A new kind of think tank

An innovative approach to the traditional think tanks is in the making. Google has formed a new company called Google Ideas which hopes to move beyond the traditional think tank model of producing reports and books and would include action as a central part of its mission.

This “think/do tank” approach has the goal of tackling some of the most intractable problems facing mankind by combining a new generation of leaders with technology. It is looking for new approaches that go beyond merely producing reports and books. And how does it intend to do this?

One of its first ventures : tackling violent extremism.

The company, through its eight-month-old think tank, Google Ideas, is paying for 80 former Muslim extremists, neo-Nazis, U.S. gang members and other former radicals to gather in Dublin this weekend to explore how technology can play a role in de-in de-radicalization efforts around the globe. These former radical extremists will be surrounded by 120 thinkers, activists, philanthropists and business leaders. The goal is to dissect the question of what draws some people, especially young people, to extremist movements and why some of them leave.

Up to now, efforts to reform extremists have largely been government-run and focused on distinct groups. Many of the programs have operated in Muslim countries, and their sponsors have struggled with whether it was enough to get radicals to disengage from extremist movements or whether they must reject extremism and embrace mainstream values. If different radicalization challenges can be compartmentalized, why can we not also compartmentalize the de-radicalization solutions is the basic argument of this radical approach. Such an approach could, for example, harness the power of YouTube, employ advanced mapping techniques or create alternative Web spaces to compete with radicalizing voices. “The hope from the conference is” say the organizers, “ that we will figure out some of the ‘best practices’ of how you can break youth radicalization” . This weekend’s conference, formally known as the Summit Against Violent Extremism, or SAVE, will run Sunday through Tuesday.

In the future, Cohen predicted, the think tank will take on the challenges of fragile states., democracy building, and questions about the Internet and society.

Here is an approach that India can follow in tackling some of its most difficult problems: reducing corruption in public life, seeking a peaceful solution with its neighbour Pakistan, improving civic participation in a democracy...