Preventing and containing violent extremism requires strengthened social systems

Mr. Evans Degboe, Executive Director, of Citizens Care has revealed that extremists capitalise on the loopholes in a country’s social systems and subsequently exploit them to cause havoc.

He said some of the loopholes could be existing issues of violence and conflicts that the extremists identify and then began to indoctrinate people.

Mr. Degboe speaking during a tertiary-level institutions engagement on Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) at the Jasikan College of Education said disagreements or misunderstandings that arose within the systems such as families, communities, and religions must be resolved amicably.

He said mostly, conflicts arose out of the various sentiments harboured against particular individuals or groups and if not controlled, extremists could take advantage and execute their activities.

Mr. Degboe said social cohesion was essential in strengthening the systems since it was a mechanism for ensuring peace and harmonious coexistence in a society and between individuals.

He noted that through social cohesion, there would be more close relations between the systems which could help expose extremists’ activities in the country.

Mr. Degboe said in ensuring social cohesion, it was important to understand stereotypes, prejudices, and causes of conflicts and how they emerged.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Charles Dormaban, the Oti Regional Police Commander, noted that violent extremism undermined peace, human rights, and development.

He noted the operations of extremists began with information gathering, testing the effectiveness of the state of security, and then recruitment of new members.

DCOP Dormaban noted that extremists have enough money to fund their activities including acquiring weapons and urged the participants to report suspicious and strange people.

He noted that engaging in dialogue in conflict resolution between aggrieved parties was important in preventing extremist activities.

Mr. Robert Boame, Oti Regional Director of NCCE, said the sensitisation was to help participants gain knowledge on the phenomenon of violent extremism that was global and a threat to human survival.

He said issues of terrorism and violent extremism were no longer issues that were being discussed from afar but occurring in neighbouring countries.

Mr. Boame said there was the need for coexistence among citizens for a developed nation, adding that preventing terrorism and violent extremism was now a shared responsibility and students could not be left out in the process.

Nana Opoku Krampah V, Asafohene of Okagyakrom, commended the Commission for such an educative exercise and called for its extension to others within the Municipality to benefit from.

He urged the participants to educate and sensitise the students they would teach on the need of preventing and containing violent extremism.

The event was organised by the National Commission for Civic Education with funding from the European Union.

Source: GNA