Published 22 hours ago • loading... • Updated 22 hours ago
Montreal's anti-radicalization centre rebrands in response to shifting mandate
The centre says its mandate now includes conspiracy theories, disinformation and hateful discourse, and it receives calls about youth as young as 12.
Montreal's Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence is rebranding to Villes sans violence, more than 10 years after opening to great fanfare, driven by realities that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scientific director Dave Poitras says the centre originally opened in 2015 amid concerns over young Quebecers leaving to join the Islamic State and attacks in Canada inspired by the terror group.
Poitras notes the centre now receives calls about youth as young as 12, while its focus has shifted toward conspiracy theories, disinformation, misogynist and anti-LGBTQ discourse in recent years.
Villes sans violence better reflects the centre's evolving mandate across multiple contemporary threat areas, expanding its scope beyond its original counter-terrorism focus.
Positioning itself for post-pandemic challenges, Villes sans violence now addresses conspiracy theories, disinformation, and hate-based discourse alongside traditional violence prevention research, reflecting how threats have shifted since COVID-19.
Ten years after its creation and after several periods of turbulence, the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization leading to Violence (CPRMV) has changed its name and will now be called "Cities without Violence". The mission of the organization will also be expanded.