Two years ago, ENAR decided to participate in a European research project which questions the concept of radicalisation, its use in the mainstream discourse and its impacts on the most vulnerable groups. This is one of the very few research projects that does not have a security angle, but a real social inclusion and equality perspective. The project also aims to have a broad understanding of radicalisation, not locating it in any one religion or community.

Back in 2001, at the UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban, Belgium had committed to develop a national action plan against racism. However, almost two decades later, Belgium still has no such action plan. Now, a nationwide civil society coalition is on a mission to ensure a National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) is finally adopted.

When pursuing a women’s rights agenda, policy makers should ensure that an intersectional approach is used in order to avoid reproducing stigmatisation and discrimination of groups they otherwise strive to protect. The recently adopted European Parliament Resolution on women’s role in preventing radicalisation shows just how "women’s rights" can be instrumentalised to fuel Islamophobic discourses.