Julia Nowecki
Director, Violence Prevention Network Academy; Practitioner, Violence Prevention Network
2024
Julia Nowecki is a first line professional working with (violent) radicalised individuals and those vulnerable to (violent) extremism, specialized on (violent) extremism justified by faith. She has over then years of expertise in youth work, training and counselling teachers, social workers, security authorities, prison and probation services.
Julia holds a Master’s degree in Arabic Studies, with a focus on History of Islam, Islamist Movements, Cultural Policy, Gender and Sexuality.
Working for Violence Prevention Network, Germany’s leading NGO with over 20 years of expertise in preventing and countering violent extremism, Julia is a certified Anti-Violence and Competency Trainer with additional education and expertise in trauma pedagogical and diversity-orientated approaches.
Since more than five years, Julia is head of the Advice Center Saxony, where she works as a practitioner, trainer and counsellor. In addition to working with individuals, Julia counsels and trains professionals in various contexts – such as schools, ministries, prison and probation services, and police, raising awareness for both, (violent) extremism and discrimination, aiming at offering support for young people and establishing sustainable systems for prevention and disengagement work.
Furthermore, Julia is the director of the VPN Academy, a learning and training platform powered by Violence Prevention Network, whose mission it is to empower professionals throughout society to better cope with the constantly evolving (violent) extremist ideologies. She transfers methods, materials and approaches developed by Violence Prevention Network, such as Social Diagnostics and tertiary prevention work methods, into various contexts internationally.
The effort to eradicate hate requires the active participation of every component of our society, to include governments, the private sector, communities of faith and indeed every aspect of civil society. There is no more urgent task in front of us. The organizers of the Eradicate Hate Global Summit are doing the United States and the world an enormous service by tackling hatred and extremism with a focus on honest dialogue and conversation, genuine learning and practical solutions. This will not happen overnight, but the Pittsburgh community’s leadership in this effort is genuinely inspiring and motivating.
