Khalid Koser

The official account of @thegcerf Executive Director Dr. Khalid Koser. GCERF is the global fund for preventing violent extremism.

[GCERF @theGCERF]

✅ Prevention works. And when the world pulls back from it, the cost is paid by communities.

This was the shared resolve of the world's leading voices on preventing violent extremism at the 24th Governing Board Meeting of GCERF, the global fund for preventing violent extremism, held in Geneva on 2–3 June 2026. Over two days, partners from governments, civil society, and international institutions gathered not to debate whether prevention matters - but to decide how boldly to defend and advance it.

For the first time in GCERF's history, an entire day of the Board was dedicated to strategic dialogue - a collective reckoning with the state of prevention globally, and GCERF's role in shaping what comes next. The discussions were rich, honest, and forward-looking, exactly what this moment demands.

🎯 GCERF enters this critical period from a position of strength: a clear four-year strategy, a fully funded 2026 budget, and a board of partners united in the conviction that multilateralism and prevention built on trust, evidence, and community action still works and still matters.

💐 Thank you to all Board Members for the productive discussions, and your unwavering commitment to communities on the front lines.

@stefanomanservi @GCERF_ED @AusAmbCT
@DanishMFA @EU_Commission @EU_FPI @Ulkoministerio @francediplo_EN
@GermanyDiplo @AA_stabilisiert @ItalyMFA
@MFA_Lu @cooperation_lu
@DutchMFA @MFATNZ @NorwayMFA
@SweMFA @SwissMFA @FCDOGovUK
@CenterCve @Daniel_Frank @Lejdi_Dervishi

[GCERF @theGCERF]

At our 24th Board Meeting, the world’s leading donors and partners on preventing violent extremism reaffirmed their collective commitment to prevention and sent a clear signal that it is a strategic investment to protect.

Three things stood out:

📊Evidence must shape policy, not just report it.
Our partners called on GCERF to bring its decade of field-level results into the heart of global policy processes - the GCTF reform, the UN CT Strategy review, and beyond. The evidence base GCERF has built is not just a monitoring tool. It is an asset.

🤝Prevention needs a broader coalition and a bolder voice.
Our partners reiterated the need to stand up collectively in global forums — as governments that have seen prevention work — and to communicate the impact of GCERF-funded programmes on development, social cohesion and community resilience.

🔄The prevention agenda must evolve with the evolving challenges.
The threats are changing faster than the responses, and the organisations willing to follow the evidence into new ground are the ones that will matter most in the decade ahead.

What emerged from these two days in Geneva is clear: our partners are ready to fight harder for prevention, in more places, and with more urgency than ever before.

💐Thank you to all financial partners for your continued trust, investment, and commitment to communities on the front lines.

@stefanomanservi @GCERF_ED @AusAmbCT @DanishMFA @eu_eeas @Ulkoministerio @francediplo_EN @GermanyDiplo @AA_stabilisiert
@ItalyMFA @MFA_Lu @cooperation_lu @DutchMFA @MFATNZ @NorwayMFA @SweMFA @SwissMFA @FCDOGovUK @CenterCve @Daniel_Frank @Lejdi_Dervishi @GCERF_ED

[GCERF @theGCERF]

❓ What makes reintegration efforts successful in Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) processes?

3 essentials:
🤝 Social cohesion
🌍 Community ownership
🌐 Civil society engagement

At yesterday’s @UNPeacebuilding Commission expert meeting on DDR, Dr. Lilla Schumicky Logan shared lessons from GCERF programmes supporting 8,600+ returnees from northeast Syria, as well as work in the Sahel, Somalia and Yemen.

Key takeaway: reintegration succeeds when trust, relationships and community leadership are restored — not through disarmament alone.

🕊️ Reintegration done right is the foundation of lasting peace.

Thank you to Mario Nascimento and the DDR Unit of @UNPeacebuilding for convening this important discussion.

@stefanomanservi

[GCERF @theGCERF]

🎙️ Episode Two of Turning Points - GCERF's Podcast is now live.

“The journey before the journey” takes us inside a critical, often unseen moment in the rehabilitation and reintegration process: the time before a family leaves a camp in northeast Syria.

