Executive Committee Member – Dr. Keiran Hardy
Dr. Keiran Hardy is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University and a member of the Griffith Criminology Institute. His research focuses on counter-terrorism law, countering violent extremism, radicalisation, and cyber-terrorism, and he regularly comments for Australian media. He is the author of Law in Australian Society: An Introduction to Principles and Process.
New Research Members
Dr. Susilo Wibisono
University of Queensland
Dr. Callum Jones
Deakin University
Dr. Jennifer Robinson
Australian National University
Dr. Primitivo III Cabanes Ragandang
Mindanao State University
Dr. Nuri Veronika
University of Melbourne
Dr. Tamara Tulich
UWA Law School
Professor Noemie Bouhana
University College London
Associate Prof. Daniel Baldino
University of Notre Dame
Associate Prof. Amin Asfari
University of Regina
Member News
Publications
AVERT Research Members are active researchers in the field of preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism. Read some of their latest publications here.
Shahram Akbarzadeh and Zahid Shahab Ahmed
Ahmed, Z.S., Yilmaz, I., Akbarzadeh, S., & Bashirov, G. ‘Contestations of Internet Governance and Digital Authoritarianism in Pakistan’, in International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, (2024) Read
Yilmaz,I., Akbarzadeh, S., Abbasov, N., & Bashirov, G. ‘The Double-Edged Sword: Political Engagement on Social media and Its Impact on Democracy Support in Authoritarian Regimes’, in Political Research Quarterly, (2024) Read
Clare Allely
Lankford, A., Allely, C. S., & McLaren, S. A. ‘The Gamification of Mass Violence: Social Factors, Video Game Influence, and Attack Presentation in the Christchurch Mass Shooting and Its Copycats’, in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, (2024) Read
Gordon Clubb & Mary Beth Altier
Clubb, G., & Altier, M.B. ‘Standards for Employing Formers in P/CVE’, by International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, (202)Read
Greg Barton
Kelly, L.M., Ware, A., Badry, A.I., Barton, G., & Ware, V.A. ‘There are no gays in the village: youth perspectives of LGBTQIA+ people in Java, Indonesia’, in Journal of Youth Studies, (2024) Read
Mia Bloom
Moskalenko, S., Romanova, E, and Bloom, M. ‘When gender norms collide: The role of fragile masculinity and femininity in radicalization of conspiracy believers’, in Crime and Delinquency, (2024) Read
Bloom, M., & Erez, E. ‘When Sexually Assaulted Women are Not Believed: “Ideal Victim” Theory and Political Relativity in the October 7 Hamas Attack’, in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, (2024) Read
Bloom, M. ‘Applying Basic Research Insights to Real World Security Challenges’, in Michael C. Desch and David W. Montgomery (eds.), The Future of Social Science and National Security: Minerva and Beyond, (2024) Read
Joel Busher
Geelhoed, F., Busher, J., Massé, L. E. J. S., & De Pelecijn, L. ‘In the Discomfort Zone: Emotional Labour and Reflexivity in Field Research on Extremism’, in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, (2024) Read
Kristy Campion
Campion, K., & Colvin, E. ‘Foreign and familiar: Recruitment pathways of young people engaged with extremism in Australia’, in Perspectives on Terrorism, (2024) Read
Adrian Cherney & Emma Belton
Cantwell, M., & Cherney, A. ‘Examining extremist language use amongst Australian members of an online far-right forum’, in Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, (2024) Read
Cherney, A., & Belton, E. ‘Testing the reliability and validity of the VERA-2R on individuals who have radicalised in Australia’, by the Australian Institute of Criminology (2024) Read
Belton, E., & Cherney, A. ‘Testing the application of violent extremism risk assessment to individuals who have radicalised in Australia: the case of the VERA-2R’, in Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice 690, (2024) Read
