Inclusive Mechanisms Targeting Youth for Countering Violent Extremism in the IGAD Region

1. Inclusive Mechanisms Targeting Youth for Countering Violent Extremism in the IGAD Region Inception Workshop  By Sunday Angoma OKELLO (PhD) Nairobi, Kenya: 13 – 15 March 2017

2. Contents of Presentation • Brief background information • Key terms and drivers of VE • Current Attempts to Set up Policy Framework • Suggested Seven Priority Areas to Take Action • Problem statements • Objectives • Research Questions • Research Method • Outputs • Research Matrix

3. Background • 1.8 billion people living in the world today are between the ages of 10 and 24, making up just less than one quarter of the world’s population. • Africa constitutes the most youthful continent with over two-thirds of Africa’s population under the age of 35. • Youth involvement in VE is growing at an exponential rate on the continent, as elsewhere around the world; • VE incidences within IGAD, as elsewhere, have seen the active involvement of young men and women. • The IGAD region has experienced numerous acts of terrorism on top of the already volatile situations in the region.

4. Key Terms • Youth: Conceptually, there are general agreements on the definition of youth as a socially constructed concept and that a youth is an individual who goes through an interstitial phase of life from childhood to adulthood. Globally, the last two decades have seen an increased focus on youth as contributors to situations of social unrest, armed conflict and violence. These experiences of youth engaging in violence are being linked to lack of developmental issues, such as poverty, unemployment, and biological, social and political reasons. African Union Charter defines youth as those from15 to 35 years (AU, 2006: 3). This is the working definition this research adopts. The African Youth Charter outlines other key factors of young citizens’ rights and responsibilities, affirming, “youth are partners, assets and a prerequisite for sustainable development and for the peace and prosperity of Africa” (African Union, 2006:2)

5. Key Terms Extremism • The term “extremism” has two meanings. It is both descriptive and prescriptive. It is usually pejorative, though it is sometimes used in a purely descriptive sense, referring simply to a viewpoint that is inconsistent with “existing norms”, rather than implying that the extremist position constitutes a threat (to the society, government, mainstream morality, etc.). • Extremism viewed from a social spectrum perspective is any ideology considered to be far outside the mainstream attitudes of a society (norms). It is also understood as an ideology that goes against social ethos of a society and violates common moral standards. • Not all extremists are violent. Some extremists express significant dissent without necessarily being violent. Conversely, all terrorists are by definition violent extremists. But again, and contrary to some analyst’s misconception, not all violent extremists are terrorists.

6. Key Terms Violent Extremism • VE is the beliefs and actions of people who support or use violence to achieve ideological, religious or political goals. This includes terrorism and other forms of politically motivated and communal violence. • If a person or group decides that fear, terror and violence are justified to achieve ideological, political or social change, and then acts accordingly, this is violent extremism. Drivers • “Push factors” - the conditions conducive to violent extremism and the structural context from which it emerges. These include: Lack of socio-economic opportunities; marginalization and discrimination; poor governance, violations of human rights and the Rule of Law; prolonged and unresolved conflicts; and radicalization in prisons. • “Pull factors” - the individual motivations and processes, which play a key role in transforming ideas and grievances into violent extremist action. These include: Individual backgrounds and motivations; collective grievances and victimization stemming from domination, oppression, subjugation or foreign intervention; distortion and misuse of beliefs, political ideologies and ethnic and cultural differences; and leadership and social networks

7. Motivations for violent extremism • There are many different types of violent extremism. Motivations are varied and many usually relate to particular ideologies (for example, interpretations of political movements or religious beliefs), issues such as environmental or economic concerns, or ethnic or separatist causes. People can also be motivated by more than one issue.

8. Violent extremism Ideological violence • Political ideologies such as nationalist, or hate groups that advocate the use of violence. • Extreme interpretations of religious ideologies and beliefs that advocate the use of violence, promoted by groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Army of God. Issue-based violence • Violent animal liberation or environmental activism. • Anti-government, anti-globalisation or anti-capitalist movements that advocate the use of violence. Ethno-nationalist or separatist violence • Violent political or independence struggles based on race, culture or ethnicity, eg ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna), a separatist group seeking independence from Spain for the Basque people, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the United Kingdom and the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka.

9. Countering Violent Extremism • In General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/254 on the Secretary-General's Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, adopted by consensus on 12 February 2016, The UN Member States stressed that it is essential to address the threat posed by violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, and recognized that violent extremism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. • The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy of 2006 calls for a holistic and inclusive approach to counterterrorism.The Strategy re-asserts the position that an effective counterterrorism strategy must combine preventive measures with efforts to address both real and perceived grievances and underlying social, economic, and political conditions. The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (2006), United Nations, New York.

10. Countering Violent Extremism Global Framework for Preventing Violent Extremism: The UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments, General Assembly resolutions, such as the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and Security Council resolutions, such as resolution 2178 (2014; National PVE Plans of Action: Each Member State should consider developing a National PVE Plan that sets national priorities to address the local drivers of violent extremism and complements national counter-terrorism strategies where they already exist. Regional PVE Plans of Action: Regional cooperation needs to be enhanced, for instance through adopting comprehensive PVE strategies and strengthening sub-regional and regional organizations. Mobilizing Resources: Existing funds dedicated to countering terrorism and violent extremism should be adjusted to also address the drivers of violent extremism, other funding sources need to be identified—e.g. adapting existing funds to expand programming that is sensitive to preventing violent extremism.

