WORDE
World Organization for Resource Development & Education
Events
WORDE’s President, Hedieh Mirahmadi Co-Chairs the Montgomery County Faith Community Working Group to Prevent Violence
In light of the recent Boston terrorist attack, the Montgomery County Faith Community Working Group (FCWG) called leaders of faith communities, government officials, youth activists, gang prevention experts and journalists for a town hall forum on preventing violence on April 25th, 2013. The meeting was hosted by the International Cultural Center (ICC) and led by [...]
US Embassy in Berlin invites WORDE Senior Fellow to Meet with CVE Experts and Muslim Communities Across Germany
In April, WORDE Senior Fellow Mehreen Farooq traveled across Germany to meet with Muslim communities, law enforcement and public officials in the Interior Ministries to discuss the issue of preventing radicalization. Farooq delivered several keynote addresses at the Hans-Seidel Foundation in Munich, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin.
WORDE Hosts NCTC for a Community Awareness Briefing
On March 19, 2013 WORDE hosted the National Counterterrorism Center’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Group* for an updated community awareness briefing on the threat of homegrown violent extremism (HVE) at WORDE’s International Cultural Center (ICC). The first briefing was provided to the ICC community in 2011. The NCTC is directed to prepare presentations on counterterrorism [...]
Career Fair Opportunities in the IC – Informational Events Co-sponsored by WORDE
Feb 26-Apr 4, 2013 | Washington, DC
WORDE is co-sponsoring career fair events for job opportunities within the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). Various agencies within the IC are seeking a culturally diverse, technologically savvy and skilled workforce for a range of careers in a number of fields.
Programs
Crimes Against Culture
Across the world, violent extremists are destroying ancient shrines and cultural sites long revered by both Muslims and non-Muslims. Militants are also targeting cultural thought leaders who have historically championed pluralism, and denounced intolerance. The overwhelming majority of Muslims and non-Muslims around the world repudiate … More
US Government Outreach
WORDE specialists collaborate, advise and provide resources to the US Government on a number of foreign and domestic issues from countering violent extremism, homeland security, civil rights, to Muslim-community outreach and engagement. WORDE strives to engender trust between the government and Muslim American communities through several avenues. … More
Counter Radicalization Initiatives
As America faces a growing threat of homegrown terrorism, it is increasingly essential that Muslim communities and policymakers collaborate to undercut radical ideologies that lead to violent extremism. With input from law enforcement agencies, Muslim community leaders, and youth in America, WORDE developed a series of projects to counter … More
Cultural Competency Training
WORDE educates policymakers and law enforcement officials about the differences between mainstream Islamic ideologies, and radical ideologies promoted by violent extremists. Our programs are designed to facilitate US government efforts to identify credible Muslim partners, and engender mutual trust between the government and Muslim … More
International Cultural Center (ICC)
In 2011 WORDE established a new cultural center for the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. Located in Gaithersburg, MD, the ICC is a forum where people from all traditions can gather to promote principles of peace, social harmony and plurality through prose, music, meditation and sacred … More
Commentary
New 2013 RAND study on radicalization cites WORDE report on a Community Based Approach to Countering Radicalization and interview with Dr. Hedieh Mirahmadi
A new RAND report entitled, “Promoting Online Voices for Countering Violent Extremism” by Todd C. Helmus, Erin York, and Peter Chalk was an extensive study on the effects of social media and other online resources to counter violent narratives. The authors of the report describe how al -Qa’ida and its followers have used the Internet [...]
Prosecuting the Boston Bombing Suspect
April 22, 2013 | KCRW, To the Point
The suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing has been charged with using weapons of mass destruction, a charge which can carry the death penalty. We hear about his condition and how he’s being treated by federal authorities.
Boston Suspects Demonstrate the Thin Line Between Amateurism and Terrorism National Journal
April 19, 2013 | National Journal
by Michael Hirsh
Based on what we know so far, the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings were likely self-motivated terrorists who were probably not part of a larger al Qaida plot, but may well have been inspired and perhaps prepared in part by ideology and training from the global jihadist network. Based on police reports and witness testimony, the older brother, 26-year-old Tamarlan Tsarnaev…
The Boston Bombs Remind Us That We’re Not Safe
April 18, 2013 | National Journal
by Micahel Hirsh
Until this week, Americans had been living in something of a bubble. Nothing like the Boston Marathon bombing had happened to us for a very long time—since around Sept. 11, 2001, in fact. Despite repeated waves of overseas terrorism from Europe to the Middle East, the United States had avoided the epidemic of IEDs.
Featured Specialist
WORDE Specialist, Ziad Alahdad launches new monograph on Pakistan’s energy sector at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). In his address, Alahdad stated that the energy sector in Pakistan – a critical US ally in the fight against violent extremism - has become a primary constraint on the country’s economic development. However, he emphasized that the energy sector is not beyond repair. He stated, “If we believe that in every crisis there is opportunity, Pakistan, with its many crises, should have many … More...
Press Releases
Boston Marathon Tragedy
April 18, 2013 | Washington, DC WORDE extends its heartfelt sympathies to the victims, friends, and families of those struck by the Boston Marathon bombings. We join our fellow Americans in strongly condemning all acts of terrorism, and the loss of innocent lives. It is in these times of crisis that we come together as [...]
WORDE Reports
Pakistan’s Civil Society – Alternative Channels to Countering Violent Extremism
WORDE Report October 10, 2012 | Authors: Hedieh Mirahmadi, Mehreen Farooq, Waleed Ziad Rising extremism in Pakistan has drawn attention to the need for greater engagement with moderate Muslim networks and civil society organizations that can effectively counter radical narratives and decrease the pool of recruits for militant organizations. In Pakistan’s Civil Society: Alternative Channels [...]