Most programs developed to counter radicalization to violence have been focused on primary prevention by, for example, countering violent extremist narratives through public education. Shift, however, is a secondary prevention program. In general, secondary prevention programs seek to disrupt the trajectories of those who may be engaging with violent extremist materials or rhetoric and deter them from proceeding further down the path of radicalization to violence.
Shift functions as a bridge between existing service organizations in order to maximize and coordinate the mobilization of support. As with any complex social problem, individual service providers cannot tackle radicalization to violence alone.
Other jurisdictions have primarily utilized a law enforcement model of countering radicalization to violence. While law enforcement undoubtedly has an important role to play in countering radicalization to violence, we believe that our civilian-led model will be more approachable for vulnerable individuals and members of their social networks.
Shift is neither punitive nor investigative. Rather, the goal of the program is to interrupt the trajectories of vulnerable participants through hub-facilitated services and support.
Hubs operate by harnessing the expertise and resources of local service providers to create and implement collaborative multi-sector intervention plans specific to an individual and their community.
We believe that providing vulnerable individuals with personalized, adaptive, and unique supports through this collaborative approach will enable positive life changes, build resilience, and provide a foundation to step off the pathway of radicalization to violence.
