While youth have comprised the bulk of recruits to violent extremist groups, they are also disproportionately affected by violent extremism. Al Shabaab in Kenya and Boko Haram in Nigeria have capitalized on grievances of deprivation, disenfranchisement, and lack of opportunity to offer the illusion of solutions, all while sowing discord and further violence. However, both countries have a vibrant civil society landscape where youth are working toward economic, political, and social change to prevent violent extremism.

The small grants program is one element of a broader two-year initiative to build the capacity of youth-led and youth-focused civil society organizations working on P/CVE in their communities through training and mentorship, deepening existing networks, and forging new partnerships.

This broader program is being implemented in partnership between the Global Center, KECOSCE, and Carefronting, with support from the U.S. Department of State.

The Global Center works with governments, international organizations, and civil society to develop and implement comprehensive and sustainable responses to complex international security challenges through collaborative policy research, context-sensitive programming, and capacity development. Carefronting is a non-governmental organization founded in 2000 and based in Kaduna, Nigeria, focusing on peacebuilding, conflict transformation, trauma consciousness, and P/CVE. KECOSCE is a national non-governmental organization founded in 2006 that works on research, advocacy, capacity building, and education programs focusing on human rights and democracy, peace and security, social enterprises, and natural resources management.

At the end of the training and mentoring phase there was a call for proposal to align with the goals of the broader initiative, projects funded under the small grants program must meet at least one of the following objectives:

1. Support, empower, and/or strengthen the capacity of young leaders and civil society organizations working to prevent and respond to manifestations of insecurity, violence and violent extremism threatening their communities.
2. Implement and evaluate innovative pilot projects to address the drivers of insecurity, violence, and violent extremism at the grassroots level.
3. Deepen the knowledge base on the localized drivers of violent extremism and/or effectiveness of P/CVE programming at the grassroots level.

At the end of the selection process 20 organizations were selected, 10 each from Kenya and Nigeria. The organizations are: