Hadiya Massieh

Hadiya Masieh is founder and director of Groundswell Project. An organization dedicated to finding, connecting and amplifying peacekeeping initiatives in communities that need help to come together. For 10 years she belonged to an Islamist political organization and for the past 14 years, she has been working in community cohesion, interfaith relations, and counter-extremism, with a special interest in women’s involvement in extremism. In conjunction with academics, former extremists, and tech/media companies, Hadiya has devised a unique methodology and toolkit to facilitate the work of community activists and help to build resilient communities which challenge hatred and division.

How do you build resilient communities to challenge hate and extremism

In a time where negative stories of hate and extremism seem to dominate the news we find ourselves feeling hopeless and unable to make the situation better. However, what if it were possible to change this narrative? Is there a way to effectively push back against those who want to spread lies and divide our communities? Hadiya Massieh will demonstrate how the methodology developed by Groundswell Project to FIND, CONNECT and AMPLIFY the voices of community peace keepers is the key to remedying this situation, how it has worked in the UK and has the potential to be used around the world.