- Don't be Afraid to Stand Up: Strategies for Vulnerable Communities to Build Resilience against Targeted Violence
- Project Year:
2019
- REU Student (s):
Christopher Lugo | New Jersey City University NJ
| Teresa Ngo | Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ
- Student 1 Institution:
New Jersey City University
- Student 2 Institution:
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
- Project Mentor:
Ava Majlesi
- Project Mentor Area:
Miller Center for Community Protection & Resilience/Center for Critical Intelligence Studies
- Project Abstract:
Our work focuses on building preparedness and resilience within vulnerable communities, specifically religious communities and houses of worship, against violent extremism. In today's society, the threat of mass casualty attacks and targeted violence is a global issue, with a notable increase in anti-Islamic and anti-Semitic attacks, as well as an increase in attacks by white nationalists. Many houses of worship have been targets of these attacks with numerous lives lost and many others left physically and emotionally impaired. With anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic incidents occurring globally, it is important for houses of worship to have the tools and guidance to prepare for and prevent further damage; however, there is no widely available, comprehensive resource of best practices or methods for religious communities. The R.E.S.I.L.I.E.N.C.E. model was created as a basis for our study. We researched case studies that highlighted best practices that can educate vulnerable communities about resources and methods to better protect themselves. We have found many strategies to do so, such as building connections between the public and enlisted guardians, sharing information through constant communications, implementing the best practices and plans for a situation, providing sufficient resources for said plans, and neutralizing negative mindsets through encouragement and empowerment. Previously, these strategies were not compiled into a single resource that would be available to the public and vulnerable communities, but with this research, that can change. There are many roles and responsibilities community members can assume to build readiness. While analyzing these roles and responsibilities, we also found many exemplary ways to utilize the aforementioned strategies and build resiliency against any form of violence within any vulnerable community.
