Recent findings from the National Institute of Justice have defined extremism as ideologically motivated violence in service of a political, racial, or religious goal. However, the mechanisms by which hate and extremist ideologies are spread or can be prevented, especially among young people, require further research.

There is an urgent need to design evidence-based and innovative training programs and curricula to address these biases in and beyond classrooms to improve interfaith and interethnic understanding and collaboration in schools, workplaces, and local communities.

The International Lab for Research and Leadership in Interfaith Collaboration and Coexistence serves as the premiere research center under which the four pillars of new and emerging initiatives can be adequately supported: I) Research, II) Innovation, III) Education through Teaching and Training, and IV) Community Building. 

Our team works to advance:

I) RESEARCH that focuses on ways to block, arrest, and mitigate the pathways to radicalization and hate. Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess’ model of radicalization offers a novel and robust approach to countering extremism domestically and internationally. Her approach is particularly powerful because it can address societal division based on religion, race, or ethnicity. The Lab, with the need for research on these questions in mind, supports the development of young faculty, policy makers, community and faith leaders, and professionals in all domains, as well as research projects on interfaith coexistence, prevention of radicalization, education, and cultures of resilience to violence and hate.

II) INNOVATION by identifying promising practices for local political, religious, educational, and civic leaders to implement in the community against hate, and extremist ideology. This is a crucial objective of the U.S. government’s security framework as well as an equally salient objective for governments, communities, and societies globally. Our work addresses this gap in research, innovation, and education in relation to radicalization, hate, and countering extremism. Our Lab is the first such effort at a graduate school of education in the United States.

III) EDUCATION, to offer the important resource of designing, implementing, and spreading courses, training, curricula, conferences, symposiums, workshops, lecture series, and other educational activities in service of the effort against extremism and social division and in support of common human values, interfaith dialogue, collaboration, and coexistence.  The Lab acts as an educative force for good in the battle against extremism.

IV) COMMUNITY BUILDING by serving as a global bridge through educating, informing, training, and building a community of civic leaders, faith leaders, scholars, policy makers, business leaders, educators, and youth leaders. The Lab aims to create a united network of change makers focused on strengthening interfaith dialogue and collaboration across the globe. Located at Columbia University’s Teachers College, the Lab is a catalyst of interfaith partnerships in the United States and around the world.