Dr. Aaron Winter

Aaron Winter

Dr. Aaron Winter (BA Hons. York; MA Warwick, DPhil Sussex) is Senior Lecturer in Sociology (Race and Anti-Racism), Deputy Doctoral Director and Director of the Centre for Alternatives to Social and Economic Inequalities (CASEI) at Lancaster University. He previously taught at the Universities of Brighton, Sussex, Abertay and East London. His research is on the…

online, extremism, apps, instagram, Facebook, google, linkedin, x, twitter

Mainstreaming Hate: How Right-Wing Extremism Became a Digital and Political Force

Written by Elisa Garbil – 22.05.2025 In recent years, right-wing extremism has evolved from fringe ideology into a persistent force that influences public discourse, political behaviour, and even policy. The transition from the margins to the mainstream hasn’t happened by accident. It’s the result of a complex interplay between online radicalisation, conspiracy thinking, and the…

Episode 232: Pagan Extremism with Ross Downing

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Today we are discussing Pagan Extremism, and especially Norse Paganism. Dominic and Ross Downing dive into how Norse paganism is being hijacked by white separatists and radical influencers, how the pagan extremism evolves, and how communities fight back to reclaim meaning and identity from the clutches of hate. Ross Downing is…

Ross Downing

Ross Downing

Ross Downing is an affiliate researcher of UK non-profit organisation Inform, and a registered subject matter expert with the EU knowledge hub on prevention of radicalisation. Ross specialises in extremist ideologies. He is co-editor of the book Germanic & Slavic Paganisms: security threats and resiliency with Kaarina Aitamurto, published January 2025 on Bloomsbury Academic Press.

Stonehenge, UK

Reclaiming Paganism: Navigating the Crossroads of Faith, Identity, and Extremism

Written by Elisa Garbil – 19.05.2025 In recent years, the revival of Norse and Germanic pagan traditions, often termed Heathenry or Ásatrú, has sparked global fascination. With roots in pre-Christian spirituality, this resurgence is more than a historical curiosity; it’s an evolving movement rich with myth, ritual, and cultural heritage. Yet, this revival faces a…

BlackPilled - Meadhbh Park

BlackPilled: Masculinity, Media and Incels – Méadhbh Park

Written by Elisa Garbil – 16.05.2025 A great explanation of what incels actually feel and think, which is often forgotten. It is important to understand people in order to help them, and Meadhbh has done that perfectly in her book BlackPilled. In addition, Meadhbh love for movies is incorporated into this book, which is a…

Interference in Orbit: Legal Ambiguity, Strategic Risk, and the Future of Space Governance

Interference in Orbit: Legal Ambiguity, Strategic Risk, and the Future of Space Governance

In an increasingly congested and contested domain, the question of whether interference with satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constitutes an act of war is no longer theoretical. The proliferation of satellite constellations, the strategic entanglement of civilian and military uses, and the rise of ambiguous state behaviour in orbit have created an unstable environment…

Kai-Uwe Schrogl

Kai-Uwe Schrogl

Professor Dr. Kai-Uwe Schrogl is the President of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), the global association of space lawyers from more than 50 countries on all continents. He served from 2014 to 2016 as chair of the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) and was from…

Episode 231: Whether Interference with Satellites in LEO is Act of War with Kai-Uwe Schrogl

This week on The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Dr. Kai-Uwe Schrogl, one of the world’s leading experts on international space policy and the former Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Legal Subcommittee. In this critical episode, they explore the growing risks in Low Earth Orbit…

Incel, Laptop,

Dissecting the Incel Subculture: Between Marginalisation and Misogyny

Written by Elisa Garbil – 12.05.2025 In recent years, the figure of the “incel” has moved from obscure internet forums into academic discourse, media narratives, and public safety discussions. Initially coined by a queer Canadian woman in the 1990s as part of a support-oriented project, the term “involuntary celibate” once embraced a diverse community of…