The United States values our multifaceted partnership with Kenya and that is why we continue to support its efforts to counter violent extremism and terrorism. Just this year, the State Department and USAID started implementing $7.5 million to support the efforts to the Counterterrorism Partnership Fund in Kenya. T

The Obama administration has revamped a program designed to lure foreign fighters away from extremist groups like the Islamic State, focusing on a series of new advertisements and social media posts that seek to appeal to emotion rather than logic. Money for the program, which is managed by the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, tripled this year, to $16 million, after administration officials concluded that past efforts that had attempted to scare potential militants away from the extremist groups were not working.

These skeptical analysts argue that many current messaging strategies against the Islamic State are backfiring — and that polarizing politicians such as Trump have amplified the jihadists’ impact and been their best recruiting tool. Islamophobia helps the jihadists by fueling their narrative about embattled Muslims, Kenning argues. It creates a sense of wounded community — a shared identity of having been wronged, which prompts violent revenge.

Radicals don’t wake up one day and join Isis or Al Shabaab. Extremism fills a gap; preying on people who feel lost, confused and excluded from society. For some without hope, extremism can offer something different: a future of freedom, adventure and purpose. It also provides food, clothing and protection. [...] We must recognise the importance of soft power to address hard-hitting issues.