Syafiq, M., Alfithon, A.M., Cherney, A., and Louis, W. R. (2024). ‘Self-compassion as a factor in the deradicalisation of extremist offenders’, in the Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology 18 ARTN, (2024) Read
Syafiq, M., Cherney, A., & Louis, W. R. ‘From a jihadist into an agent against violent extremism: a case study of self-transformation’, in Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, (2024) Read
Julian Droogan
Droogan, J., Iqbal, K., & Adnan Bukhari, S. ‘When terrorists attempt politics: an evaluation of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s pursuit of political transformation’, in Small Wars & Insurgencies, (2024) Read
Droogan, J., & Hutchinson, J. ‘Right-wing extremism in Australia’, in R. Gunaratna, & K. Pethö-Kiss (Eds.), A research agenda for far-right violence and extremism, Edward Elgar Publishing, (2024) Read
Hutchinson, J., & Droogan, J. ‘Far-right 'Reactions': a comparison of Australian and Canadian far-right extremist groups on Facebook’, in Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, (2024) Read
Mark Duckworth
Duckworth, M., Horn, C., & Grossman, M. ‘Do Governments Trust Communities? The Trust Flows Project Research Report’, by the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies at Deakin University, (2024) Read
Amparo Pamela Fabe
Romaniuk, S.N., Roul, A., Fabe, A.P., Besenyo, J. ‘Handbook of Terrorist and Insurgent Groups, A Global Survey of Threats, Tactics, and Characteristics’, by CRC Press, (2024) Read
Romaniuk, S.N., Fabe, A.P., Toledo, J.A., Roul, A. ‘Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Through Hawala Money Transfer Operators’, by Palgrave Macmillan, (2024) Read
Paul Gill
Rottweiler, B., van der Vegt, I., & Gill, P. ‘Preventing U.S. Election Violence: Countering the Harmful Effects of Election Conspiracy Theories’, in Reports, Projects, and Research, (2024) Read
Van der Vegt, I., Rottweiler, B., & Gill, P. ‘The Relationship Between Language Use and Conspiracy Beliefs’, in National Counterterrorism Innovation, technology, and Education, (2024) Read
Michele Grossman
Grossman, M., Horn, C., Peucker, M., Dellal, H., & Scaramella, K. ‘Local CVE Capacity Addressing Far-Right Extremism in Australian Rural-Regional Communities: Protections, Vulnerabilities, Needs and Resources’, Final Research Report for CVE Branch, Department of Home Affairs, (2024).
Thomas, P., & Grossman, M. ‘International Dimensions in Community Reporting of Terrorist Involvement’, by CREST Security Review, (2024) Read
John Horgan
Meredith, K., and Horgan, J. ‘After they Leave: Exploring post-exit distress in former violent extremists’, in Journal for Deradicalization, (2024) Read
Horgan, J., Lorig, C., Borum, R., Allely, C.S., and Herrenkohl, T.I. ‘Understanding and preventing violent extremism in school settings’, in Journal of School Psychology, (2024) Read
Mayer, M.J., Horgan, J., Herrenkohl, T.I., and Osher, D. ‘Violent extremism in the U.S.: Causes and consequences for youth, families, schools, and communities’, in Journal of School Psychology, (2024) Read
Matteo Vergani and Jade Hutchinson
Vergani, M., & Hutchinson, J. ‘Ecosystems of Hate: understanding the relationship between terrorism, hate crime, and hate speech’, in Sociology, Social Policy and Education, (2024) Read
Daniel Koehler
Koehler, D. ‘Security authorities’ exit work with Islamists: a practitioner’s view on perspectives, challenges and developments’, in ZeFKo Studies in Peace and Conflict, (2024) Read
Winnifred Louis
Hornsey, M.J., Fielding, K.S., Marshall, G., & Louis, W.R. ‘Intergroup Conflict Over Climate Change: problems and Solutions’, in European Journal of Social Psychology, (2024) Read
Stuart MacDonald
Macdonald, S., Whiting, A., & Jarvis, L. ‘Evidence and Ideology in the Independent Review of Prevent’, in Journal for Deradicalization, (2024) Read
Kristina Murphy
Bates, K., Sargeant, E., & Murphy, K. ‘Trustworthiness, Trust, and Immigrants’ Willingness to Call the Police’ in Victims & Offenders, (2024) Read
