Preparation for this year’s Plenary and High Level Conference are underway. Both events will invite RAN members and participants to meet and discuss the main achievements and challenges ahead, as well as the scope for further action or improvements in the RAN work.

These events also ensure feedback by practitioners to the policy level (e.g. in terms of experiences and lessons learned, highlighting needs for intervention and support), as well as feedback by the policy level to practitioners (e.g. in terms of political priorities and available support mechanisms). Attendance at both events is by invitation only.

RAN Plenary (Brussels, 30 October)

The Plenary will invite RAN practitioners to help forge a path to be followed from 2020 onwards by discussing, sharing and expressing ideas on (new) relevant themes and topics in the field of P/CVE. Hence, connections, synergies and cross-overs will be encouraged between the Working Group constituencies.

This year’s Plenary is exceptional in its character. As of 2020, the Commission will conclude new contracts regulating the support of the RAN from 2020 onwards. Therefore, the composition and topical focus of the Working Groups will be revised and new working methods will be introduced for the consolidation of first line practitioners’ know-how and expertise.

In preparation of the RAN Plenary and the above developments, a large number of practitioners who have attended past RAN meetings have been invited to share their views in a survey on the evaluation of existing working arrangements. They were invited to offer suggestions for improvement or additional actions of RAN with a view to be further discussed during the Plenary.

Outcomes of the Plenary will provide input for the RAN Annual Activity Plan for 2020.

RAN High Level Conference (Brussels, 4 November)

The High Level Conference will bring together practitioners, policymakers, high-ranking officials and the European Commission to discuss ways forward regarding responses to continued and emerging challenges in the field of radicalisation, violent extremism and terrorism.

This year, the HLC will feature the screening of Le Jeune Ahmed, a movie by Belgian film directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. The drama film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019. It tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who becomes radicalised. Issues identified in the film will form the basis for discussion about the possible responses and recommendations in the field of prevention of radicalisation, from the perspectives of both practitioners and policymakers. Both directors will also be present at the conference.