ARCHIVED - Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announces second round of projects funded for research into counter-terrorism

OTTAWA, February 28, 2013 — The Honourable Vic Toews, Canada's Public Safety Minister, today announced the successful recipients of the second round of funding, worth over $700,000, awarded under the Kanishka Project, a multi-year investment in terrorism-focused research.

“The Government remains unwavering in its commitment to protect Canadians against terrorism and violent extremism. The Kanishka Project complements our efforts to build the resilience of our communities against the threats we face today,” said Minister Toews. “Research supported by the Kanishka Project will not only expand our knowledge of terrorism, conflict and security, but will also help to inform the creation of concrete tools for those on the front lines.”

The five projects receiving funding under this second round stand to provide valuable contributions towards improving our understanding of terrorism. These projects will look at a range of issues, including threats to critical infrastructure, measuring online reactions to crises, cultural competency training as a response to radicalization leading to violence, right wing extremism in Canada, and online recruitment by terrorist and extremist organizations.

On June 23, 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the Kanishka Project, an initiative which will invest in research on pressing questions for Canada on terrorism and counter-terrorism, such as preventing and countering violent extremism. The Kanishka Project is named after the Air India Flight 182 plane that was bombed on June 23, 1985, killing 329 people, most of them Canadians. The Harper Government has committed a total of $10 million over five years to the Project as a way to honour the memory of the victims.

Canada's Counter-terrorism Strategy sets out how the Government as a whole organizes its efforts to prevent, detect, deny and respond to the threat of terrorism, and provides a framework to guide future efforts. The success of the Strategy relies on strong partnerships with experts in different fields, including the academic community. In support of the Government of Canada's efforts under the element of the Strategy that seeks to prevent individuals from engaging in terrorism, the Kanishka Project strives to create a vibrant network of scholars that will inform more effective policies for preventing and countering terrorism.

The third call for proposals through the Kanishka Project Contribution Program closed on November 30, 2012, and is currently being assessed. The call for proposals for the fourth round of funding will close April 15, 2013.

See also:

• Backgrounder: Second round of successful Kanishka Project research proposals

Follow Public Safety Canada (@Safety_Canada) on Twitter.

For further information:
Julie Carmichael
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Public Safety
613-991-2924

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
media@ps-sp.gc.ca

Date modified:

2015-11-26