ABU DHABI, 8th May, 2025 (WAM) -- Hedayah, the International Centre of Excellence For Countering Extremism and Violent Extremism, is implementing two strategic capacity-building initiatives in Turkmenistan and Albania, focused on strengthening the role of local institutions and stakeholders in supporting community resilience against extremism. These efforts fall within the Centre's global mission to prevent and combat extremism.
In Turkmenistan, the Centre is conducting a training programme on multi-agency approaches to enhance the knowledge and operational capacities of civil society organisations, government officials, and local responsible entities. The training emphasises the importance of cooperation among national stakeholders in addressing the threat of extremism and violent extremism, with a focus on soft power, shared roadmaps, and coordinated efforts for rehabilitation and reintegration.
This initiative builds upon Hedayah’s long-standing presence in Central Asia, supported by the STRIVE Global Programme to strengthen resilience against violent extremism, funded by the European Union, and in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with financial support from the Government of Japan.
Ahmed Al Qasimi, Executive Director of Hedayah, stated: “Our work in Turkmenistan reflects the importance of boosting operational capacities and equipping local actors with the tools and knowledge necessary to collaborate effectively in preventing extremism within their local contexts. True resilience is built through cooperation, trust, and long-term investment in partnerships.”
Simultaneously, Hedayah is conducting follow-up and mentoring sessions in Albania for religious and community leaders. These sessions aim to provide participants with practical tools to craft impactful alternative narratives and combat extremism and disinformation.
Building on the success of last year’s training on messaging and content creation, the current workshop adopts a “learning-by-doing” approach, integrating monitoring, evaluation, and assessment mechanisms to ensure local ownership and sustainability of efforts.
This programme is implemented in close partnership with the Albanian Coordination Centre for Countering Violent Extremism, the the Interreligious Council of Albania (IRCA) and with support from the STRIVE Global Programme funded by the European Union and implemented by Hedayah.
Anna Sherburn, Deputy Executive Director of Hedayah, commented: “In Albania, we see how ongoing training and mentoring—backed by trusted local partnerships—can shift the narrative and support genuine community-led responses to extremism.”