Launched at the United Nations in September 2015, the Strong Cities Network (SCN) is the first ever global network of mayors, municipal-level policy makers and practitioners united in building social cohesion and community resilience to counter violent extremism in all its forms.
The network catalyses, inspires and multiplies community-centric approaches and action to counter violent extremism through peer learning and expert training. It operates with a set of fundamental principles, agreed by all members, that protect and promote human rights and civil liberties in all aspects of its work to prevent violent extremism.
The Strong Cities Network is made up of member cities in every major global region, each with specific lessons, practice or challenges surrounding violent extremism. They work with mayors and local political leaders and frontline practitioners spanning multiple sectors in each member city. The network also works closely with civil society groups and partner organisations in many areas.
The members believe that local communities are uniquely placed to counter violent extremism and create stronger and safer cities. “Strong cities” serves as a platform for communities, CVE professionals and local political leaders to connect with their counterparts around the world and learn from the breadth one another’s experience. The programme spans training, research, project implementation and capacity-building, and learning resources aimed at enriching understanding of – and enabling more effective local responses to – the challenge of violent extremism. In sourcing and sharing best practice in local CVE, the Strong Cities Network does not aim to create a ‘blueprint’ for local strategies. We are characterised by the diversity of our membership and the various forms of violent extremism present in each city. Our priority is to help cities identify where there is leading local practice, assess what factors can support good practice in a given context, and adapt and improve upon their own strategy design and implementation with a full appreciation of the specificity of one context to another.
More information is available in English, French and Arabic.