Filling the educational gap in the fight against violent extremism in Togo: Design, Adoption, and Implementation of a dedicated Curriculum.

U.S. Embassy Lome, of the U.S. Department of State, announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to develop a preventative curriculum approach to counter violent extremism through education in Togo. Togo, despite its proximity to countries affected by violent extremism, is one West African country that has experienced relative peace and security, until recently. The escalation in violence in Burkina Faso has spread to neighboring countries, with Togo and Benin recording their worst Global Terrorist Index (GTI) scores on record. According to country officials, as of today, violent extremist attacks have led to 40 military casualties and more than 100 civilians were killed and 2,000 Togolese have taken refuge outside the country. The need to carry out a curriculum development program to address the escalation in violence arose during the Togolese government’s validation workshop of the National Strategy for the Prevention of Violent Extremism (SNAPLEV), where it was noted that prevention through education (including education in prisons) was totally neglected in Togo. This program should fill that gap and should be fully in line with the spirit of Togo’s national strategy. The main objective of this NOFO is to leverage and highlight U.S. expertise and the growing U.S.-Togo relationship to help launch the teaching of prevention of violent extremism in schools and prisons through the development of a teaching manual for schools and the establishment of training and awareness clinics for prisons in Togo.