Searching for Patterns of Terrorism

On 21 and 22 November 2019 a workshop entitled “Is Terrorist Learning Different?” took place at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology. The workshop was organized by members of the research group “How ‘Terrorists’ Learn”.

Carolin Görzig, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale) ■ Welcome and introduction to the topic of the workshop "Is Terrorist Learning Different? ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Wael Garnaoui, Paris Diderot University ■ Panel 1: Exceptional or Normal: Are ‘Terrorists’ Different? ■ Title of his talk: France On the Way to the Christmas Market: The Case of Anis Amri ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Melinda Holmes, International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), USA ■ Panel 1: Exceptional or Normal: Are ‘Terrorists’ Different? ■ Title of her talk: Invisible Women: Key Findings and Programming Guidance on the Gendered Dimensions of Return, Rehabilitation and Reintegration from Violent Extremism ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Almakan Orozobekova, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale) ■ Panel 1: Exceptional or Normal: Are ‘Terrorists’ Different? ■ Title of her talk: The Making of Foreign Fighters: The Case of Kyrgyzstan ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Regine Schwab, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale) ■ Chair in Panel 2: Exceptional or Normal: Are ‘Terrorists’ Different? ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Sheelagh Brady, Dublin City University, Ireland ■ Panel 2: Exceptional or Normal: Are ‘Terrorists’ Different? ■ Title of her talk: Exploring the Transition of Operatives Between Violent Organisations to Better Understand Decisions to Join ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Florian Köhler, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale) ■ Panel 2: Exceptional or Normal: Are ‘Terrorists’ Different? ■ Title of his talk: Splitting to Survive? Tracing Learning Processes Behind Boko Haram's Factional Dynamics ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Ari Weil, University of Chicago, USA ■ Panel 2: Exceptional or Normal: Are ‘Terrorists’ Different? ■ Title of his talk: Terrorist Tactical Diffusion Among Lone Actors: Explaining the Spread of Vehicle Ramming Attacks ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Imad Alsoos, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale) ■ Panel 3: Internal Dynamics versus External Environment: What Makes Terrorist Learning Different? ■ Title of his talk: Dynamics of Hamas’s Mobilization ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Boyan Hadzhiev, University of National and World Economy (UNWE), Sofia, Bulgaria ■ Panel 3: Internal Dynamics versus External Environment: What Makes Terrorist Learning Different? ■ Title of his talk: The Islamic State: Adaptation of Propaganda Strategy and Communication Goals ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Luis de la Calle, Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE) ■ Panel 3: Internal Dynamics versus External Environment: What Makes Terrorist Learning Different? ■ Title of his talk: Mexico Downgrading or Upsizing Strategies: How Rebels Learn About the Right Repertoire of Violence ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Nina Käsehage, University of Rostock, Germany ■ Panel 4: Internal Dynamics versus External Environment: What Makes Terrorist Learning Different? ■ Title of her talk: On the Fence: Ethno-nationalists With Multiple Identities and Ties to the Salafi Milieu ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Dieter Reinisch, Institute for Advanced Study, Central European University Budapest, Hungary ■ Panel 4: Internal Dynamics versus External Environment: What Makes Terrorist Learning Different? ■ Title of his talk: Prisoners as Leaders of Political Change: Cage 11 and the Peace Process in Northern Ireland ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Katharina Siebert, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale) ■ Panel 4: Internal Dynamics versus External Environment: What Makes Terrorist Learning Different? ■ Title of her talk: When Organizational Incentives Trump Ideology and Threat: Investigating the Lack of Cooperation Among Ideologically Similar Groups in Syria and Palestine ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Michael Fürstenberg, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale) ■ Panel 5: Learning to Survive: How Terrorist Groups Fail, Succeed and Transform ■ Title of his talk: Learning in a Double Loop: Strategic Transformations of Al-Qaeda ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Nori Katagiri, Saint Louis University, USA ■ Panel 5: Learning to Survive: How Terrorist Groups Fail, Succeed and Transform ■ Title of his talk: How Terrorists Learn: ISIS 2013–2019 ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Juhi Tyagi, Max Weber Center for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, University of Erfurt, Germany ■ Panel 5: Learning to Survive: How Terrorist Groups Fail, Succeed and Transform ■ Title of her talk: Building a Class Organization: Quantitative Evidence of Non-violence in Sustaining the Armed Maoist Movement in India ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Günther Schlee, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale) ■ Title of his keynote speech: Studying Evil: Ethnographic Methods and Problems of Identification ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

November 22, 2019

Participants of the workshop entitled „Is Terrorist Learning Different?“, on 21 and 22 November 2019 at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology: from left ■ Boyan Hadzhiev ■ Michael Fürstenberg ■ Nori Katagiri ■ Regine Schwab ■ Imad Alsoos ■ Juhi Tyagi ■ Günther Schlee ■ Wael Garnaoui ■ Katharina Siebert ■ Carolin Görzig ■ Florian Köhler ■ Melinda Holmes ■ Nina Käsehage ■ Sheelagh Brady ■ Dieter Reinisch ■ Ari Weil ■ Luis de la Calle ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology