This issue of the Horn of Africa Bulletin (HAB) ” Between Co-option and Autonomy: Grassroots CVE Initiatives as the Alternative?” follows from the January-February 2016 issue of the HAB that also focused on countering violent extremism (CVE). The article by Mr. Sharmarke Farah: ” CVE Strategy in Somalia: the importance of context, coordination and ownership” is an interesting and original analysis of CVE initiatives and their currents gaps and strengths in Somalia. The article by Dr. Abiy Ahmed: “Countering Violent Extremism through Social Capital: Anecdote from Jimma, Ethiopia” explains the sequence of events and dynamics that led to the conflict and how religious leaders took the lead in de-escalating the conflict and created a platform, the Religious Forum for Peace, which has played an appreciable role in restoring amicable relations between different religious communities in Jimma. The third article of a study titled, ‘Community Perceptions of Violent Extremism in Kenya’ was reviewed by Ms. Flavie Bertouille. The review of the study emphasises the paucity of evidence and research on key aspects of ‘violent extremism’ and points to the study as a welcome step in the right direction. The final article by Mr. Femi Ayat: “Ambiguities of CVE Theory & Practice” focuses on the theoretical and practical challenges that beset CVE. The author is critical of CVE theory and practice and argues that there are profound dangers for civil-society actors in being associated with policies and programs whose boundaries with counter-insurgency or counter terrorism are blurred at best or non-existent.