11. Seven Priority Areas to Take Action Dialogue and Conflict Prevention: In the framework of the broader prevention efforts of the Secretary-General, recommendations include the need to engage opposing parties and regional actors, forge international consensus and engage religious leaders. Strengthening Good Governance, Human Rights and the Rule of Law: To strengthen trust between Government institutions and communities to prevent marginalization and exclusion, recommendations include providing access to justice and strengthening fair, effective, accountable and inclusive institutions, reforming national legal frameworks and penitentiary systems and fostering basic service provision in a non-discriminatory manner. Engaging Communities: For genuine community engagement, recommendations include developing participatory strategies with civil society and local communities, adopting community-oriented policing models, and developing local and family-based mentorship programmes.

12. Seven Priority Areas to Take Action • Empowering Youth: To harness the idealism, creativity and energy of young people and others who feel disenfranchised, recommendations include supporting and enhancing young people’s participation in PVE activities and integrating them into decision-making processes at local and national levels. • Gender Equality and Empowering Women: To foster women as a critical force for sustainable peace, recommendations include mainstreaming gender perspectives across efforts to prevent violent extremism and investing in research on women’s roles in violent extremism. • Education, Skill Development and Employment Facilitation: To promote respect for human diversity and prepare young people to enter the workplace, recommendations include investing in programmes that promote “global citizenship” and provide comprehensive primary through tertiary education, including technical and vocational education. • Strategic Communications, the Internet and Social Media: To communicate a vision that offers tangible change to the disillusioned and disenfranchised, recommendations include developing and implementing national communication strategies and empowering victims to turn their suffering into a constructive force.

13. The Problem Statement • How to address key drivers that enhance violent extremism, and yet those that have been tried and suggested are likely to achieve limited- if not counterproductive, results. There have been trends of increased counter-violence based on the hard approach in CVE. • The marginalization of communities and the vulnerable segments such communities have become more susceptible to the attractions of violent ideologies. • However, there seems to be a general lack of awareness of best practices in CVE among the growing number of stakeholders, government and non-governmental alike; including how existing strategies targeting vulnerable populations might give sustained considerations to contextual issues linked to poverty reduction, governance, human rights, and livelihoods challenges.

14. Research Objectives Major Research Objective This study seeks to inform policy debates and practices in CVE interventions within the IGAD region in order to engage and empower youth, both male and female. Specific Objectives • To identify and analyse the factors that predispose youth, (male and female) to engage in Violent Extremism in Uganda and Kenya. • To identify avenues and strategies for creating as well as deepening interventions to engage and empower youth in CVE interventions in Kenya and Uganda. • To analyse existing/emerging policies and practices related to CVE with the view to ensuring that they lead to the creation of safe spaces and sustainable opportunities for youth participation in CVE.

15. Research Questions The main research question focuses on how the research evidence informs policy debates and practices in CVE interventions that can engage and empower youth, both male and female? Specific Research Questions • What are the driving factors that incentivise youth (male and female) to engage in VE in Uganda and Kenya? • What are the mechanisms, infrastructure and resources available for engaging and empowering youth in CVE interventions in Kenya and Uganda? • How can policies and practices related to CVE enhance the creation of space for male and female youth to participate?

16. Research Method • A longitudinal survey design that combines quantitative and qualitative approaches, so as to provide in-depth data, and to generate practical findings to influence policy change, through lessons learnt during the three years of this project intervention. • The process will benchmark with international best practices obtained from the literature on CVE and Youth ; • The second measure is to provide consistent device for making distinction and gauge differences. • The third measurement is the correlation analysis (provision of precise estimate of the degree of relationship between CVE concepts and inequality in youth). The approach – a bottom-up Tools Questionnaires Interview guide FGDs

17. Units of analysis • Kenya • Mombasa County • Lamu County • Garissa County (initially we thought of Madeira) • Kisumu We link up with another cohort team from University of Dar-e Salam who have chosen to visit: Isiolo UasinGishu • Uganda • Arua • Gulu and Kitgum • Kasese • Mbale

18. Research Procedures Year One: • Development of research instruments (Supplies for the research) • Inception Workshop • Research Team Training Expenses • Research Methodology Training of institutional partners (OSSREA, PeaceNet and IGAD) • Baseline Field Study • Communication Tools • Research Uptake, Communication and Knowledge Management Year Two: • Training Manual Development • Manual Editing, Reviewing and Printing • Training of Trainers for Policy Makers, CSOs and Academia • National Dissemination Policy Workshop • Research Uptake, Communication and Knowledge Management • Mid Term Evaluation

19. Research Procedures Year Three: • Learning Alliance Workshop on Inclusive CVE Interventions for Group One (CSOs, FBO, Training Centers, Security Actors) • Learning Alliance Workshop on Inclusive CVE Interventions for the Group 2 (Youth Organisations, Government Organisations and Marginilised Youth Representatives) • Regional Policy Dialogue Conference • Research Uptake, Communication and Knowledge Management • Endline Research Report Specific Output • The structure, roles and responsibilities of partner organisations in this research are clearly articulated and understood. This is about meeting and matching expectations; • Review of research objectives and the methodology; • Review of time lines (agreeing on our calendar events) to put activities together with its output; • A communication plan is drawn at all levels of research • Clear understanding of OSSREA financial rules and procedures; • Refining the Monitoring and evaluation (M & E) of the project cycle; • Reviewed and refine the knowledge management and research uptake of the project;

23. Partner Organisations • OSSREA • PeaceNet • IGAD-CEWARN

24. Thank you ?

25. Additional working definitions • Distinguishing terrorism and extremism • The literature review should cover this