Societal polarisation is an increasingly observable aspect of our modern lives. From immigration to climate change, the key challenges of our times are met with polarised perspectives. We observe this too, in democratic political systems, with the increasing presence of populist parties and a loss of the so-called political “middle ground”. Recent events, such as the global COVID-19 pandemic and protests around police brutality, expose the deep societal and economic divides that exist within and across countries world-wide.
While a degree of polarisation can be said to be useful in terms of bringing multiple perspectives to a task and enhancing political participation, too much can stymie progress in addressing key socio-economic issues and challenges. Knowing the levels and causes of polarisation and resilience to polarisation within or across particular countries might help us to understand which countries are at risk of polarisation-based conflict and for what reasons. Understanding these reasons, in turn, can assist us in tailoring solutions. This is what the Building Resilience to Violent Extremism (BRaVE) toolkit assists users in doing.
The BRaVE polarisation toolkit compiles indicators and associated metrics that measure five forms of polarisation and resilience: religious, ethnic and racial, gendered, socio-economic, and political. The indicators map onto the project’s conceptual paper and database on the causal factors involved in polarisation.
