GNET-CENS Online WOrkshop on RIGHT WING EXTREMISM: EAST AND WEST

Singapore’s first reported case of a right-wing extremism (RWE) plot underscored how multicultural Asian societies are potentially vulnerable to ideologies more often associated with ‘the West’. It sparked concern over this brand of radicalism that is relatively novel to Asia. Intolerance and the pervasiveness of echo-chambers online create a diffused movement across countries with opportunities for mimicking tactics and (re)appropriating narratives. This online workshop brought together a diverse group of leading academics and practitioners at the intersection of extremism and social resilience. While RWE may have roots in white-supremacy, it finds fertile ground in parts of Asia where minority identities are contested, and manifestations concurrently resonate and vary from the ‘West’.