Previous Conferences and Seminars
Our completed conferences and seminars are listed annually in descending order below.
2019
16 December
Within the framework of the Segerstedt Institute’s seminar series, Magnus Ranstorp gave a guest lecture on the theme ‘Salafist jihadism in the Nordic countries’ on 16 December 2019. The seminar included a detailed overview of how extreme environments have developed in Scandinavian countries. There was great interest in the seminars. Over 300 in the audience and many via the live broadcast chose to follow the seminar.
2017
19 January
Beloved Fascism: The Ideology and History of the Black and Brown Movements
HENRIK ARNSTAD, Science journalist, author, BA in History. Author of the work ”Älskade fascism: De svartbruna rörelsernas ideologi och historia".
Välkomna till det första tillfället 2017 i Segerstedtinstitutets seminarieserie med Henrik Arnstad, vetenskapsjournalist, författare, fil.kand. i historia.
15-16 February
Dual Narratives approach to Teaching History: A Bottom up formula to Peace education in Palestinian- Israeli Context
SAMI ADWAN, visiting professor at the University of Gothenburg and PRIME.
Vid det andra tillfället 2017 i Segerstedtinstitutets seminarieserie gästas vi av Sami Adwan, vicerektor och associate professor vid Universitetet i Hebron samt årets gästprofessor till Torgny Segerstedts minne vid Göteborgs universitet. Sami Adwan håller en föreläsning med titeln ”Dual Narratives approach to Teaching History: A Bottom up formula to Peace education in Palestinian-Israeli Context”.
15 March
Social factors behind political activity and radicalisation
EMMA BÄCK, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Gothenburg and currently working on the research project The Political Psychology of Radicalisation
A well-established phenomenon in social psychological research is that people adapt to the social context in which they find themselves. A strong driver for this adaptation may be the fear of not being accepted otherwise. In my talk, I will show results from studies where we see that these factors may be important for the propensity to participate in political protests and even radicalization. This type of research is important because it is grounded in basic human needs for belonging and community, and if these basic needs are found to be important for radicalization, it may have implications for the design of interventions.
4 – 26 April
Conference: Risks, Causes and Responses
This conference aimed to bring together researchers and current research from the Nordic region, Europe and the rest of the world.
Research on extremism, radicalisation, racism, terrorism and related topics is part of a rapidly growing field of research in Europe and around the world.
This conference aimed to bring together researchers and current research from the Nordic region, Europe and the rest of the world to provide an overview of ongoing research, methodological challenges and, not least, to identify the need for complementary research.
More information and program
Visit the conference website
23 maj
AMIR ROSTAMI, PhD in sociology and working at the National Coordinator against Violent Extremism
Violent extremism in general, and religiously-oriented extremism in particular, has received increasing national and international attention since the rise of the so-called Islamic State (IS). This is partly due to the alarming number of Swedes and Europeans who have travelled to war zones to join terrorist organisations and the series of terrorist attacks on European cities. Europol considers the threat from returnees to be one of the greatest challenges to maintaining Europe's internal security. At the same time, the ability to prevent and contain violent extremism requires knowledge of the reasons why individuals seek out these environments and how such environments emerge, are sustained and interact with other antagonistic environments. There is an assumption that different antagonistic environments interact with each other and are linked through recruitment and collaboration.
Research shows that the proportion of previously convicted extremists is high. The Security Service reports that there are individuals who have been recruited into extremist environments with a background in criminal gangs. Furthermore, there is an overlap between the environments in the sense that over a third of terrorist attacks in Europe over the last 20 years have been financed in whole or in part through traditional criminal activities. Empirical research on the overlap between organised crime and violent extremism is still lagging behind due to a lack of data. Therefore, two research projects have recently been launched to investigate the relationship between different violent environments. The aim of this lecture is to present some of the preliminary results of the project. The focus will be on describing the differences, similarities and overlaps between organised crime and violent extremism, and to discuss how research on extremism can learn from research on, and responses to, organised crime.
18 September
Evaluation of the Knowledge Houses
Organised in cooperation with the National Coordinator against Violent Extremism and Dalarna University.
In autumn 2015, the National Coordinator against Violent Extremism initiated the work with four Knowledge Houses in Gothenburg, Örebro, Borlänge and Stockholm. The aim of the Knowledge Houses was to develop and strengthen local preventive work against violent extremism based on the unique needs of the municipalities. The idea was to build local hubs of prevention work where municipal expertise could be brought together to develop methods and strategies. By extension, the knowledge houses would provide a model for what local work against VBE could look like.
During the spring, the work of the knowledge houses was evaluated by Dalarna University. What works and what does not work in local prevention work? What lessons can be learned for future work in Sweden's municipalities? The research team from Dalarna University has interviewed municipal coordinators, social services, municipal police officers, politicians and representatives from, among others, the security police and the National Coordinator, and will present their report at the seminar.