In this episode, GCERF’s Mona El Wali is joined by Mr. Kim Saado, GCERF's National Advisor for Syria, and Mrs. Jeyana Ahmad, Programme Manager at Salam for Hope Foundation, GCERF’s implementing civil society partner in Syria.

Together, they explore:

→ What “pre-departure preparation” really means in practice

→ The psychological, legal, and practical steps that must happen before return

→ How community-based support becomes a bridge between camp life and reintegration

→ Why dignity, trust, and coordination are essential for sustainable reintegration

🎧 Listen now on:

Spotify -https://t.co/kNJ6H3YILE
Apple Podcasts – https://t.co/lGg6FBhdqc
YouTube – https://t.co/SR6E5Wonpv

Like and share it with your friends and colleagues!

#podcast #audio #development #listen

@AusAmbCT @CanadaFP @CanadaDev @DanishMFA @eu_eeas @Ulkoministerio @francediplo_EN @GermanyDiplo @AA_stabilisiert @ItalyMFA @MFA_Lu @DutchMFA @MFATNZ @NorwayMFA @Portugal_MoFA @MofaQatar_EN @SpainMFA @SweMFA @SwissMFA @FCDOGovUK @StateDeptCT @stefanomanservi @GCERF_ED

[GCERF @theGCERF]

📢 Join the Dialogue on 01 June 2026: Mental health and psychosocial support in rehabilitation and reintegration (R&R)

Mental health is at the heart of rehabilitation and reintegration (R&R) work. GCERF, together with the @UNPeacebuilding and @instituti_P at the @Rektorati , is bringing together practitioners and experts from Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, and Mali for the second dialogue in our R&R series to unpack the vital role of mental health and pyschosocial support in R&R.

Join us to hear and truly understand what healing, dignity, and real support look like in practice.

📅 01 June 2026
🕒 15:00 - 16:30 (CET)

Interpretation will be available.

https://t.co/75C3L0zilv

@CDFKosovo @AusAmbCT @CanadaFP @CanadaDev
@DanishMFA @eu_eeas @Ulkoministerio
@francediplo @GermanyDiplo @ItalyMFA
@MFAKOSOVO @MFA_Lu @DutchMFA
@MFATNZ @NorwayMFA @Portugal_MoFA
@MofaQatar_EN @SpainMFA @SweMFA
@SwissMFA @FCDOGovUK @StateDept
@stefanomanservi @GCERF_ED

[🌐Cairo International Center for Peace (CCCPA) @CairoPeaceKeep]

Amb. Seif Kandeel, DG of #CCCPA, met with Dr. Khalid Koser Exec Director of @theGCERF to explore avenues for cooperation in strengthening African capacities to prevent extremism conducive to #terrorism. Discussion also highlighted prospects for collaboration in #AswanForum6.

[GCERF @theGCERF]

📍 Le Partenariat se Construit sur le Terrain

La semaine dernière, GCERF était à Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, pour échanger avec les consortia locaux que nous soutenons.

Ensemble, nous avons réaffirmé nos engagements :
🔹 Renforcer les synergies entre consortia
🔹 Mieux intégrer les femmes dans les programmes en milieu carcéral
🔹 Communiquer sur les résultats, sans attendre la fin des projets

Cette réunion fut aussi l'occasion de présenter aux nouveaux partenaires le cadre d'échanges trimestriel : un mécanisme de coordination établi, pensé pour renforcer le dialogue entre GCERF et ses partenaires.

La prévention de l'extrémisme violent se construit avec les communautés. Pas seulement pour elles.

@CanadaPE @AuswaertigesAmt @NorwayMFA @cooperation_lu @MFA_Lu

[GCERF @theGCERF]

🎙️ Episode One of Turning Points is now live.

In this first episode, GCERF's Lilla Schumicky-Logan sits down with Hatem Shatnawi, Regional Manager for Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and Tariq Hasan, National Advisor for Iraq to cover:

→ What rehabilitation and reintegration actually means
→ The evidence that this works - including from GCERF's own programmes
→ The biggest obstacles standing in the way
→ Why every country has a stake in getting this right

🎧 Listen now on:

Spotify- https://t.co/ivoP8bRQx1 Music - https://t.co/87vyNQxOP5 Prime Music - https://t.co/ELGIN4jnuZ
YouTube - https://t.co/pI8Qjs5eVP

#podcast #audio #development #listen

@AusAmbCT @CanadaFP @CanadaDev @DanishMFA
@eu_eeas @Ulkoministerio @francediplo_EN
@GermanyDiplo @AA_stabilisiert
@ItalyMFA @MFA_Lu @DutchMFA
@MFATNZ @NorwayMFA @Portugal_MoFA
@MofaQatar_EN @SpainMFA @SweMFA @SwissMFA
@FCDOGovUK @StateDeptCT @stefanomanservi
@GCERF_ED

[GCERF @theGCERF]

We are excited to launch 'Turning Points' - a podcast series by GCERF.

