To mark the first-ever meeting of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) Governing Board to be held in Asia, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation is organizing a public symposium on preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). As an international organization, GCERF supports community-based efforts to prevent violent extremism in 23 countries around the world.
The Indo-Pacific faces a diverse and evolving range of challenges to peace and security. While the nature and intensity of violent extremism vary considerably across the region, emerging threats, including online radicalization and new forms of youth-related violence, are raising important questions about how societies can prevent violence and strengthen resilience. At the same time, prolonged displacement, social exclusion, and uncertainty about the future continue to create vulnerabilities for communities across the region.
These challenges are not confined to any single country. They highlight the importance of sharing experiences and strengthening cooperation among governments, civil society, researchers, and local communities. Japan and other countries in the Indo-Pacific have valuable perspectives and experiences to contribute to this discussion, including approaches to social cohesion, community engagement, and the prevention of violence.
The symposium will explore two interconnected themes: the consequences of prolonged displacement, drawing on the Rohingya crisis, and the emergence of new forms of online extremism and violence. Both sessions will consider what can be learned from experiences across the region and how locally led approaches can contribute to prevention.
Bringing together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and members of the public, the symposium aims to encourage dialogue, exchange practical lessons, and identify opportunities for regional cooperation.
Panel I: Prolonged Displacement and Radicalization Risks: Perspectives from the Rohingya Crisis
Research conducted by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (2026) highlights how prolonged displacement and structural exclusion among Rohingya refugees have contributed to psychological distress, social fragmentation, and growing vulnerabilities within refugee communities. Uncertainty about the future, limited educational and livelihood opportunities, and the absence of durable solutions present significant challenges, particularly for young people.
These circumstances can increase exposure to exploitation, trafficking, criminal networks, recruitment by armed groups, and other forms of violence. At the same time, refugee communities demonstrate considerable resilience and agency, and meaningful opportunities for education, livelihoods, and participation can contribute to dignity, stability, and social cohesion.
Drawing on research and practical experience, this symposium will examine the consequences of prolonged displacement for individuals, communities, and regional security. It will explore how education, vocational training, livelihoods, and community engagement can help reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience, while considering the importance of sustainable solutions to the Rohingya crisis.
Panel II: The Emerging Threat of Online Radicalization in the Indo-Pacific
The rapid evolution of the digital environment is changing how extremist ideas spread, how individuals connect across borders, and how online influences can contribute to real-world violence. Young people are particularly exposed to these developments, as online communities increasingly shape identities, relationships, and perceptions of society.
Alongside more established forms of ideologically motivated extremism, emerging phenomena—including nihilistic violent extremism, in which violence and destruction may become objectives in themselves rather than instruments of a coherent political or religious ideology—are challenging conventional understandings of radicalization and prevention.
Although the nature and scale of these threats vary across the Indo-Pacific, they raise questions relevant to societies throughout the region, including Japan. How can emerging risks be recognized before they lead to violence? What role can schools, families, local communities, and civil society play? What can countries learn from one another’s experiences?
This symposium will bring together Japanese and regional perspectives to explore how online environments are reshaping the challenges of preventing violence and how community-based approaches can respond. Drawing on research and practical experiences, including GCERF-supported programs, the discussion will consider opportunities for cooperation, innovation, and the exchange of lessons across the Indo-Pacific.
Three questions will guide the discussion:
- How are online environments changing the nature of extremism and violence, particularly among young people, in Japan and across the Indo-Pacific?
- What can Japan learn from the experiences of other countries in the region, and what can Japan contribute to understanding and preventing emerging threats?
- How can governments, schools, civil society, and local communities work together to prevent online radicalization and strengthen resilience?
