ICSR Peace and Security Summit

ICSR Peace and Security Summit

02 Jul 2010, PR 149/10

The ICSR Peace and Security Summit in New York, widely regarded the most important event of its kind in 2010, brought together 400 leading policymakers, diplomats, senior officials and experts from across the globe to explore the greatest security challenges of our time. The Summit took place from 30 June to 1 July.

The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICSR) is a unique partnership of King’s College London, the University of Pennsylvania, the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (Israel), and the Regional Centre for Conflict Prevention Amman (Jordan). Headquartered at King’s, it is the first global centre for knowledge and leadership addressing the issues of radicalisation and political violence, and the first initiative in this area in which Arab and Israeli academic institutions are openly collaborating.

At the New York Summit, numerous renowned experts and political figures shared their experiences and approaches on issues ranging from domestic radicalization and violent extremism to ongoing conflicts and the struggle for peace in places such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, and the Middle East.

Among the many keynote speakers and panellists were:

Dr Peter Neumann, Director of ICSR and Senior Lecturer in the Department of War Studies said: ‘The ICSR Summit takes place at a watershed moment. Whether it’s the Middle East, Afghanistan, or even home grown terrorism – many of the world’s most pressing security problems have come to a head. They demand fresh ideas, fresh thinking and the kind of systematic dialogue between experts and policymakers that ICSR is really good at.

‘We sought to emphasize the constructive aspects of the debate, stressing how the challenge of violent extremism can be met through effective international cooperation and the greatest possible resolve. That’s why we brought together such a diverse range of participants, ranging from former Islamist militants to the current leader of the Israeli opposition.’

The ICSR Peace and Security Summit was organised in partnership with the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University, and received support from The Rockefeller Foundation, Public Safety Canada, as well as Rena and Sami David.