Published Nov 20 2017

The Future of Terrorism

Jacqui
True
Professor of International Relations; Director, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEVAW)
Niranjan casinader
Senior Lecturer in Education
Patrick emerton
Former Monash Associate Professor, Law
Peter lentini
Associate Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations and Global Terrorism Research Centre (GTReC)
Melanie brooks
Former Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership

Terrorism has long been a threat in the western world. Terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and Islamic State have evolved beyond suicide bombers to cause disruption in new and frightening ways in the United States, Europe, Asia and beyond.

But these threats don’t exclusively stem from the Middle East or conflict zones. Today, extremism has roots at a local level.

We need to understand how Islamic women can play a key role in their communities, how education can have a bigger impact than warfare, and how community-building can break down barriers.

We must also understand an individual’s motives for committing terrorist crimes. The Global Terrorism Research Centre reveals that the underlying issues are often related to isolation, drugs or mental health.

How we punish terrorist acts is a key question for Australian policy makers. Does Australian terrorism law align with constitutional values, or does it complicate what should be a simple legal issue?

Rarely do we go beyond the news headlines and reveal new strategies for dealing with terrorist groups and get a fresh perspective on the war on terror.

In this third episode of the five-part documentary series 'A Different Lens', Monash academics and industry leaders from the disciplines of education, law and social and political science provide their unique insights into the future of terrorism.
 

Watch other episodes in this video documentary series:

About the Authors

  • Jacqui true

    Professor of International Relations; Director, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEVAW)

    Jacqui is Director of Monash University’s Centre for Gender, Peace and Security. She’s an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow, and a Global Fellow, Peace Research Institute (PRIO), Oslo. Jacqui's current research is focused on three areas of relevance to the broader women, peace and security agenda: Understanding the political economy of violence against women, including sexual and gender-based violence in conflict in Asia Pacific; examining the gender dimensions and women’s roles in recruitment, support for and prevention of violent extremism and; analysing gender-sensitive peace agreements and their impact on women’s participation after conflict. This research is funded by the Australian Research Council, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the United Nations.

  • Niranjan casinader

    Senior Lecturer and Courses Leader (Primary and Secondary Education)

    Niranjan teaches and conducts research across postgraduate and graduate courses in curriculum, assessment, pedagogy and humanities education. Originally trained as a geographer, he worked as a teacher and educational leader in secondary schools for many years before moving into tertiary education, being recognized professionally for his work as an educator in Australia and internationally.

  • Patrick emerton

    Former Monash Associate Professor, Law

    Patrick works closely with the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law and the Department of Philosophy which allows him to explore what human rights protection involves at a conceptual level. Patrick's work on anti-terrorism law explores the significance of being citizens in a democracy, and how we should think about our anti-terrorism laws in light of that.

  • Peter lentini

    Founding Director of the Global Terrorism Research Centre Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences Director of the Social and Political Sciences Graduate Research Program

    For over a decade, Pete has researched and been involved in networks devoted to countering violent extremism in Australia and promoting social cohesion. He has briefed various allied countries’ civil servants on terrorism-related matters (Australia, Singapore, UK, US,), and has contributed to Australian counter-terrorism professional and police training programs.

  • Melanie brooks

    Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership

    Melanie has conducted research in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, the United States, and Egypt using sociological theories as a way to understand issues related to religion, conflict, and multicultural education. She publishes widely in the field of education and was awarded a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Award for 2015–2016 to The Republic of the Philippines.

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