Violent extremism: Prevention starts at home, concludes OSCE Mission in Kosovo-supported conference

Response to violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT) requires a comprehensive and resolute strategy, in which families, teachers, community police officers and religious leaders have a key role, concluded participants of an international conference held in Prishtinë/Priština on 26-27 October 2016.

The event was organized by the Interior Ministry, with the support of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.

For two days, some 200 representatives of various institutions and organizations from around the world, including Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Israel, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Turkey, as well as countries of South-East Europe and INTERPOL shared best practices on the identification and prevention of VERLTand explored new ways to prevent and counter this phenomenon. In addition, two returnees from the conflict zone in Syria shared their experience as former fighters.

Participants reiterated that there are no uniform drivers that can lead to VERLT and that individuals can be influenced by various factors depending on their cultural, political, economic, and social background. They all identified the internet as instrumental to the process of violent extremist radicalization that lead to terrorism.. They also pointed out that prevention starts at home and in the local community, with families, teachers, community police officers, and religious leaders playing an important role in identifying and countering VERLT at an early stage.  

Working with the education sector also stood out as an important element in countering extremism. Panellists emphasized the need to train teachers on threats to recognize the warning signs of violent extremist radicalization that leads to terrorism and underlined the importance of encouraging critical thinking among youth, and to mainstream awareness raising on the threat of VERLT in school curricula.

“We should not lose sight of the fact that this is very much a question of values, mind-sets and perceptions. It is an ideological struggle,” said Jan Braathu, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. “This is not a struggle between religions; it is a struggle for shared values.”

Recommendations of the conference will be reviewed by the stakeholders during the annual review of the Kosovo strategy and action plan against violent extremism and radicalization that leads to terrorism, to be held on 4-6 November 2016.

The conference contributed to the OSCE’s United in Countering Violent Extremism (#UnitedCVE) campaign.