From Europe to L’Hospitalet de Llobregat: the multi-scalar trajectory of the prevention of violent extremism and its articulation in local prevention policies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56247/qua.527Keywords:
Vulnerability, security, scale, migration policyAbstract
This article examines the multiscalar trajectory of the concept of “violent radicalization” and its integration into local policies for preventing violent extremism (PVE), using the community mediation service of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat as a case study. Following terrorist attacks in European cities such as Madrid (2004) and London (2005), the European Union promoted a preventive turn in counterterrorism policies, disseminating conceptual frameworks and tools to identify and mitigate radicalization factors. As a result of its participation in European projects on practice exchange since 2014, L’Hospitalet’s community mediation service developed a PVE strategy within a broader framework of conflict prevention in community relations. While this strategy did not alter the practices of mediation professionals, it introduced a new conceptual framework in which vulnerabilities (e.g., psychological, identity-related, or socioeconomic) are framed as potential security risks. Consequently, they require containment and monitoring through awareness-raising initiatives—such as intercultural and interfaith dialogue—as well as psychosocial support programs. The study critiques how this approach, by framing inequalities as potential risks and prioritizing individualized interventions over structural solutions, reinforces securitized measures at the expense of rights-based approaches.
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KU Leuven
Grant numbers IDN/20/004;“Deradicalizing the City”
