YOUTH EXCHANGE YOUTH VS RADICALIZATION
YOUth vs Radicalization was a youth exchange program created from young people for young people with the main idea to engage young people in discovering about the phenomena of youth radicalization and most of all to encourage us all to act upon preventing this and spreading awareness on the topic among other youth. As a result of the amazing, fruitful and full of learning week we all spent in Bulgaria we have decided to create this Toolkit with some useful information on what Youth radicalization is and how we young people can be active part in preventing and combating it. Love from Bulgaria, Italy, Spain and the UK!
Dear Reder, Welcome to the Booklet of the youth exchange YOUth vs Radicalization that happened in Bulgaria and gathered youth from Bulgaria, Italy, Spain and the UK.
diverse range of ethnic, national, political and religious groups. As a person radicalises they may begin to seek to change significantly the nature of society and government. However, if someone decides that using fear, terror or violence is justified to achieve ideological, political or social change –this is violent extremism. Exactly what influences individuals to go down a path of using or supporting violence to seek change can be difficult to determine, but there can be a number of factors. The radicalisation process is unique to each person who undergoes it, and in most cases will not cause serious harm. In exceptional circumstances, however, the decisions made by a person radicalising can result in a serious and lethal act of violent extremism. Those who radicalise and display threatening behaviour, incite hatred or promote the use of violence for their cause require some form of intervention. This may come from family, religious or community leaders or law enforcement. Y outh radicalisation and the associated use of violence have become a growing issue of concern in Europe and its neighbouring regions. There has been a notable increase in hate speech, incidence of hate crimes and attacks on migrants and refugees, propaganda and violent xenophobia, as well as a rise in religious and political extremism and in terrorist attacks in Europe and its neighbouring regions. All of these emerging concerns have highlighted the need to work with young people in order to identify and address the root causes of extremism and prevent their radicalisation, as well as strengthen young people’s resilience, prevent marginalisation, promote equality, emphasise alternatives and reinforce the cohesion of communities in which they live.
Radicalisation happens when a person’s thinking and behaviour become significantly different from how most of the members of their society and community view social issues and participate politically. Only small numbers of people radicalise and they can be from a
What is Radicalization?
As a process, radicalisation leading to violence would imply: ► the adoption of an ideology whose rationale becomes a way of life and a framework meaningfulforaction for the individual ► the belief in the use of violent means to promote a cause ► the merging of ideology and violent action.
There are also different trajectories or steps young people go through in their radicalisation process. This research uses the Moghaddam model of six steps to explain the process of radicalisation: ► ground floor: psychological interpretation of the material and social conditions ► first floor: options envisaged against the unfair treatment ► second floor: aggression ► third floor: moral commitment ► fourth floor: categorical thinking and legitimacy of the violent group or organisation – recruitment ► fifth floor: the violent act and the mechanisms of inhibition.
Steps to Youth Radicalization /Staircase Model/
The staircase model is a psychological explanation as to why out of large numbers of disgruntled people in society, only a very small minority end up committing acts of terrorism. It was proposed in 2005 by Fathali M. Moghaddam in his paper "The Staircase to Terrorism". The model involves a metaphorical staircase, where each step is influenced by a specific psychological process. It is proposed that the higher an individual moves up the staircase, the fewer alternatives to violence they will see, ultimately resulting in the destruction of themselves, others, or both.
The ground floor is inhabited by all members of society. All members of society evaluate their living conditions in terms of fairness. People will remain on the ground floor as long as they consider their living conditions to be fair. Those who perceive injustice move onto the first floor.
First floor
People who find options to improve their individual situation and influence decision-makers leave the staircase at this floor in order to pursue non-violent paths. People who are unsatisfied with their available options move onto the second floor.
Fourth floor
Fifth floor
On the first floor, people consider their options for improving their situation.
It is here that the violent act is carried out. In order to be as effective as possible, any inhibition about killing innocent people must be overcome. This is done via two means. Categorisation stresses the differentiation between ingroup and out group, and distancing exaggerates the differences between the ingroup and the perceived enemy
It is here that feelings of both anger and frustration over not being able to improve the situation instigate a search for a target to blame. This target can either be a direct opponent, such as a government, or a third party to whom aggression is displaced, such as an ethnic or religious group. People who are persuaded that they have an enemy toward whom they can direct their aggression, will proceed to the third floor.
It is here that thinking such as 'us' versus 'them' is promoted. Recruits are isolated from friends and family, strict secrecy is imposed and the legitimacy of the organisation is emphasised. People who reach this floor will rarely withdraw and exit the staircase alive. They will move onto the fifth floor if an opportunity to do so presents.