Here's a trailer to give you a taste of what's coming, find us on:
▶️Spotify: https://t.co/PltmkHXZqz...
▶️ Youtube: https://t.co/5NDi8PYSmd
▶️ Apple Podcast: https://t.co/p2Ltmyk6KV

Episode One drops on 15 April, featuring voices from our team working directly on the ground in Iraq and Syria.

Subscribe to stay updated.

@AusAmbCT @CanadaFP @CanadaDev @DanishMFA
@eu_eeas @Ulkoministerio @francediplo_EN @GermanyDiplo @AA_stabilisiert
@ItalyMFA @MFAKOSOVO @MFA_Lu
@DutchMFA @MFATNZ @NorwayMFA @Portugal_MoFA
@MofaQatar_EN @SpainMFA @SweMFA
@SwissMFA @FCDOGovUK @StateDept @stefanomanservi @GCERF_ED

[GCERF @theGCERF]

🎙️ We are excited to launch 'Turning Points' - a podcast series by GCERF.

Through this podcast, we bring you the human stories, the hard evidence, and the frontline voices that are leading the fight against violent extremism.

Trailer drops on 13 April, stay tuned to know what this is all about!

@AusAmbCT @CanadaFP @CanadaDev @DanishMFA @eu_eeas @Ulkoministerio @francediplo_EN @GermanyDiplo @AA_stabilisiert
@ItalyMFA @MFAKOSOVO @MFA_Lu @DutchMFA
@MFATNZ @NorwayMFA @Portugal_MoFA @MofaQatar_EN @SpainMFA @SweMFA @SwissMFA
@FCDOGovUK @StateDept @stefanomanservi @GCERF_ED

[GCERF @theGCERF]

📖 French speakers, this one is worth a read!

Swiss newspaper @LeTemps has just published a comprehensive article on the evolving situation in Syria and the critical work of supporting communities in the aftermath of conflict.

Our Deputy Director Dr. Lilla Schumicky-Logan, and Regional Manager, Hatem Shatnawi, recently travelled to Syria, where they witnessed the profound humanitarian and social challenges facing communities navigating this period of transition. As Lilla reflects: "There are no public services, no housing, no opportunities. Everything needs to be rebuilt. This vacuum is conducive to the return of extremist organisations."

Their account also sheds light on what responsible, community-centred reintegration looks like in practice. Since 2019, GCERF has been supporting the repatriation and reintegration of hundreds of women and children in Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, and Iraq - with no case of recidivism.

Sustainable peace requires patient, evidence-based work, and partnerships built on trust with governments, communities, and civil society at every level.

❕A complex subject, treated with the depth it deserves.

Read the article here: https://t.co/QPB63VaDhN

[GCERF @theGCERF]

❔ What does it really take to build cohesion in a divided society ❔

Yesterday in #Pristina, #Kosovo, we supported a conference that tackled this question head-on — with scholars, policymakers, practitioners, religious leaders, and community voices all in the room.

[GCERF @theGCERF]

🔄 Updates from #Mozambique

Last week, a German delegation visited our partner @actionaidmoz in #Pemba - meeting with the team and consortium members from the @CCM1948 and Kuendeleya Association to review GCERF-funded activities and identify challenges.

The delegation received a comprehensive overview of the violence prevention project, covering its pillars, areas, partners, and programme participants.

📌 A highlight of the visit was the focus on youth empowerment in local decision-making. Through advisory councils and observatories, youth, women, and community leaders are working together to address local issues and influence government decisions, a model that has been active in #Pemba, #Chiure, #Eráti, and #Lichinga since the project's start.

❕Yet the visit to #Macomia brought an important reality check: many community members remain unaware these spaces exist. A reminder that building structures is only half the work - ensuring people know about them and trust them is just as critical.

