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Charles Townshend's long-standing research on political violence in the contexts of modern Ireland, the Middle East and the British Empire, has informed public understanding and official policies on issues of crucial importance. In particular, his Terrorism. A Very Short Introduction, drawing on this extensive research, has sold widely and been translated into eight other languages. Its broad impact on public discourse and official practice concerning terrorism is demonstrated by its use in the British Government's CONTEST (counter-terrorism) strategy and in the training of professionals involved with counter-terrorism in the United States. Townshend's work has contributed to educational programmes in Britain and North America, and his expertise on troubling and controversial episodes in modern Ireland has led to service as an advisor to the Irish government.
The research described here has informed discussion, debate, decision-making and practice among policy-makers working on counter-terrorism and radicalism both within and beyond the UK. It has contributed to the development and implementation of new tools supporting counter-terrorist work; enhanced understanding of important issues relating to terrorist psychology among professionals working in relevant areas; and informed international legal proceedings. These insights have strengthened and informed UK and international policy formulation and helped to generate strategies and practical tools for the implementation of counter-terrorism measures.
Terrorism and political violence are one of the most significant threats facing contemporary society. Building on over twenty years of research into the political situation in Northern Ireland, the research team have explored the impact political violence has on individuals and communities; in particular, they have explored the antecedent factors which lead to people choosing to engage and disengage in politically motivated violence, commonly termed `terrorism'. This knowledge has been utilised to inform policy and improve military practice across various branches of the UK government, UK and overseas military services, police and security services, NATO and a number of faith and NGO groups.
The problem of how to combat terrorism while respecting fundamental values has become increasingly acute. The research has addressed this problem by influencing the formation, design, development, and governance of counter-terrorism laws through recommendations for legal and policy reform directed at promoting and strengthening key values which cohere around the concept of `constitutionalism' (defined in 2 below). The recommendations have been endorsed by policy reviewers primarily in the UK but also in Australia.
Uberoi's research on policies of multiculturalism has had national and international impact. Nationally, his research led to a debate in the Independent, UK journalists like David Goodhart discuss it and request follow up pieces. His findings changed the views of the Home Office Chief Scientist and shaped the Labour Party Policy Review. Internationally, as soon as his findings were published, European media outlets like Eurozine and Le Monde sought to reprint his work for their audiences and the Canadian Department of Citizenship and Immigration used his research when deciding not to reject policies of multiculturalism.