(New York, N.Y./Berlin) – The violent right-wing extremist milieu in the United States and Europe has developed a distinctly transnational character in its activities and therefore presents an increasing security threat on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Germany is currently leading a research project focused on the transnational connectivity of violent right-wing extremism in several European countries and the United States. This research demonstrates that the Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM) is one of the key actors that is often highly regarded by other members of the scene. The NRM is also one of the most transnationally networked organizations, whose members travel frequently within Scandinavia and beyond.
In the summer of 2016, two NRM members traveled to Russia to train in camps run by the Russian Imperial Movement, another transnational right-wing extremist organization that was recently designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. government. Following this paramilitary training, the two NRM members carried out a string of bomb attacks on refugee centers in Sweden in January 2017. Despite subsequent denials from the NRM leadership that these attacks were perpetrated by NRM, this development demonstrates that the threat emanating from this transnational violent right-wing extremist movement has led to real-world action.
Therefore, CEP and CEP Germany invite you to a webinar that will focus on the NRM’s activities in the Nordic countries to explore the various facets of this group’s activities and operations.
In order to explore these issues, CEP and CEP Germany are honored to welcome four of the most pertinent experts on this subject to the event:
- Prof. Dr. Tore Bjørgo, director, Center for Research on Extremism: Right-Wing Extremism, Hate Crime and Political Violence (C‑REX), Norway
- Dr. Chris Holmsted Larsen, chief advisor, Danish Center for the Prevention of Violent Extremism, Denmark
- Dr. Tommi Kotonen, research coordinator, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
- Morgan Finnsiö, researcher, Expo Foundation, Sweden
The event will be held in English via Zoom on Friday, October 30, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. EDT / 16:00 CET.
The agenda is as follows:
Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director, CEP
Opening remarks and moderation
Prof. Dr. Tore Bjørgo
Keynote: What makes the NRM restrain its violence?
Dr. Chris Holmsted Larsen
Presentation: The development of the transnational violent right-wing extremist movement: Activities of the NRM in Denmark
Dr. Tommi Kotonen
Presentation: The development of the transnational violent right-wing extremist movement: Activities of the NRM in Finland
Morgan Finnsiö
Presentation: The development of the transnational violent right-wing extremist movement: Activities of the NRM in Sweden
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the issues with the speakers following their respective presentations in a Q&A segment. Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues.
If you like to participate in this webinar, please register using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8hLQyqlzSeu0V_wHNWE40Q