Draft:Parents for Peace

Parents for Peace is an American non-profit organization which runs a free and confidential resource for families concerned about the radicalization of a loved one, across the ideological spectrum, from white supremacism, Neo-Nazism, to Islamism, ecoterrorism and antifa.

Arguing for a public health approach to extremism, the organization merges elements of family counseling, addiction recovery, conventional therapy, and cult deprogramming.

History
Parents for Peace was founded by the Bledsoe family after their son was radicalized and committed a deadly act of terrorism at a US Army recruiting center in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2009, killing a soldier and wounding another. Motivated by the feelings of helplessness and loss he experienced due to his son's radicalization, and driven by a desire to spare others the "everlasting pain" of losing a child to extremist ideologies, Melvin and his daughter Monica established Parents for Peace.

The Helpline
The Parents for Peace helpline, +1-844-49-PEACE aims at preventing violence by providing parents and others with a resource for enhanced communication with loved ones who may be gravitating towards extremism.

According to the executive director, Myrieme Nadri-Churchill, many parents of extremists harbor a profound fear of their family being misconstrued as racist, which can lead to feelings of shame and subsequent isolation. Parents for Peace, recognizing the critical role of families in countering extremism, seeks to empower families to combat their fear and shame to take back their loved one from the brink of extremism.

After receiving a call on the helpline, an evaluator conducts an extensive intake, creating a psychological profile of the extremist individual. The assessment pays special attention to past experiences of bullying or trauma, any history of addiction or mental health issues, and their digital habits, including the duration of time spent online and their level of isolation. The findings of this evaluation guide the organization in advising the family whether to involve law enforcement.

Once the assessment is complete, the organization connects the family with 'interventionists’ who work to build trust with the family through regular phone calls and video meetings. Their aim is to gradually unravel layers of fear and resentment, helping to restore the young person's identity and refocus on their interests and passions, as they were before they became involved in extremist ideologies. The interventions are aided by former extremists who underwent de-radicalization themselves.