News in English     | 12.06.2018. 14:52 |

Conference "Youth against Violent Extremism" taking place in Sarajevo

FENA Muamer Selimbegovic

SARAJEVO, June 12 (FENA) - Effective fight against the emergence of violent extremism, hate speech and radical ideologies requires preventive action in several areas, including an adequate institutional response and work with young people, as well as preferring alternatives to socially unacceptable forms of behavior by promoting various opportunities for engaging young people and their fulfilment in creative ways in different segments of life and activities, it was concluded today by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and PRONI Center for Youth Development Brčko, prior to the holding of the conference “Youth  against Violent Extremism”, which focuses on youth participation in activities aimed at preventing violent extremism.

The conference is a partnership project of PRONI Center for Youth Development Brčko, the Youth Resource Center Tuzla and the peace organization PAX from the Netherlands, implemented with the support of the Dutch Embassy in BiH under MATRA program.

Dion van der Berg of the Dutch peace organization PAX said to reporters that a more intense engagement in the fight against violent extremism is necessary given that young people globally are increasingly attracted by extreme ideologies.

He assessed that this threat which, in the long term, the most efficient way to fight will be through further democratization of society, that is, by promoting fundamental democratic values ​​and human rights.

Commenting on journalists questions about youth and extreme ideologies, Van der Berg stressed the importance of engagement and the fight against division among people and nations, pointing out that the key issue is what makes up the identity of every individual, and whether we, as citizens, act in accordance with the law.

"The key identity for combating extremism should be the identity of a citizen," Van der Berg said, emphasizing that this is a major challenge for all countries of the Western Balkans, where the primary identity is related to ethnic and religious background.

He added that this is an element that requires additional elaboration, "because the identity of citizenship is the identity that connects people."

Some of the objectives of the conference are to inform young people from BiH about the importance of combating hate speech on the Internet, spread awareness about the importance of getting to know each other, cooperation and mutual respect, and helping young people in multiethnic environments, as well as connecting young human rights activists to map hate speech on the Internet and develop instruments with constructive responses.

(FENA) S. R.

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