@adinmocambique also featured prominently in discussions, recognised for its vital role in coordinating projects and aligning them with government priorities.

The visit wrapped up with a clear call to action: more field visits to assess real impact on the ground. Because accountability does not stop at the office door.

@AuswaertigesAmt

[GCERF @theGCERF]

🇽🇰 Strengthening Prevention Efforts in #Kosovo

Yesterday, GCERF brought together members of its Country Support Mechanism (#CSM) - a national steering committee that unites government, the international community, and implementing partners to guide GCERF's work on the ground - at the Europe House in #Pristina for a forward-looking information session.

Participants included the @EUKosovo, @GermanyDiplo, @MofaJapan_en, @ItalyMFA, @DutchMFA, @Ulkoministerio, @FCDOGovUK, and @SwissMFA, alongside representatives from @RKSMPB. A true demonstration of what collective action looks like.

Two key topics anchored the session: our grantees shared compelling updates on their programmes and on-the-ground impact, while GCERF presented its refreshed investment strategy, sharper and future-focused.

Three strategic priorities have emerged going forward:
1⃣ Tackling ethno-nationalist extremism and identity-driven radicalisation
2⃣ Combating online radicalisation in an increasingly digital world
3⃣ Building the capacity of local institutions to lead prevention efforts

These priorities reflect our commitment to building resilient, inclusive communities - from the ground up.

Thank you to all participants for your continued dedication to this shared mission!

[GCERF @theGCERF]

📍 Burkina Faso

GCERF est heureux de soutenir le lancement de RED+Sahel - 24 mois d’action concertée contre l’extrémisme violent dans les régions les plus touchées du Sahel Burkinabé.

@CanadaFP @MFA_Lu @cooperation_lu @NorwayMFA @AuswaertigesAmt

[GCERF @theGCERF]

📍 Kenya

Women convening their own peace forums. Working groups coordinating protection and survivor support. A grassroots movement addressing both climate-induced conflict and violent extremism.

This is what locally-led prevention looks like — and GCERF is pleased to support @KECOSCE and @tendasasa in making it a reality in Tana River.

@ItalyMFA_int @ItalyMFA @EU_Commission @eu_eeas

[GCERF @theGCERF]

📍 Kenya

Prevention of violent extremism is only as strong as the systems behind it.

GCERF is pleased to support Climate Health Connect in building the monitoring, learning, and accountability infrastructure that keeps KCERP programme partners in Lamu responsive, effective, and grounded in evidence.

@ItalyMFA @EU_Commission @eu_eeas

[GCERF @theGCERF]

📍 Ghana

How a story on conflict is told can either build social cohesion or deepen divisions. Equipping journalists with the skills to report responsibly on radicalisation and security is therefore not just good practice - it is prevention of violent extremism.

GCERF is pleased to support @CDDGha in training journalists from across Northern Ghana in conflict-sensitive reporting, and to hear directly from participants like Wilfred how this translates into their work on the ground.

@NorwayMFA @francediplo_EN @MofaJapan_en

[GCERF @theGCERF]

♀️ Women are at the heart of building safer, more inclusive, and more resilient societies. From leading peacebuilding efforts to strengthening community cohesion and preventing violence, their voices, actions, and leadership are indispensable.

On #InternationalWomensDay2026 , we celebrate the strength, leadership, and resilience of #women in communities around the world.

At GCERF, we remain committed to investing in the leadership of women and women-led civil society organisations at the forefront of prevention, peacebuilding, and community resilience.

🎯 When women have the opportunity to lead, communities thrive.

#WomensDay #WomensDay2026 #WomenEmpowerment

@AusAmbCT @CanadaFP @CanadaDev @DanishMFA @eu_eeas @Ulkoministerio @francediplo @GermanyDiplo @ItalyMFA @MFAKOSOVO
@MFA_Lu @DutchMFA @MFATNZ @NorwayMFA
@Portugal_MoFA @MofaQatar_EN
@SpainMFA @SweMFA @SwissMFA
@FCDOGovUK @StateDept @stefanomanservi
@GCERF_ED

[GCERF @theGCERF]

Register Now: Online Dialogue on Strategic Communications for Rehabilitation & Reintegration (12 March) - https://t.co/P46Gc8qCGT