This article, presented as part of a panel on “Community-based preventive and remedialmeasures” at a conference on Responses to Female Migration to ISIS, is on ways in whichlocal communities are able to strengthen social cohesion and prevent growing polarization,especially in areas where radicalization to violent extremism takes place. The analysis isbased on the Human Security Collective (HSC)’s work in Palestine, Libya, Tunisia and theNetherlands where we support local communities and the professionals who work with them onaddressing systemic causes that lead to exclusion, alienation and possibly radicalizationleading to violent extremism. We have learnt that approaches to prevent the attraction toviolent extremism networks require methods and processes akin to those developed forconflict transformation. Some of the characteristics of this approach include the inclusionof different stakeholders, local ownership in defining problems and seeking solutions, thebuilding of trusted relationships, the mentoring of young women and men who take on apeer-model role, and the development of innovative small-scale community activities that canthen be taken up by the wider community. HSC and its partners connect these local communityinitiatives to policymakers at municipal, national and international levels. Through theprocess of facilitated dialogue we aim to create “safe spaces” where persons from differentbackgrounds and with different interests are able to meet and exchange practices andpolicies. In this way, policies are validated by lived realities and citizens become awareof the way that policies that influence local security are developed and executed. Thisdialogue leads to a mutual understanding of and improvement in security-related policies.