Ground floor
Third floor
People who arrive here have already developed a readiness towards violence. These feelings can be capitalised on by a violent organisation that is offering a sense of 'moral engagement' to potential recruits. Within these organisations violent actions against a perceived enemy are regarded as acceptable or even as one's duty. Potential recruits are offered a new social identity as members of a selective ingroup who aim to bring justice to the world. People who find this offer appealing will move on to the fourth floor.
Second floor
1- Terrorists and radicalised groups resemble an iceberg. Only a small minority of radicals use strategic violence to attract media attention. The majority of extremists are not visible and use non-violent methods, which are more effective in achieving their stated goals. Below the water level, there is a support base which occasionally agrees with the actions of the most committed militants and an even larger “silent minority” with a distaste for targeting non-combatants.
CONCLUSIONS
The four visualisations presented above are suggestive of what the process of radicalisation might look like. From the simpler to the more comprehensive, the incremental complexity of these figures indicates seven lessons to be taken into account when detecting and countering radicalisation towards violent extremism.
Counter-terrorism must target the visible part of the iceberg, whereas counterradicalisation needs to aim at the underwater section of the iceberg, which is much larger. Not the other way around.
4- Self-radicalisation is rare. Even autonomous self-starters who radicalise on the internet need social interaction with a long-distance recruiter. Evidence points to the importance of neighbours, cliques of friends, and relatives in explaining indoctrination. The progressive intensification of radical beliefs is still bound by
3- Radicalisation and mental pathologies do not go hand in hand. Terrorist organisations tend to recruit disciplined individuals who can follow orders and do as they are told. The unpredictable, the unstable and the traumatised are weeded out. As suggested by the “staircase model”, an individual will progress into a terrorist group in a slow and gradual manner, with would-be terrorists given smaller tests before being trusted in more important missions, and with many non-violent tasks before being asked to use guns or explosives. The most common characteristic of terrorists is their normality.
2- Individuals are drawn into a clandestine life by their devotion to a cause. Living underground can be a grim experience and not everyone is equally motivated in finding a rationalisation for violence. Terrorists go through a “catalyst event” and risk their life to further a greater cause, which may be political, religious, social, etc. Thus, the most effective counter-recruitment policy is to deploy a targeted counter-terrorist policy that increases the costs of joining a terrorist group while providing channels for dealing with the “issues” raised by its sympathisers.
7- An effective counter-narrative that can prevent support for intergroup conflict needs societal introspection and the fine-tuning of state policies. Western publics should demand the highest standards on both domestic and foreign policy to leave terrorist sympathisers with no arguments. Advanced democracies with high ethical standards are more resilient and better prepared to resist the challenge of violent extremism, either from inside or outside. However, introspection and self-criticism should not result in self-doubt or inaction against global jihadism. Instruments of counter-radicalisation need to be deployed on those who sympathise with extremism whereas the full force of counter-terrorism needs to fall on those who want to destroy political authority with illegitimate violence.
6- Indiscriminate murder might be too complex a subject to synthesise in a single model. In fact, the causes of radicalisation are as diverse as they are abundant and there is no single theory that can integrate all the triggers of radicalisation. Factors contributing to violent radicalisation processes can be: familial, social, gender-based, socioeconomic, psychological, religious, ideological, historical, cultural, political, propaganda, social media or internetbased. The events and conditions leading a person from radical ideas to violent action are also numerous, and the mechanisms are so complex that they need to be broken down to be understood. Hence, there is a clear need to incorporate a multi-level understanding of radicalisation that covers individuals, groups and the mass public and tries to specify the interactions between them.
5- Radicalisation is a multi-level process, as suggested by the pyramid model. Individuals are at the centre of this socialisation process but what goes in the sociopolitical environment and surrounding organisations also matters. A comprehensive strategy to counter radicalisation needs to take into account the individual, organisational and societal level. Given the multiplicity of causes at play, it is not possible to identify a single causal mechanism or “terrorist mindset”.
territory and is very context dependent. Furthermore, radicalisation with likeminded people rarely occurs in the virtual space and more often takes place in cities and neighbourhoods which act as fertile grounds in which to harden ideological positions.
Tools and Resources to help you raise awareness and tackle Youth radicalization We as young people can be part of preventing youth radicalization, actively engaging in social campaigns and grassroots activites. Most of all we can engage in fighting issues such as discrimination, hate speech and social exclusion as some of the main reasons leading to youth radicalization and violent extremism. Remember-for creating a change you do not have to organize event with 100 000 people or do something huge-every change starts with a little step! Here we have gathered some resources to help you be socially engaged yourself as well as ways to engage and inspire others!
