Social Mentoring in Community-Led Counter-Extremism: Insights from the UK’s SRAM Approach

Abstract

Social mentoring is an important element of the Socio-Religio-Academic Mentoring (SRAM) non-kinetic as opposed to kinetic approach which tackles the underlying causes of violent extremism and promotes social cohesion and disenfranchisement In the UK. The presents study examines the implementation and impact of a social mentoring programme in the community-led SRAM approach developed by Stockwell Green Community Services (SGCS) in the UK. Through interviews and focus groups as well as secondary reports, that were analysed using Qualitative approach and analysis using Nvivo software to supplement, it is found that social mentoring programmes, like personal development seminars and community engagement programmes, are effective in promoting trust, civic responsibility and resilience against radicalisation and violent extremism. Lessons for Pakistan are provided in the study, with an emphasis on working with communities in a culturally sensitive manner to address extremism. This helps to enrich CVE (countering violent extremism) literature on the topic of social mentoring for grassroots interventions.