Stephane Shepherd
Venner S., Maharaj N, Sivasubramaniam D, Shepherd SM. ‘Pacific Islander and Māori Perspectives on Forensic Risk Assessment in Australia’ in International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, (2024) Read
Emma Thomas
Thomas, E.F., Yip, L. & Lizzio-Wilson, M. ‘Distinguishing Sympathizers, Philanthropists, Rusted on Activists and Radicals: Using Person-Centred Analyses in Collective Action Research’, in Personality and Social Psychology Compass, (2024) Read
Barron, A., Thomas, E.F., & Woodyatt, L. ‘#MeToo, #MenToo: How Men’s Progressive and Reactionary Actions are Shaped by Defensiveness’, in Frontiers in Social Psychology: Attitudes, Social Justice and Political Psychology, (2024) Read
Smith, L.G.E., Bliuc, A-M., Thomas, E.F., & McGarty, C. ‘Polarization is the psychological foundation of collective engagement’, in Communications Psychology, (2024) Read
Helen Young
Young, H., & Boucher, G. ‘Far-Right Extremism and Digital Publishing’, by Global Network on Extremism and Technology, (2024) Read
Andrew Zammit
Zammit, A. ‘“The Smallest Act You Do in Their Lands is More Beloved to Us than the Biggest Act Done Here”: When Do an Armed Movement’s Transnational Supporters Turn to Terrorism at Home?’, in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, (2024) Read
Spaaij, R., & Zammit, A. ‘The terrorism threat to the 2024 Paris Olympics: Learning from the past to understand the present’, in Analysis, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, (2024) Read
Awards and recognition
AVERT Members are some of the top researchers in their field. AVERT is proud to share the awards and recognition they receive.
Mia Bloom
Lifetime Achievement Award, Security & Crime Prevention Section of the AJCS (Academy of Criminology and Justice Sciences) awarded October 2024.
Julian Droogan
Promoted to Professor; Promoted to Head of School of International Studies, Macquarie University.
Amparo Pamela Fabe
The Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies Achievement Award, in Hawaii, U.S.
Grants and Projects
AVERT Members conduct innovative research through grants and projects. These endeavours enable members to conduct research for the public good.
Mark Duckworth received funding for the project ‘Effective Community-Led Disaster Planning and Response.’ Alongside a team from Deakin University (Assoc/Prof Max Kelly, Dr Dan Mcavoy (SHSS), Mark Duckworth (ADI) and Dr Josh Hallwright (CHL)) in partnership with Australian Business Volunteers, have been successful in a grant from the Emergency Management Victoria/National Emergency Management Agency Disaster Ready Fund.
Lydia Khalil was funded for a project on the systematic mapping of democratic erosion from the Department of Home Affairs Democracy Taskforce. This funding will support an interactive systems map illustrating the actors, processes and conditions of democratic erosion and associated publication. (2024-2025)
Lydia Khalil also received a two-year grant from the Australian Federal Police for a project on New Forms of Violent Extremism as part of the Lowy Institute’s Transnational Challenges Program. (2024-2026)
Amparo Pamela Fabe received funding to research maritime security in the Philippines.
Emma Thomas received funding for the project ‘Unravelling the psychological foundations of reactionary social movements’, by the Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (2024 – 2027)
Emma Thomas and team (Louis, W.R., Balzan, R. Ye, M. & Angus, S.) received funding for the project ‘From conspiracy to ideologically motivated extremism: Biased thinking and social influence a post-truth world’ by the National Intelligence and Security Discovery Research Grant (NISDRG) (2024 - 2026).
Get in touch
Please feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions about AVERT’s activities. You can reach us at adi-avert@deakin.edu.au