Dear Friend of Life After Hate,
In this edition of our newsletter, we want to thank you, our supporters, allies, and those who ensure we keep our doors open– no matter what. We are grateful to have you in our corner.
Life After Hate’s mission statement ends with the phrase, “…break free from lives of violent hate and extremism through evidence-based interventions.” Our Co-founders, Exit Specialists, and the participants we work with on a daily basis have underscored the need for multi-year, individually tailored programming for this work to deliver the results we hope for: lives permanently changed for the better. Our model works because it is evidence-based, researched, and tested. Let’s take a minute to talk about this powerful statement. Disengagement is rarely a quick process. More than one-quarter of extremists required ten years or longer to fully disengage from extremist activity, while many others required several years to separate themselves from extremist beliefs, behaviors, and social networks. The process often involves addressing trauma, isolation, identity crises, mental health concerns, family conflict, and the loss of a person’s primary social community. As a result, experts increasingly recognize that successful intervention requires individualized, long-term support rather than one-time educational programs or short-term services (Glazzard, A. 2022 – Violent Extremist Disengagement and Reintegration, published in the academic journal Studies in Conflict & Terrorism).
We often quote the statistic that most of our participants stay with the program for 18-24 months, and that even after successful completion they are always welcome to seek support whenever they need it. As you can imagine, this is highly labor-intensive work, yet our team is a small but dedicated one, and we are eternally grateful to them for the work they do.
In gratitude,
Heather and Shannon
Thank you to our monthly sustainers and annual donors.
If you haven’t already, consider renewing your support this year – but don’t wait until the end of the year. Our fall programming needs your support today!
Be A Sponsor of Project Pivot
As we prepare to restart our participant groups this fall, Exit is evolving again to meet an emerging need. Youth are becoming an ever-growing part of our program. We developed a tailored teen group to address the needs of this demographic. This fall, we’re piloting a new adjunctive group alongside our one-on-one support, with an inaugural cohort for Project Pivot. We are seeking sponsors for justice-involved teens.
TDF is gearing up for Season 6!
The TDF Why in under 40 seconds
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The Next LAH Book Circle Pick Is Here!
We’re excited to announce that our next Book Circle selection is Relationality by David Jay.Join us as we explore ideas around relationships, community, and how we make sense of the world. Grab a copy and read along with us we’ll see you at the next LAH Book Circle post!