Security through aid: countering violent extremism and terrorism with Australia’s aid program

Overview This paper argues that countering violent extremism (CVE) and terrorism are international security and development issues. Australia’s foreign aid should be used to strengthen resilience to violent extremist ideologies. Improving governance in weak states can help to deny terrorists the easy recruiting grounds of lawless communities. The ASPI report argues that there are several ways to better leverage our foreign aid program to counter terrorism and violent extremism. Where a clear need has been identified, implement direct CVE aid programs Apply a CVE and counter-terrorism ‘filter’ to our aid programs Develop targeted reporting on CVE aid programs Use InnovationXchange to explore avenues for implementing CVE into the aid strategy Share information on CVE and aid Lead the debate to modernise official development assistance (ODA) reportin