In connection with the seminar, information will also be shared from the Segerstedt Institute's work on municipal action plans, initiated by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, and the lessons that can be drawn from the review.
The seminar was moderated by Anna-Lena Lodenius.
21 September
On the Autonomous Left and European Left Terrorism
ANDERS BERGMAN, Master of Arts in History and Bachelor of Arts in International Relations
My lecture focuses on the Swedish autonomous left organisations and networks Antifascist Action, Revolutionary Front and Global Intifada. I will analyse the European models of the Swedish autonomous left, such as the Red Brigades in Italy and the Red Army Faction in Germany. I will highlight the Swedish autonomous left movements and its European models based on the theoretical framework "The Radical Group in Context: 1. An Integrated Framework for the Analysis of Group Risk for terrorism". This theory is based on four macro categories historical, cultural and contextual factors, main actors influencing the radical group, the characteristics, processes and structures of the radical group, the immediate situation, or so-called trigger events. I will dwell on the concept of radicalised and why these left-wing extremist organisations and networks are prepared to resort to violence in their political struggle.
7 November
Exit - Experiences of leaving the Swedish white power environment
ROBERT ÖRELL, head of operations for EXIT at Fryshuset
Robert head of operations Exit at Fryshuset. He has many years of practical experience in supporting individuals to leave violent extremism and criminal gangs. Robert is involved in both national and international networks for knowledge dissemination and best practice on issues of extremism and drop-out activities. He is involved in advising a number of NGOs wishing to set up Exit activities around the world.
Since 2012, Robert is a member of the Steering Committee of the European Commission Network RAN (Radicalisation Awareness Network) where he is co-chairman of the EXIT working group. Robert has studied social pedagogy, the basic psychotherapist training and in 2015 completed a Certificate in Terrorism Studies at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. In April 2016, Robert conducted a TEDx talk in Vilnius: "A way out of violent extremism".
The presentation describes Exit's work and experiences: how it supports individuals to leave the Swedish white power movement. Experiences of family support and the international experiences of starting up Exit work and disseminating knowledge and experience through the European Commission's practitioners' network RAN - Radicalisation Awareness Network.
5 December
Between Scylla and Charybdis: Balancing prevention and repression in countering violent extremism
ANNA CARLSTEDT, national coordinator against violent extremism
Drawing on the approaches formulated by a number of researchers in the anthology, Carlstedt will highlight dilemmas and lessons to be learned as the investigation she is leading comes to an end at the end of the year and a new National Centre is set up at Brå.
Carlstedt is an affiliated researcher at Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University, Department for Research on Civil Society, and at Stockholm University. She has also held various positions of trust within civil society, most recently as chair of the Swedish Red Cross.
Våldsbejakande extremism. En forskarantologi (SOU 2017:67)
2016
7 January
Presentation of the Aarhus model
On the first occasion of the Segerstedt Institute's seminar series, representatives from the Aarhus Model visited our Institute to present their work on preventing war travel to Syria and Iraq, among other things.
8 February
Social Cohesion and counter-terrorism in England
On the second occasion of the seminar series, the Segerstedt Institute welcomed Professor CHARLES HUSBAND from the University of Bradford, UK, who gave a lecture on ''Flawed theory, misconceived policies and predictable 'unintended consequences'. Social Cohesion and counter-terrorism in England''.
10 March
Right-wing radicalism, right-wing extremism and Nazism: a contemporary challenge
On the third occasion of the seminar series, the Segerstedt Institute was visited by HELÉNE LÖÖW, Associate Professor at the Department of History, Uppsala University.
19 April
Preventing extremism: resilience in a secular democracy
The Segerstedt Institute was visited by LYNN DAVIES, Emeritus Professor at the University of Birmingham, UK
19 May
Social work, education and work against so-called violent extremism
The Segerstedt Institute was visited by MARCUS HERTZ, lecturer in social work at Malmö University.
12 September
The new Sweden and its paradoxes and challenges: the West's most equal and segregated country?
On the sixth occasion of the seminar series, TOBIAS HÜBINETTE, Senior Lecturer in Intercultural Studies at Karlstad University, lectured on the above theme.
5 - 6 October
Research and practice on politically motivated violence
ELI GÖNDÖR, PhD in History of Religion with a focus on Islamology and the Middle East
23 November
From sisterhood to terrorism. Women in right-wing extremism in Germany
CORDELIA HESS, PhD in History, University of Gothenburg, Department of Historical Studies
16 December
Radicalization: the journey of an Islamophobic concept
ARUN KUNDNANI, Adjunct Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University