I came across this TED Talk from two years ago, where the speaker, Benedetta Berti, an international policy analyst, tells us why ISIS, and groups similar to ISIS, like Hezbollah and Hamas, continue to stay in power. What Berti does is document terrorist groups like the ones mentioned above when they’re not shooting; all this while working on the field, through the world of policy-making and in the library. Her goal, she explains, at the beginning of her talk, is to study any possibilities of transition from violent engagement to non-violent confrontation. 

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“ISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas. These three very different groups are known for violence — but that’s only a portion of what they do, says Berti. In her TED Talk, the analyst tells us how these groups also attempt to win over populations with social work: setting up schools and hospitals, offering safety and security, and filling the gaps left by weak governments. According to her, if we want any chance to end the violence that such groups subject innocent citizens to, we should understand broadly how such groups function from within. 

“War has changed” she reasons. “It used to be a contest between states. Now, it’s a contest between states and non-state actors.” Out of the 216 peace agreements signed between 1975 and 2011, she informs, 196 of them were between a state and a non-state actor. Her idea is that we need to either engage these groups, or defeat them. Her TED Talk explains how to do exactly that. 

The talk has gotten over 1,867,368 views till date and drives home a strong point. It’s the one thing you should watch today.