Main area: Peace and security
Theme: Preventing violent extremism
Assessment: ODA-eligible
Provider country: EU Institutions
Recipient country: Developing countries, unspecified
Implementing agency: The project will be implemented by the Kofi Annan Foundation
Budget (USD x 1000): 3 264
Year(s): 2016-2017
Purpose code: 15220 Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution
Case number: Peace and Security / 36
Countering Extremism Through Youth Engagement
This activity is part of the EU’s Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace. The use of violence to further extreme ideological platforms – be that political, religious, nationalist or other – is not a new phenomenon. However, the rise of violent extremist groups has renewed concern amongst policy makers and practitioners on preventing and countering violent extremists and mitigating the appeal of extremism amongst communities and vulnerable groups, particularly young people.
While young people are often the target of such groups, they can also play a critical role in countering violent extremism and should therefore be placed at the centre of such efforts. Working in partnership with the Kofi Annan Foundation, this initiative will seek to empower young people by mobilising a network of individuals and organisations active in peacebuilding, counter-terrorism and youth engagement. Through the establishment of ten youth advocates this project will promote peer-to-peer engagement to inform and empower young people across the globe to counter violent extremism.
The overall objective of the project is to improve the capacity of young people to contribute to the effort to prevent and counter extremism in their communities in line with international best practice and policy.
To develop a set of easily accessible and well informed guidelines for young people on preventing and countering violent extremism and make them widely available.
Establish a group of ten youth advocates and promote interaction with other youth organisations, networks and universities.
Organise a strong digital and traditional media campaign to disseminate advocacy materials and facilitate interaction between advocates and young people worldwide.
Create a comprehensive and accessible set of guidelines for young people to counter and prevent violent extremism.
This activity is deemed ODA-eligible. It demonstrates preventing violent extremism through non-coercive, intentional and targeted use of developmental assistance approaches aiming at providing positive alternatives to those most at risk of violent extremism in partner countries and countering the narrative of violent extremism that incites support for violence which is included in ODA (see DCD/DAC(2024)40/FINAL, paragraph 139). ODA-eligible activities for preventing violent extremism must be undertaken in accordance with respect for the peaceful exercise of political, social and economic rights, including the right to non-violent forms of political expression (see DCD/DAC(2024)40/FINAL, paragraph 141).
This document was approved by the Development Assistance Committee under a written procedure on 20 October 2017 and prepared for publication by the OECD Secretariat.
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