USAID Development Assistance and Counter-Extremism: A Guide to Programming

Drawing on the February 2009 Guide to the Drivers of Violent Islamist Extremism, this new publication on Development Assistance and Counter-Extremism discusses the implications for practitioners pursuing development objectives in the context of counter-extremism (CE). Because programming must reflect the distinctive
features of the specific environment in which a particular group involved in Violent Extremism (VE) operates, this publication does not create a universal formula for designing and implementing programs that address CE. Instead it recommends a process that considers key questions and areas of inquiry to inform
programming choices. The document specifies six steps to follow to identify key drivers and to assess how those drivers interact with each other. It also lays out twelve broad programming principles and a menu of development assistance (DA) interventions to help development practitioners respond to socioeconomic,
political, and cultural drivers of violent extremism.