The International Network for Disengagement and Exit (INDEX) is a collection of practitioners involved in tertiary prevention of violent extremism, all over the world. It is a forum for knowledge sharing, skills exchange, and collaborative problem solving for our sector. And it is the world’s first professional association for those working in this field.

Over the last 20 years, a wide range of organisations have developed around the world that use different approaches to help people distance themselves from violent extremism:

• There are exit programmes that offer help to those who have doubts about their previous path.
• There are programmes aimed at those who do not yet have an intrinsic motivation to leave, but who are beginning to question their previous path through cooperation with these organisations.
• In diverse structures and taking into account many different methods, an area has emerged that is making an important contribution to reducing violent extremism and thus protecting society worldwide.

Despite this remarkable development of a completely new professional field, there is no standardised training or course of study to become a deradicalisation or exit counsellor. Therefore the continuous exchange of experiences, knowledge and the different approaches between practitioners is urgently needed for continuous further development and professionalisation.

In addition, an exchange with actors from other professional groups is necessary to ensure that best practices are implemented in existing structures. This can be better achieved if a united professional field acts together, supports each other and demonstrates the need for sustainable implementation of deradicalisation and exit approaches.

The International Network for Disengagement and Exit (INDEX) will meet these needs by:

• Working with local, national and regional organisations and networks in the field of secondary and tertiary prevention to elevate their knowledge and skills.
• Supporting individuals working in this field to deliver long-term, high-quality work, while also taking care of themselves.
• Establishing unified quality standards and best practices in our field to further professionalise our sector and improve impact.
• Providing opportunities for young professionals and those looking to retrain to develop the skills needed to be successful in our sector.
• Working with stakeholders in law enforcement, tech, and policy to achieve better collaboration with deradicalisation and exit practitioners.

Violence Prevention Network is a leading German non-governmental organisation with over 20 years’ experience of preventing and countering violent extremism, employing over 100 practitioners in 10 regional offices across Germany and abroad. Violence Prevention Network has worked with over 3,000 individual cases of radicalised people (Islamist, right-wing, and other extremists) within prisons – and many more outside of prison – to change violent behaviours and extremist mindsets and build whole-of-society partnerships geared towards prevention, disengagement, deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration.

Violence Prevention Network will act as the secretariat for INDEX and seek to:

• Inclusively convene members and build a network that meets their needs
• Collaboratively produce products and solutions to the benefit of all members
• Represent members’ interests to multistakeholder bodies