Military cooperation between the US and Jordan, which goes back decades, has accelerated in recent years as both countries have a shared interest in bolstering stability in a region mired in conflict. As regional powers stoke sectarian tensions and terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda and ISIS seek to gain in economically depressed areas, the region faces a growing threat of homegrown extremism. Both the Jordan Armed Forces and their American partners have elevated their efforts to counter violent extremism in the region.

A key component to any approach for countering violent extremism (CVE)—anywhere—is to study its root causes. The Jordan Center for Counter Extremism (JCCE), just outside the capital, Amman, is tasked with helping lead the kingdom’s efforts to investigate the triggers that ultimately lead certain individuals to feel alienated and resort to political violence. Through its faculty and the students enrolled in its one-year CVE master’s degree program, the JCCE is spearheading innovative research that will help shape security and economic policies in Jordan and throughout the region.

The Jordan Center for Counter Extremism (JCCE)

Recently, a US Army civil affairs team in Jordan identified the need to expand the JCCE’s library and brought this to SoA’s attention. The additional academic texts represent a broad range of interdisciplinary subjects aimed to help students analyze violent extremism from a variety of viewpoints. These critical resources will allow them to craft comprehensive strategy recommendations for the government of Jordan as it grapples with this issue.

With your help, SoA will provide nearly 1,100 academic books to the JCCE’s research facility, support an important US partner, and aid regional efforts at countering violent extremism.