Written by Elisa Garbil – 10.12.2025 For decades, discussions of extremism in Germany have been dominated by the spectres of right-wing and Islamist violence. The nation’s historical trauma and recent experiences with far-right terror have understandably captured most of the security community’s attention. Yet beneath this focus, another movement has persisted, one that is quieter, more fragmented,…
Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Our conversation today with Felix Neumann traces the shifting landscape of far-left extremism, beginning with the broader global pressures shaping today’s political climate. We unpack how certain ideological threads have evolved, splintered, and re-formed, creating a movement that is at once fragmented and unexpectedly resilient. Along the way, we examine the role…
Written by Elisa Garbil – 10.11.2025 Across the dry savannahs that stretch from Mauritania to Chad, the Sahel stands as one of the world’s most fragile regions. A place where political instability, violent extremism, displacement, and climate stress are converging into a perfect storm. Once viewed mainly as a buffer between North and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Sahel…
Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil The Sahel stands at a crossroad, it is torn by crisis, instability, and shifting power. Join Dr. Jessica Moody and Dominic Bowen as they dive deep into the region’s unfolding humanitarian emergency. What does ECOWAS’s withdrawal mean for the people? How is Russian influence rewriting the rules? And why are jihadist groups gaining ground?…
Dr. Jessica Moody is a political risk, due diligence and peacebuilding consultant in West Africa. She conducts open source and on the ground research into political, economic and security developments in West Africa and provides timely forecasts as well as scenario planning to clients, enabling them to better plan their operations. She also provides detailed…
Elisa Garbil is the Podcast Producer and Investigative Research Lead at The International Risk Podcast, where she leads on strategic editorial direction, in-depth research, and high-level stakeholder engagement. This role has sharpened her ability to operate at the intersection of investigative inquiry, strategic communications, and global risk analysis – delivering content that is timely, credible,…
Dr. Rik Peels is a Professor in Philosophy and Theology of Radicalisation at the Faculty of Humanities at the Free University of Amsterdam. Rik specialises in the ethics and epistemology of belief, in particular extreme belief, and replication in the humanities. He has developed a theory of responsible belief, studied ignorance, criticised scientism and developed…
Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Today Dominic hosts Rik Peels on the podcast to discuss religious extremism. They dive into the background of radicalisation; the differences between extremism, fundamentalism, and conspiracy theories; what the global patterns are; what role belief systems play in radicalisation; why radicalisation has such an impact on crises; and more! Dr. Rik…
Written by Elisa Garbil – 10.07.2025 Religious extremism is often portrayed in stark and simplistic terms, dangerous, irrational, and rooted in blind faith. But research from philosophers, psychologists, and international organisations paints a more nuanced picture. It reveals that extremism isn’t solely about belief systems; it’s about identity, psychological vulnerabilities, and the socio-political environments in…
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…
