EU Efforts to Prevent Violent Extremism (PVE) by Engaging Civil Society in Kyrgyzstan: Evidence from the Ground

Although a number of previous studies have investigated violent extremism in Central Asia, rigorous research concerning the international efforts in preventing this phenomenon in the region is still limited. The research sheds light on the EU’s engagement in preventing violent extremism (PVE) through the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Kyrgyzstan.The research offers insights into the agency of such organizations by focusing on concrete activities implemented under the EU Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP), and its programme Strengthening Resilience to Violence and Extremism (STRIVE). During the seminar, processes of adaptation, reinterpretation and contestation through which EU-funded organizations exercise ownership while engaging in PVE will be presented and discussed. 

Speaker

Chiara Pierobon, PhD is currently Senior Lecturer at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan). She received her binational Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Research from the University of Bielefeld (Germany) and the University of Trento (Italy). Her main areas of expertise are EU’s support to civil society in Central Asia, prevention of violent extremism (PVE), sustainable development and local ownership, social capital and resilience. Her studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals, such as the Central Asian Affairs, Central Asian Survey, Development Policy Review, Evaluation and she has been author and/or contributor of edited volumes from Nomos, Palgrave Macmillan, Routledge, Sage and Springer. In the past years, Dr. Pierobon served as manager of education and research exchange programmes in Europe and Russia funded by the European Commission and the DAAD, and of collaborative research projects in Central Asia funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. In addition to her academic activities, she has been active as consultant and trainer for organizations such as DVV International / Regional Office for Central Asia and the UNESCO Cluster Office for Central Asia.

Sebastien Peyrouse, Moderator

Sebastien Peyrouse, PhD, is a Research Professor at the Central Asia Program in the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (George Washington University). His main areas of expertise are political systems in Central Asia, economic and social issues, Islam and religious minorities, and Central Asia’s geopolitical positioning toward China, India and South Asia. He authored and co-authored several books on Central Asia, including Turkmenistan: Strategies of Power, Dilemmas of Development (Routledge, 2012).