It is not enough to simply approach young people and attempt to engage with them
Our Strategy
ACF’s Unique Model of Engagement:
‘ICE’ – Intellectual-Cultural-Emotional
I.C.E. is a customised approach used by ACF to facilitate effective engagement with vulnerable young people. ACF has a unique understanding of the area that we work in.Our partners have had close personal experiences with radical groups and the recruitment techniques they use. This knowledge gives them the expertise to understand the subtle issues at play in order to create a 'firewall' around disengaged, vulnerable and angry young men that would otherwise be easy prey for such groups.
It is impossible to approach young people and attempt to engage with them without a deep understanding of what drives them. I.C.E. requires that the ACF team are in-touch with the individual mindsets of the youth we help.We understand the motives of each radicalised young person that we work with in order to divert them from harm.
INTELLECTUAL: I.C.E. ensures that we operate on the same intellectual level as our youth, without criticism or judgment.
CULTURAL: Our personal backgrounds enable us to understand the cultural and societal context in which these young people live.
EMOTIONAL: ACF recognises that it is vital to understand the emotions of the youth we help. This crucial requirement is at the heart of our approach.We recognise that extremist groups use emotional manipulation to recruit young, naive, disengaged and angry boys and girls, men and women to their cause.
So, in both concept and application, I.C.E. ensures that we can effectively meet the challenge we face from extremism in all its forms.
