The Khalifa Ihler Institute - 2021 - Year In Review
As a start-up non-profit, 2021 has been an incredible year of growth and unprecedented success for the Khalifa Ihler Institute. Yet we still have work to do to build this into a sustainable organization equipped to responsibly care for those who dedicate their time and energy to our work. With the demonstrated track record of 2021, I have no doubt we’ll succeed in this in 2022.
The year started with our work to map, counter and prevent far-right extremism gaining unfortunate relevance due to the January 6th attack on the US Capitol.
Following the result of the 2020 elections, the escalation of violence from the far-right was immediately apparent, culminating in the brutal attack on democratic institutions. In the immediate aftermath of the January 6th attack, we published a series of daily reports on the US misinformation landscape and narratives, and how these evolved leading up to the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
We remain supportive of the US government and agencies that continue to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the attack and continue our efforts to support democracy and a peaceful future for the US.
Throughout the spring we rolled out the Azday project, documenting the culinary cultural heritage of the Amazigh people of North-Western Libya, focusing on food, and the stories, culture, and mythology surrounding the food-making process. This was our first externally funded project delivered in its entirety by The Institute. As a peacebuilding organization, Azday was key to further advancing the understanding of the rich and diverse cultures of Libya, an element that largely has been missing from the peacebuilding process in the country. The final booklets were published in Tamazight, Arabic, and English.
As we observed the 10th anniversary of the revolutions in North Africa we saw Tunisia once again erupt into protest. Following this outcry for a continued effort to build and solidify democracy in the country, we carried out the Ahkilna! project to elevate diverse, young Tunisian voices and to ensure better representation in political decision-making processes.
In an effort to further elevate diverse voices from around the world working on a wide range of topics and projects, we re-launched the Activism Academy as a podcast and news site focusing on positive changemakers, covering a broad range of topics from environmentalism through mental health, LGBTQI+ issues and the erosion of the rule of law in Poland. With a dedicated team with incredible energy, we’re excited to see the continued growth in the range of topics, activists, and activities highlighted and look forward to presenting the slate of podcasts and topics already planned for ‘22.
While many of our activities this year were confined to cyberspace due to the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, we were able to conduct some in-person meetings with partners and collaborators such as Nordic Safe Cities and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. It was also exciting and exhilarating to finally be able to deliver in-person workshops again at this year's One Young World summit.
Our own hybrid event, the Bergen Forum was the first High-Level conference we have had the pleasure of organizing, establishing a close and fruitful collaboration with the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right and the University of Bergen. The forum advanced our work to create safer communities online while also addressing some of our key concerns in the handling of terrorist events and violent extremism further building on the work of the IAC of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.
Throughout the Bergen Forum and continued conversations with our honorable speakers and participants from civil society, government and the tech sector the event served to establish the Bergen Plan of Action, crystalizing an actionable agenda for the future of our work to prevent and reduce the harmful impact of terrorism and violent extremism on our communities.
Throughout the year we have advocated for inclusive, democratic, and peaceful communities, for policy change, and the implementation of practical and actionable recommendations. We have spoken at the United Nations Security Council, the UN High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies, and with a range of national and international agencies and organizations. Through continued advocacy throughout the fall, we found support for our work and cemented further collaboration and relationships between The Institute and several key organizations and individuals.
In 2022 we will continue to grow our reach and impact. We will forge new partnerships and collaborations. We will continue to work with grassroots communities, organizers and activists, to build stages to bring the voices of the voiceless to people in power, to build diverse and thriving communities through workshops and training. We will continue to advocate and inform policy processes and legislative and judicial decisions, we will advance research and translate it into action as we strive to build a more peaceful world.
Whether it’s working with the tech sector, indigenous communities in North Africa to preserve cultural heritage, mapping the activities and networks fuelling the global far-right, advancing the voices of young activists, or shaping global policy by convening, presenting, and facilitating the development of new ideas the unifying aspect of our work, and what we as an organization aspire to achieve is to create peaceful and thriving communities on-, and off-line through the celebration of diversity.
The Khalifa Ihler Institute punches above its weight. We’ve delivered projects and reports, we’ve had a meaningful impact on discourse and policy. This year’s public efforts and advancements would not have been possible without the amazing work of the entire team, driving the efforts of the institute and continuously pushing us to new heights behind the scenes every day. To them and to all those supporting our work I am eternally grateful.
With thanks,
Bjørn Ihler