FARE NETWORK Fare network is an umbrella organisation that brings together individuals, informal groups and organisations driven to combat inequality trough football and use the sport as a means for social change. * Fare works to advance social inclusion of marginalised and disenfranchised groups and to engage policy makers, key players and governing bodies in the anti discrimination movement *It provides small financial support for activities on local level combating discrimination, xenophobia, inequality and hate speech. Football People Action weeks worldwide campagin/more than 70 countries/ with the aim to reduce discrimination. Being organized every October provide an excellent opportunity for community engagement and development Supporters, players, clubs, ethnic minorities, LGBT groups, activists and NGOs can get support for their activities http://farenet org/campaigns/footballpeople action weeks/ HUMAN LIBRARY A WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT FOR SOCIAL CHANGE Started in 2000 in Denmark by youth group and grew into international movement The Human Library is designed to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue You “read” people not book you can get to know the real stories behind certain minorities refugess, migrants, LGBT, disabled people,etc. It help braking stereotypes and prejudice. http://humanlibrary.org/ Compass-Manual for human rights education ·https://www coe int/en/web/compass to support the work of facilitators of human rights education with young people. ·Available in more than 30 languages ·Aim at empowerment of young people as responsible citizens, educators and advocates for human rights. ·Will help you organize various workshops and activities with other young people to promote human rights
Youth Civil Activism Network (YouthCAN) Youth Civil Activism Network (YouthCAN) ISD’s Youth Civil Activism Network is the leading global counter-extremism network. The YouthCAN community unites over 1,300 young activists, creatives, and tech entrepreneurs in 130 countries to amplify the efforts in countering extremism worldwide. More than that, YouthCAN is designed to upscale and optimise youth-led grassroots counter-extremism efforts internationally. The network enables a global exchange of practices and know-how to foster collaboration and co-creation between its members. The network engages young people and provides them with the tools they need to create effective content aimed at challenging hate speech and extremism. The team works directly with youth activists, facilitating Youth Innovation Labs that provide them with the resources and expertise to develop and deliver counter-speech campaigns for preventing and countering extremism in their communities.
Be Internet Citizens
While social media plays a vital role in the everyday lives of young people as citizens, education systems across the developed countries are reacting slowly. Extremist groups rely on false promises of status and purpose, manipulation, conspiracy and divisive rhetoric to exploit young people online. Against these methods, critical thinking skills and media literacy, social and emotional skills and meaningful digital citizenship capacities are a strong defence. Today’s young people may be digital natives, but they still need to be taught how to stay safe, make their voices heard and play a positive role as citizens in the online space. Consequently, the main aim of the programme „Be Internet Citizens“ seeks to meet these needs of the young people. A partnership between Google, YouTube Creators for Change and ISD, the project was designed to teach 13 to 15-yearolds about media literacy, critical thinking and digital citizenship, encouraging young people to be positive voices online while increasing their resilience to hate and extremism. Using an implicit approach to counter-extremism which focuses on popular culture and social issues, the project delivers positive secondary effects, helping participants become more informed citizens, critical consumers and empowered producers of content.
Radical Middle Way Radical Middle Way (RMW) is a non-profit Community Interest Company which aims to allow young Muslims – in the UK and around the world – to connect with their faith and explore what it means to believe in the 21st century. Founded in the wake of the 7/7 attacks on the London underground, RMW aims to promote a mainstream, moderate understanding of Islam to which young people can relate. By working alongside grassroots partners, RMW creates platforms for open debate, critical thinking and deep spiritual reflection. RMW aims to give its audiences the tools to combat exclusion and violence and encourage positive civic action
What our participants think about the project?
During the project I was able to explore the situations in different countries and across Europe, to find similarities and differences between them as well as the cultures Moreover, I have never before though I personally can contribute to such huge social issues as youth radicalization but now I feel more competent and empowered to stand up for human rights and raise awareness among my peers about preventing radicalization and violent extremism Miquel, Spain
This exchange in Bulgaria was like an eye opening experience for me I have not participated in such project before and honestly I did not expect to learn that much I was able first of all to break some stereotypes myself I had about other countries and cultures during the project the whole group was like a family I felt for the first time a European, not only Italian! Gennaro, Italy
This project gave me skills, knowledge and most of all inspiration! I was able to discover Erasmus+ opportunities as a way to engage youth in community development thus now I would really like to go on more projects but also develop my own ideas in my country Kalina, Bulgaria That was my first Erasmus+ experience and I could not have been more satisfied and happier first of all because of all the learning skills, knowledge, information and awareness I got during the exchange, but also because of the amazing people I was able to meet and I can all friends now. Lucy, UK