Nora Bardelli on Violent Extremism and Community Resilience in the Sahel
In an era of global tumult, where conflict, migration, and extremism intersect with the increasingly dire consequences of climate change and economic inequality, scholars like Nora Bardelli are more than an intellectual luxury. They are a necessity. Currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre de Recherches Internationales (CERI) at Sciences Po Paris, Bardelli brings an array of interdisciplinary tools to understand the unique challenges posed by violent extremism in Africa’s Sahel region, particularly Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
A Multi-Layered Approach to Complex Problems
Bardelli’s research isn’t confined to mere abstraction or theoretical musings; it is deeply rooted in empirical realities. With an academic background that spans International Development from the University of Oxford and Anthropology and Sociology of Development from the Graduate Institute Geneva, Bardelli boasts a multi-layered approach to dissecting issues.
Since 2013, her ethnographic research with Malian refugees in Burkina Faso has provided rich insights into the complications arising from humanitarian interventions. This work has made important contributions to understanding how well-intended international efforts can inadvertently exacerbate inequalities and social hierarchies among displaced communities. Bardelli is particularly keen on dissecting how the use of biometric technologies affects the dignity and agency of refugees, a concern that resounds well beyond Africa.
Localizing the Counter-Extremism Narrative
However, what arguably sets Bardelli apart is her granular focus on local variables and actors in shaping the narrative and response to violent extremism. Often, in public discourse, the issue of extremism is overly simplified, blaming lack of education, poverty, or worse, entire cultures or religions. By contrast, Bardelli argues that a nuanced blend of local factors such as intercommunal conflicts, environmental degradation, and state-society relations serve as the catalyst for extremist ideologies and actions.
Her association with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), a pan-African think tank that provides policy advice on human security, only amplifies the impact of her work. Through this platform, she reaches policy-makers, international organizations, and other stakeholders who can turn academic insight into actionable strategies.
Women, Religion, and Resilience
Two areas where Bardelli’s work shines brightest are in her examination of women and religious leaders as potential game-changers in violent extremism contexts. In her report on Burkina Faso, Bardelli moves beyond the rather passive, monolithic image of women as mere victims. She unpacks how women can disrupt extremist narratives and foster dialogue and social cohesion. This is a sharp, actionable insight that shifts the paradigm on gender and conflict, framing women not just as beneficiaries of peace but as architects of it.
Similarly, Bardelli’s scholarship on the role of religious leaders taps into an often-overlooked reservoir of influence and legitimacy. In societies where religion permeates multiple aspects of life, clerics wield considerable sway. Recognizing this, Bardelli provides an analytical framework to understand how religious leaders can be co-opted into strategies to counter violent extremism, thereby serving as conduits of tolerance and peaceful co-existence.
The Road Ahead
Perhaps one of the most compelling aspects of Bardelli’s work is her focus on “community resilience” as a dynamic, evolving attribute rather than a static one. She offers concrete examples of how communities in Burkina Faso have leveraged their social capital and cultural values to resist the allure of extremism and cope with external threats. Her approach serves as a poignant reminder that resilience is often a collective endeavor, stitched together by various threads of social relationships, institutional structures, and shared values.
