The Recora Institute

Translating Research into Policy into Practice

• Home
• About
• Courses
• Reports
• Our Perspective
• Services
• Contact Us

• 

  Atif Iqbal

  Senior Fellow

• 

  Colin Mellis

  Executive Director - Advisor

  A native of Amsterdam of North-American parentage, Colin Mellis holds a BA from University College Utrecht in Humanities (Modern History and Religion) and an MA from Radboud University Nijmegen in Middle Eastern Studies. He was instrumental in developing the counter-radicalization program in the City of Amsterdam (2005-2009). In Amsterdam Colin helped set up and develop the ‘Information House’ (IHH) unit that –among others- supports frontline professionals in recognizing and dealing with radicalization at the local level. In this capacity he co-authored the RecoRa report together with Yousiff Meah of Birmingham, which formed the basis for the UK-based RecoRa Institute. In combination with his work for the City, Colin has co-taught a course on terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict at the Universities of Utrecht and Amsterdam. In addition, Colin was affiliated with the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Colin is currently (since 2009) the policy advisor on radicalization for the Dutch National Coordinator for Counterterrorism (NCTb).
• 

  Geoff Thomas

  Geoff is Assistant Director at Dudley Council, with responsibility for Corporate Policy and Research. Geoff joined Dudley in 1996 having previously worked at Coventry City Council. His main areas of expertise involve community engagement, performance management, community safety and partnership working. Geoff is a keen Aston Villa supporter and despite this remains cheerful and optimistic
• 

  Jane Doyle

  Operations and Finance Executive

• 

  John Curtis

  Chairman

• 

  Magnus Ranstrop

  Magnus Ranstrop is Chief Scientist at the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Swedish National Defence College and a Senior Honorary Research Associate and former Director of Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. He is the author of "Hizballah in Lebanon" and author of numerous articles and monographs on terrorism and counter-terrorism. He is on the International Editorial Board Advisory Board of the academic journal "Studies in Conflict and Terrorism" and on the Editorial Board of "Cambridge Review of International Affairs" He is an internationally recognised as a leading expert on Hizballah, Hamas, al-Qaeda and other militant Islamic movements. He has conducted extensive fieldwork around the world, interviewing hundreds of terrorists as well as members of militant Islamic movements. He has briefed senior government and security personnel around the world , including the 9?11 commission. Magnus is currently directing a large-scale project on radicalisation and recruitment of salafist-jihadist terrorists across Europe.
• 

  Tasneem Mahmood

  Tasneem Mahmood is the Founding Director of Hear My Voice which she established in 2007 at the age of 22. Hear My Voice is a street level organisation based in Birmingham and Luton which works extensively with young people from marginalised communities to raise aspirations and create change from the bottom up. She is a free lance consultant for a number of national organisations delivering leadership programmes and empowerment projects with young people. Tasneem has recently completed a study tour of America with the US Embassy, as the only U.K. delegate on the United We Serve Volunteerism Programme, which explored how commmunitites are mobilized to become independent around their needs and set priorities based on the issues affecting them the most. Tasneem lives in Birmingham with her family and studied Political Science and Social Policy at the University of Birmingham. She is also a Graduate of The RecoRa Institute and a firm believer in youth led work that creates safe spaces for young people to explore controversial but relevant debates in a safe environment.
• 

  Yousiff Meah

  Chief Executive Director

  Yousiff Meah is the Chief Executive Director of The RecoRa Institute. He is the author [with Colin Mellis] of the original recora report "Recognising and Responding to Radicalisation: considerations for policy and practice through the eyes of street level workers" [2008. RecoRa] and a founding member of The Institute. Yousiff has been actively involved in violence reduction research and practice for many years. He was the policy lead on reducing gang violence [and Head of Youth Services] for Birmingham City Council in the U.K. prior to designing the City's pathfinder programme for Preventing Violent Extremism. In 2008, he was appointed as a U.K. Children's Services Adviser on Preventing Violent Extremism with a responsibility for supporting the development of practice, designed to recognise and respond to radicalisation within schools, and youth services prior to becoming the Chief Executive for The Institute. He has provided policy advice and training to community organisations, governments and security personnel across Europe. Yousiff has a Masters Degree in Occupational Psychology {Birbeck London}; professional qualifications in youth and community work {Goldsmith College. London} and in training and development {Institute for Training and Development. London}; he is a trained mediator and graduate of the International center for conciliation {Harvard: Boston}.