BAG RelEx

The Federal Working Group on Religiously Motivated Extremism (BAG RelEx) is a non-profit association founded in November 2016 by 25 civil society organizations. Our mission is to create a platform for networking, professional exchange, content development, and advocacy for civil society actors in the field of democracy promotion and prevention of religiously motivated extremism.

• Networking and Professional Exchange: We provide a platform for exchange among civil society actors to develop and optimize quality standards in prevention and deradicalization work.
• Prevention and Deradicalization Work: Our member organizations are engaged in a variety of areas, including democracy promotion, radicalization prevention, anti-bias work, intercultural work, educational counseling, violence prevention, and exit work[3][4].
• Training and Counseling: We offer certified training, particularly on radicalization prevention in schools and youth services, and provide counseling centers for radicalization[4].

The BAG RelEx represents the interests of civil society actors in prevention and deradicalization work towards politics, science, and administration. Our work is based on the following core values:

• Defense of Democracy: We advocate for the defense of democracy and fundamental rights, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• Confessional and Political Independence: We are confessional and politically independent and clearly distinguish between religion and inhumane ideologies[3].
• Strengthening Civil Society: We promote civic engagement and strengthen civil society actors who are committed to the prevention and deradicalization of religiously motivated extremism.

• Nationwide Networking: We connect civil society actors nationwide to promote professional exchange and collaboration and to represent their concerns to state and political bodies and in society.
• Quality Standards: We work on the development and further development of quality standards in prevention and deradicalization work.
• Public Relations: We inform those seeking advice and interested parties about the subject area and provide local contacts to create societal awareness of the necessity of civil society engagement[2][3].

The BAG RelEx currently has 37 member organizations and works in close cooperation with other organizations, such as ufuq.de and VPN, in the competence network "Islamist Extremism" (KN:IX). Our work is supported by the federal program Democracy Live of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs[2][3].

The BAG RelEx sees its mission in creating a platform that supports civil society actors, promotes professional exchange, and optimizes content and methods to strengthen engagement against religiously motivated extremism. Through our work, we contribute to defending democracy and fundamental rights and promoting a tolerant coexistence based on the free democratic basic order.

• 1 - https://www.relexsolutions.com/de/warum-relex/
• 2 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft_religi%C3%B6s_begr%C3%BCndeter_Extremismus
• 3 - https://www.bag-relex.de/ueber-bag-relex/ueber-bag-relex/
• 4 - https://www.bag-relex.de/ueber-bag-relex/mitglieder/
• 5 - https://www.mapex-projekt.de/documents/MAPEX_Buch_Radikalisierungspraevention_in_Deutschland.pdf