Project manager: Salvatore Capasso

Key words: Religious radicalism  Violent crime  Economic development

Abstract

Albania as the whole Western Balkans region has been facing a series of geopolitical turbulences, with a new and threatening dynamic for the fate of the region and its path of European Union (EU) integration. This project aims to bring into the study of religious radicalism and violent extremism in Albania and the Western Balkans a new perspective, a more socio-economic one, as well as to further explore the potential links between these kind of activities and organized crime networks. It also aims to understand the scale to which religious extremist organizations in the Balkans have developed links and networks with EU organizations, especially in Italy. This will provide an added value for studies in this field in the region and will contribute to build bridges between scholars and academics of the two countries for potential future cooperation.