Responding to the Threat of Violent Extremism: Failing to Prevent

Our concern is that the Prevent focus on identifying young people viewed as vulnerable to radicalisation is taking attention away from the need to promote the prevention of extremism through educational approaches that build individual and collective youth resilience that not only just teach the principles of democratic citizenship but actually put it into practice. We feel that initiatives such as the Welsh-based Think Project show how to do this through open and robust educational conversations.

'Responding to the Threat of Violent Extremism'

However, currently such open and upfront political education work is not being prioritised by Prevent - educational practitioners are not being trained and supported to undertake such work — and the wider context of citizenship education is being downplayed in England under the Coalition. Leading academic analysts of terrorism such as Richard English have long-argued that how democratic states respond to terrorist threats is crucial — a response of repression or unjustified surveillance can represent precisely the undermining of democratic rights and processes that extremist groups hope to achieve.

From its inception, the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy has been controversial for two reasons. Firstly, the focus on Muslims only something that seems not to have changed despite the claims of the Prevent review contradicted the policy approach of community cohesion, which was emphasising commonality and more complex identities, and has led to predictable Muslim perceptions of stigmatisation. As we have argued previously , there has been precious little evidence here of actual education input for these young people — Prevent has not focused on, or encouraged, open political debate and education about the sort of domestic and international political issues that may anger some young Muslims and attract them towards more radical groups.

In the latest Prevent measures, the further pressure to ban extremist speakers in universities and colleges will remove almost all opportunity for young people to hear extremist views and to have them challenged in an open and reasoned way, as though they are so seductive that any attempt to oppose them will result in failure.

More generally, the Government seems very reluctant to allow a more open debate about a wider range of contentious issues in which young people can begin to acquire a political and religious literacy.

Responding to the Threat of Violent Extremism: Failing to Prevent: Paul Thomas: Bloomsbury Academic

Here, the success of the Think Project, a Swansea-based anti-extremism education initiative created by a local BME organisation has much to offer and that is why we support the replication of their approach in other parts of the UK. The Think Project targets local white young people seen as vulnerable to far-right racist ideologies and organisations.

But it has learnt the lessons of previous anti-racist educational work. Think does not see racist language or behaviour by young people as evidence of inherent, essential racism that must be condemned.

Extremism and 'Prevent': the need to trust in education

Their educational approach is one of open dialogue, with prejudiced views challenged but in a patient and respectful way that encourages young people to re-think assumptions through exposure to different perspectives. Above all, the Think Project trusts the power of education and shows a faith in the potential of all young people to develop resilience against extremism and hatred by enabling them to learn and to practice real, democratic debate and citizenship.

An investment in and encouragement of such anti-extremist educational processes by Prevent would show that the UK believes in and trusts its own democratic system and that it upholds a real sense of equal citizenship in the face of a terrorist threat.

Prioritising surveillance and fear over education is both stigmatising and self-defeating. Indeed, it is important that societal processes support and underpin formal education and learning.

A new pan-European study led by Miles Hewstone of Oxford University has shown that everyday learning through positive intergroup contact, develops both directly and indirectly to improve the understanding and acceptance of diversity. While also including the tackling of disadvantage, we conclude from this that we need to re-invigorate those wider schemes that were begun under the community cohesion agenda, schemes that have been increasingly reduced and marginalised.

We need to provide a counter-balance to the negative narrative which is succeeding across Europe where popular extremist and nationalist parties are growing.

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This is often reflected in the press and media too. Young people are emerging into an increasingly globalised world, but have few opportunities to acquire intercultural competences in which they are able to negotiate national, faith and cultural boundaries, with tolerance and respect, rather than retreat in fear. Contents Acknowledgements Preface Glossary Introduction: A new threat of violent extremism? The Threat of Violent Extremism Introduction: Home-grown suicide bombers Radical Islam: Ethnic Segregation, Poverty and Marginalisation?

Mosques, 'preachers of hate' and recruiters? No easy answers 2. A changed policy context Introduction: A Minority of lslamist extremists 3. The Threat of Violent Extremism Introduction: Home-grown suicide bombers Radical Islam: Ethnic Segregation, Poverty and Marginalisation?

1. Responding to the Threat of Violent Extremism - Failing to Prevent?
2. How to Advertise Your Plumbing Business on Facebook and Twitter: (How Social Media Could Help Boost Your Business)!
3. Responding to the Threat of Violent Extremism.

Mosques, 'preachers of hate' and recruiters? No easy answers 2. A changed policy context Introduction: A Minority of lslamist extremists 3. Preventing Violent Extremism Introduction: States responding to terror A lethargic response? The Revised Prevent Strategy Conclusion: Prevent - flawed and friendless?