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http://www.inclusivesecurity.org/uniting-communities-and-law-enforcement-to-fight-violent-extremism/
Uniting Communities, Civil Society, WOMEN and
Law Enforcement
in the Fight Against Violent Extremism – South Asia Focus
Photo:
NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan
By
Allison Peters
on June 17, 2015, in Perspectives
Direct
Link to Full 13-Page Publication:
Growing numbers of
young men and women are leaving their homes to join violent extremist groups in
Iraq, Syria, and other parts of the globe. National and international
policymakers, meanwhile, are struggling to figure out how to stem the tide. As
countries develop their plans of action, they must take a close look at how
civil society and actors responsible for upholding law and order can
collaborate to effectively counter violent extremism (CVE).
Judges, attorneys,
police, and corrections officers all have roles to play in preventing and countering
terrorism and violent extremism. However, research suggests that people’s
negative experiences with law enforcement and other state officials may
generate grievances that can actually contribute to radicalization. Late last
year, Inclusive Security—in collaboration with the Global Center on Cooperative
Security and the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of
Singapore—held consultations with civil society representatives from throughout
South Asia, who echoed this insight. Countries with the highest reported
incidents of terrorism highlighted how the lack of trust between law
enforcement and communities was contributing to the rise of violent extremist
organizations.
Civil society can
help bridge this “trust deficit” by serving as interlocutors between
communities and law enforcement, and by strengthening the capacity of security
actors to prevent and counter violent extremism. In particular, women can play
critical roles inside and outside government in strengthening community
resilience to extremism. For example, Inclusive Security’s Network member
Mossarat Qadeem works with mothers in Pakistan to recognize the signs of
radicalization and provides youth with alternative economic opportunities so
they’re less likely to join extremist groups.
However, in many
countries significantly impacted by terrorism, civil society actors face
barriers to effectively impacting CVE efforts. These include threats to their
safety and security, as well as crackdowns that limit the public space in which
they can operate.
Policymakers must
address these challenges if they truly want to strengthen rule of law-based CVE
responses. In our latest policy brief, produced with the Global Center on
Cooperative Security, we recommend a number of actions, including: