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As a family gathers around the dinner table, one seat is conspicuously empty.

“He’ll be back soon,” the mother says in the video, referring to her son, a presumed foreign fighter. “You know how much he loves my cooking.”

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Her husband reaches his hand over to hers. “Darling,” he intones, “it’s been over two years now.”

As the scene fades to black, a message flashes on the screen: “They’ll be missed more than they’ll ever know.”

Grassroots organizations in Europe, such as Families Against Terrorism and Extremism, have produced a number of high-impact videos in recent years aimed at curbing violent extremism among youth and undercutting terrorist propaganda.

But whether these and other counter-radicalization measures being tried in the West are having any impact on would-be terrorists is anyone’s guess; the evidence is still largely lacking, experts say.

That uncertainty now looms over the Canadian government as it prepares to unveil a new office aimed at thwarting radicalized violence, whether perpetuated by radical Islamists or far-right extremists. After a lengthy delay, the Liberals are expected to launch the new office — currently called the Office of the Community Engagement and Counter-Radicalization Coordinator — in the near future, pledging $35 million over five years to support intervention efforts, counter-narrative campaigns and research.