Travis D. Frain FRSA AFHEA
Surviving a terrorist attack: From recovery to resilience
United Kingdom
English
Since sustaining serious injuries in the Westminster terrorist attack in March 2017, Travis has campaigned for the rights of victims of terrorism and set out to prevent future attacks, becoming a leading voice within the realm of counterterrorism. He has set up several successful organisations and received numerous accolades for his work. Most recently, he was appointed National Chair of the UK Counter Terrorism Youth Advisory Group, and he sits on the boards of several victim and disaster relief charities in the UK and US. Travis brings unique perspective as a young person thrust into this area by no fault of their own, yet embracing the challenges presented to him.
"Surviving a terrorist attack: From recovery to resilience"
Travis Frain was only 19 years old when he was injured in the terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge. Thrown into the air by the Islamist terrorists' car, he suffered multiple injuries and spent years recovering from his physical injuries and psychological scars. Determined to do his part to prevent future attacks, Travis decided to embark upon a personal and professional mission to understand how a person can be radicalised, how to mitigate the effects of terrorist tactics, and how we can better support those who are affected. In the years following the attack, Travis successfully brought his campaign to Downing Street, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations, ran a marathon to raise money for the British Red Cross, and became a stringent advocate for victims of terrorism around the world.
"Inside the world of terrorism and counterterrorism: understanding current, past, and future threats"
"Throughout both his personal and professional life, Travis has become intimate with the world of terrorism and counterterrorism. As a Historian of modern violent extreme Islamist organisations, he has traced the roots of modern terrorism from the latter half of the Cold War through to current events today. This historical research is coupled with Travis' personal story, as a victim and survivor of a terrorist attack in March 2017, the the professional journey he has undertaken over the years following, working as an advisor to Counter Terrorism Policing for over five years. His experience couples both high-level expertise, meeting with senior National Security and Policing figures from around the world throughout his career, with the essential grassroots intervention work that is often underestimated, and Travis has spoken with thousands of students across the United Kingdom to raise awareness of terrorism and better educate young people on how to spot the signs of radicalisation.
"Radicalisation and violent extremism: a victim's perspective"
In this keynote, Travis draws on his experience working within the field of counterterrorism and contrasts this with his personal, intimate experience with terrorism as a survivor. This talk cuts through the noise, and seeks to address the key issues affecting the field in the 21st century and address key policymaking challenges that are likely to present themselves, the trajectory of how these challenges align with ongoing and emergent threats, and how we might navigate these issues in global security as time progresses. Travis offers his personal perspective on how terrorists are radicalised, their motivations and methodology, and ultimately how we might hope to avert future attacks and divert vulnerable individuals away from radicalisation.