ANSD : The EU’s efforts to prevent extremism in the region

THU 18 - 4 - 2024

Date: Jan 25, 2018
Source: The Daily Star

The EU’s efforts to prevent extremism in the region

Rubina Abu Zeinab-Chahine

The need for sharing knowledge has become increasingly evident in recent years, where new ideas and good practices should take a new route toward maximizing its use. Transforming knowledge is a complex process involving a range of actors to boost social and economic benefits. This is particularly relevant in complex issues like violent extremism.

Promoting the transnational dimension of knowledge transfer is needed more today than ever where states and communities can act together sharing efforts to develop platforms of innovation based on lessons learned and good practices. Innovative solutions would be the advantage of working more closely and will impact our lives positively in many different ways.

The EU and the MENA region are perfect spaces for knowledge transfer. Lebanon can learn from Europe and its peers in the region. There is a wild room for regional cooperation and sharing good practices.

As a direct application to international knowledge sharing, on 17 and 18 January, the first high-level workshop on “Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in the Middle East and North Africa Region” took place under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Beirut, Lebanon, organized by EU’s Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument.

The workshop brought together government representatives, experts and practitioners from Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Mali, experts from EU member states, civil society groups, research institutes and international and regional organizations. The workshop contributed to a knowledge-based platform critical in strengthening the ability of states to effectively prevent and counter violent extremism.

The platform built on the ongoing EU and MENA region’s experiences in this field, boosting cooperation and promoting a holistic response to preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE).

The workshop played an important role in advancing the P/CVE capacity of local and regional stakeholders and networks, and fostered a collaborative engagement among P/CVE actors to promote inclusive dialogue across different nations, communities and sectors.

The workshop focused on four main topics: radicalization in prisons, internet radicalization, community engagement and education. Improving Knowledge sharing, the workshop promoted a comprehensive approach to P/CVE addressing the underlying conditions that drive individuals to radicalize by sharing lessons learned and best practices around the various topics and providing a forum for discussion and coordination between international and regional entities, governments, civil society, research institutes and other stakeholders.

Tackling both the “soft power” of preventing the threat of violent extremism and the “hard power” of countering it, EU Ambassador Christina Lassen launched the workshop, in the presence of MP Bahia Hariri, representing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and the European Union’s Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove.

She reiterated the EU’s commitment to “approaches that go beyond law enforcement, military or security measures to address development, good governance, human rights and humanitarian concerns. She added: “We have to work on the value of living where differences are respected reaching deeply into societies, public places and schools and living peacefully in diverse communities.”

Ambassador Lassen congratulated the Lebanese government on producing its “National Strategy for preventing Violent Extremism” and highlighted it as a remarkable example of “how to write a consensus.”

De Kerchove thanked Prime Minister Saad Hariri for the strategy and hosting the workshop at the Grand Serail. Looking into the process and the substance of the Lebanese Strategy for Preventing Violent Extremism, he highlighted the importance of working with the government and civil society. He continued by saying that what is important is the “consensus achieved on the definition” and the “diversity concept” it entails.

In determining attitudes toward nonviolence, attending as a “front line” actor, identifying symptoms of radicalization to violence, preventing such radicalization’s inception, and intervening in the radicalization process, “research” represents an important partner, often under-utilized in P/CVE efforts.

Jorge Bento Sylvia, deputy head of the Unit for Counter-Terrorism in the European Commission, described the Lebanese P/CVE strategy as balanced, comprehensive and gender balanced.

He highlighted the importance of research and knowledge transfer as a key area of action in a rapidly changing landscape.

The first day of the conference was dedicated to debate on key issues related to the prevention of violent extremism, on radicalization and prisons providing an opportunity for the international, regional and national stakeholders to share experiences and good practices.

The second day included interventions regarding the considerable reach and impact terrorist groups have online, addressing the root causes of violent extremism and providing resources and good practices on local prevention efforts promoting the use of counternarratives to confront violent extremist messaging online.

The joint effort by international and local communities, tech companies, local governments and civil society is vital in learning from each other’s experience which could counter violent discourse by a peaceful and credible alternative.

The workshop focused on the dynamic role of community engagement in preventing violent extremism, presenting P/CVE programs carried out by national and local authorities, as well as non-governmental actors.

In addition, it focused on outlining the role of education and, precisely, on developing the basic competencies for young people to resolve conflicts in peaceful ways, thus build their resilience to the message of violent extremists.

Experts offered case studies on the reintegration and deradicalization efforts in their countries highlighting innovative community-led responses to counter and prevent extremism providing region-specific overviews of the trends and concerns on radicalization and violent extremism during working group discussions.

The forum brought together experts, researchers, policymakers and practitioners from countries and regions around the world in a closed discussion to share experiences and expertise on policies and practices that provide impulses for stimulating further action.

The workshop in its format that included thematic discussion sessions and regionally focused discussion sessions, experts’ presentations, case studies and working groups, left its participants with a set of tools, resources, programming methods, practical experiences, current trends in P/CVE research and a network of like-minded colleagues.

The workshop’s recommendations on how to move forward identified the emerging threats of violent extremism, determined the critical gaps in research on P/CVE, the importance of addressing the current research outcomes in countering violent extremism, and highlighted the importance of improving knowledge transfer.

_{Rubina Abu Zeinab-Chahine is executive director of the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on January 24, 2018, on page 3.}

The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Arab Network for the Study of Democracy

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