The Appeal of Far-Right and Islamist Views

e.g., as a 4-day workshop, or two 2-day workshops that build on one another

The focus is on young people’s search for meaning and self-discovery as they try to find themselves. Who am I, who do I want to be, where do I want to go? In an era of constant change, marked by multiple crises such as climate change, migration, and wars, many feel helpless. Young people in particular, whose identities are still taking shape, feel a need for clear answers, solutions, and guidance. Movements such as right-wing populism, extremism, and radical Islamism deliberately exploit this.

For them, only right or wrong, good and evil, believer or non-believer matters; shades of gray do not exist for them. It is precisely their radicalism that makes them so attractive to many. At the same time, they pose a significant threat to our democracy and social cohesion because they do not seek to integrate “the other(s),” but rather to combat them by any means necessary.

Searching for Identity analyzes the appeal and threat posed by these groups and aims to encourage young people to accept emerging uncertainty as a normal and human trait that can be managed, and to develop a positive identity that recognizes and accepts other people even in their differences.