Galen Lamphere-Englund

Senior Counter-Terrorism & Conflict Prevention Advisor
Co-Founder & Convener // EGRN

About Me

War, Terrorism, and Violent Extremism Researcher. Strategic Communications Consultant. Conflict and Foresight Data Geek. Humanitarian.

I deeply understand how information ecosystems function, especially gaming, AR/XR/VR, and immersive environments. I also work to protect those trying to help keep our digital and AI environments safe, from trust and safety teams and game developers, to law enforcement and counter-terrorism professionals.

I advise a range of clients to provide strategic leadership, policy and workshop training, red teaming risk mitigation, and research-based advisory services. 

I am the co-founder and convener of the Extremism and Gaming Research Network (EGRN), an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, and a regular contributor to the  Global Internet Forum for Counter-Terrorism.

I currently serve as Team Lead at the Christchurch Call Foundation, leading large-scale efforts to mitigate online misogyny and TFGBV as pathways to violent extremism & terrorism.

My mission is to build a more inclusive, safe, and joyful world both online and IRL.

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Previously, I have worked in over 30 countries to lead investigations and strategic communication campaigns to prevent violent extremism and terrorism (CT & P/CVE), as well as to support humanitarian response in countries across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the Balkans, East Africa, and across Europe, and the US. I have provided my expertise to clients including many United Nations agencies (UNOCT, UNCTED, UNICEF, IOM, UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO), law enforcement bodies (including FBI, INTERPOL, CEPOL), think tanks, universities, governments, and the largest tech platforms. 

I have long-term management experience building teams of up to 40 people where we co-create collaborative, open environments where people are not afraid to experiment audaciously.

I hold an MA in Public Policy from Central European University, an MA in Development & Public Policy from the Institute Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals, and BA in Global Studies from Arizona State University. I am also a PhD dropout. Along the way, I have worked, lived, and or whistled through over 90 countries.

Research & Strategy Design
Violent Extremism & Conflict Analysis
Tech, Gaming, and Digital Rights Issues
Training and Workshop Facilitation
Risk Management

*Indicative findings from sample (n=1). Not representative of all (my) population of work.

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Publications & Research

Click Tabs Below

Media and United Nations Appearances

Launch Event and Findings: Examining Radicalisation in Gaming Spaces, RUSI and implemented by a consortium of members of the Extremism and Gaming Research Network. 18 March 2025.

New Quest Unlocked: The Intersection of Gaming and Violent Extremism, co-organized by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco, the Permanent Mission of Japan, UNICRI and UNOCT, New York, 6 Dec 2024 https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1q/k1q0cc18u2

 

Youth, Peace and Security in the Digital Era: How to make Technology an Ally, UN Association of Albania, 12 December 2024.

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Gaming: 35% of adult gamers have seen white supremacist content, Interview with Galen Lamphere-Englund, EU Radcialisation Awareness Network (RAN), 10 July 2023 (Video)

 

Hezbollah’s Digital Footprint, “Breaking Hezbollah’s Golden Rule,” Interview with Matthew Levitt, Washington Institute, Oct 2023 (Podcast)

How extremists and terrorists exploit games, George Osborn, Interview with Galen Lamphere-Englund, Video Games Industry Memo, 10 Jan 2024. (Link)

UN Meeting: Ungoverned Online Spaces and Grey Area Online Content, 2023 UN Counter-Terrorism Week, 23 Jun 2023 (Video Link)

Special Meeting of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, Thematic Briefing on Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes (New Delhi, India), Testimony by Galen Englund, UNCTC, 29 Oct 2022 (Video Link)

A View from the CT Foxhole: Jessica White and Galen Lamphere-Englund, Co-Conveners, Extremism and Gaming Research Network. Lamphere-Englund, Galen, and Jessica White. Ed. Hummel and Biscaichipy. CTC Sentinel 16(3), Mar 2023. (Link)

The Metaverse: How can P/CVE Practitioners negotiate the Brave New World?, EU RAN, 12 Oct 2022 (Video).

Open meeting of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee on “Countering terrorist narratives and preventing the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes,” Testimony by Galen Englund, UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, 24 Mar 2022 (Video)

Gaming & Extremism: Threats and Opportunities (Podcast), “The Tech Against Terrorism Podcast,” Interview with Dr. Jessica White and Galen Lamphere-Englund, Tech Against Terrorism, 22 Jun 2023. (Link)

How do we harness the power of video games for good? (Podcast), “Undesign: A Social Change Podcast,” Interview with Galen Englund and Kosta Lucas, DrawHistory, 22 June 2022. (Link)

Education

Central European Unviersity

MA in Public Policy
Honors // Erasmus Mundus Scholar

Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals

MA in Development & Public Policy
Honors // Erasmus Mundus Scholar

Arizona State University

BA in Global Studies
Summa Cum Laude Honors // Flinn Foundation & Presidential Scholar

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