Conference Report
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conference reporT BANGKOK, THAILAND - JULY 24-27, 2017 DR VIRGINIE ANDRE ADDRESSING THE NEW LANDSCAPE OF TERRORISM: TOWARDS FORMULATING ACTIONABLE RESPONSE + PREFACE This report presents the key findings from the second international conference“ Addressing the New Landscape of Terrorism: Towards Formulating Actionable Response” which was held in Bangkok, Thailand on 24-28 July 2017. Sixty-five delegates presented at the conference. Uniquely, for such a conference, the speakers were academics, front line practitioners, social and community actors, government officials and youth drawn from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sweden, Thailand, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Other attendees included representatives from the National Broad- casting and Telecommunication Commission of Thailand, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Security Council of Thailand, the Royal Thai Police, the Thai Ministry of Defense and various security agencies in Thailand, the UNODC, the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand, the Australian Embassy in Thailand, the United States of America Embassy in Thailand, the French Embas-sy in Thailand and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium. This report provides summaries of each of the presentations that were delivered at the conference, before drawing out the key themes, which emerged and policy recommendations. + ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank our speakers and particularly our partners, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission of Thailand, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Belgian Bureau for International Youth, the French Em- bassy in Thailand, the United States of America Embassy in Thailand, the Deakin University Middle East Studies Forum, the Rabat International University, and the Research Institute for Contemporary Southeast Asian (IRASEC) for supporting this innovative conference. Special thanks go to Commissioner Lt. Gen. Dr. Perapong Manakit, James Nachipo and Frank Arnauts for their untiring support, the conference scientific committee, in particular Prof. Rik Coolsaet and Prof. Martha Crenshaw, conference co-convenors Prof. Shahram Akbarzadeh and Prof. Greg Barton, conference administrators Elena Pinot and Manaphan Vongpivat, and workshop coordinator Onni Sarvela. Finally, we are particularly grateful to Khaled Boutaffala, Florence Brion, Bernard Devos, Seyfi Kumlu and Myriem Buifrahi for bringing Belgian youth voices to the conference. + PARTNERS KINGDOM OF BELGIUM M D D www.diplomatie.belgium.be TH I D TABLE OF CONTENTS 08 INTRODUCTION 10 KEYPOINTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Understanding (New) Radicalisation 12 ISIS Appeal in Southeast Asia and Pakistan 14 Media, Terrorism and CVE 17 Violent Extremism in the Online Environment 21 Youth Mental Health and CVE 23 Gender and Terrorism 25 Prison and Disengagement 27 Preventing Radicalisation in Schools 29 Interfaith Dialogue and PVE-CVE 30 32 DAY ONE - genesis of isis, transformation and impact SESSION 1 : Philosophy and Ideology 42 SESSION 2 : Societal Impact of ISIS: Sectarianism; Polarisation and Populism 46 SESSION 3 : Understanding Radicalisation 54 SESSION 4 : Gender and Terrorism 59 67 DAY two - practical action SESSION 1 : A Tale of Two Cities : Impact of Media Reporting on Terrorism (Molenbeek and Islington) 71 SESSION 2 : Media Broadcasting and Countering Violent Extremism 79 SESSION 3 : ISIS and Social Media 90 SESSION 4 : Community Approaches to Countering Violent Extremism and Building Resilience 95 104 DAY tHREE - practical action SESSION 1 : Youth and ISIS 107 SESSION 2 : Preventing Radicalisation in Schools 114 SESSION 3 : Countering Violent Extremism and Interfaith Dialogue 121 132 DAY FOUR - practical action SESSION 1 : Leaving ISIS 138 SESSION 2 : Foreign Terrorism Fighters and Prison 148 SESSION 3 : Pathways Out of Extremism and Working With Former Extremists 159 SESSION 4 : Countering Violent Extremism and Soft Approaches 164 PAGE 1 ADDRESSING THE NEW LANDSCAPE OF TERRORISM: TOWARDS FORMULATING ACTIONABLE RESPONSE INTRODUCTION When we gathered in Melbourne in 2016, we were far from imagining how rapidly the terrorism threat would evolve and bring to our lands more deadly and barbaric violence. While ISIS sees its forces weakening in the Middle East, it has called for its supporters to carry out deadly assaults globally. In 2016 and 2017, we wit- nessed either directed or inspired attacks by ISIS supporters in Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As in other parts of the world, the ISIS threat now looms over Southeast Asia, particularly with many foreign fighters returning from the theatres of war. The region is not immune to ISIS’ growing influence in the region. We hope that lessons can be learned from international experiences and best practices in countering violent extremism in facing at home and regionally the challenges of this new landscape of terrorism. As academics and practitioners, we inform the policy making process. Unfortunately, we have seen in the last few years the burgeoning of so called experts and of an industry, which too often has endangered if not har- med the work of so many front line practitioners in the prevention and countering of violent extremism. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the vital importance of our duty of care towards our societies, our communities and our young people. Today, a large number of young people around the world live with darkness and despair. Our societies are failing to adequately provide many with the foundations for hope and confidence to live for a positive future. Terrorist organisations such as ISIS and far right extremists organisations prey upon young lives, exploiting vulnerabilities and seducing thousands with false promises of friendship, purpose, and affirmation. They rely heavily on youth culture to mobilise and recruit young people and make them feel they can become heroes acting for a greater good. The significant responses witnessed among young people to ISIS messaging and recruitment means that it has succeeded in plugging into something very primal. In a world threatened by terrorism and violent extremism, our democratic societies seem to be weakened by uncertainty and aggravated tensions. They are seriously endangered by the rise of populism, polarization, misplaced nationalism, far right extremism, and hatred; a dangerous concoction that fuels violent extremist narratives. Many young people fail to see a future beyond the walls of their suburbs. The sense of being out of place, of not quite belonging, of being different, of being reminded constantly of this difference as if it was somewhat alien, of being discriminated against, verbally and physically abused, of wanting to be somebody, of wanting to do something that matters, to contribute to society, often characterises the journey of too many young ADDRESSING THE NEW LANDSCAPE OF TERRORISM: TOWARDS FORMULATING ACTIONABLE RESPONSE PAGE 2 persons of colour, of mixed heritage, different ethnicity, different faith in a Western society with which they very often have difficulties negotiating theirdiff erences. One can wonder why one youth radicalises and another does not. The beginning of an answer can probably be found in family, encounters and life opportunities – it is our family support system, the people we meet in life and opportunities that may shape the direction one can take in life. The world of youth and their sense of belonging and responsibility no longer ends at our sovereign borders. Their hearts are torn by suffering of others, including in Syria and Iraq in ways that often more immediate and profound than those experienced by their parents and grand-parents. At the same time, too often young people find themselves at the margins of a debate and of policies that concern and affect them directly whilst having little or no say in what is done or what they should do. We all collectively have a responsibility to assist young people to find positive hope in their future again and promote their active participation as agents of positive change. While this conference helped bridge the gap between grassroots and front line practitioners, policy-makers and academics, it also amplified young peoples’ voices and brought to the forefront the need for special pro- motion for young people’s active participation as agents of change. Importantly, the conference also highlighted that conducive environments continue to play a significant role in the radicalisation process by producing certain subcultures vulnerable to extremist narratives. Violent -ex tremism prospers where there are feelings of dependency, abandonment, distrust, disenchantment, social exclusion and stigmatisation. The importance of early intervention prevention programs to reduce the impact these conducive environments may have on vulnerable individuals, communities and minorities should remain a key priority area, particularly in the area of social inclusion. Significant reforms need to be undertaken to address the structural causes of susceptibility to the appeal of (violent) extremism, and diminish the resonance extremist narratives may have with certain individuals by offering a positive, complex and inclusive vision of diversity. As academics, practitioners, social actors and policy-makers, we