A draft policy concept on the prevention of radicalism among youth in Tajikistan was presented this week at a Forum organised by International Alert in partnership with the Committee on Youth Affairs, Sport and Tourism of the Government of Tajikistan. Over 60 government officials, political party leaders, civil society representatives, students, religious scholars and other key experts joined in constructive discussions on policy steps to increase youth’s resilience to radical ideas.
The Committee on Youth Affairs, Sport and Tourism recognised that young people in Tajikistan sometimes rely on the use of violence to solve problems in their lives, and stressed that the Committee is willing to improve its policies on youth. Its Deputy Chairman thanked Alert for taking the initiative to facilitate the development of a policy concept on the prevention of radicalism.
The Ambassador of Germany Doris Hertrampf, speaking on behalf of the project donor, stressed the importance of a project that listens to the voices of young people and promotes tolerance and respect amongst them. She expressed the support of the Government of Germany to Alert’s work with youth in Tajikistan.
The policy concept was developed within the framework of Alert’s ‘Tajikistan Policy Dialogue Initiative on Youth and Radicalism’ project, implemented in partnership with the Committee on Youth Affairs, Sport and Tourism, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan and the local NGO ‘Youth & Society’. An expert group composed by four representatives from Government, academia, the religious institutions and civil society drafted the document. The aim of the concept is to create conditions and implement practical steps for decreasing youth radicalisation and extremist activity, promote universal values such a tolerance and social activism, and formulate and implement a programme on youth development based on the spiritual virtues of Islam, national culture and tradition.
The views of young people on the prevention of radicalism were discussed at a summer camp in Khudjand and five student roundtables recently held in Dushanbe, Khudjand, Qurghon-Teppa and Kulob. These were integrated in the draft concept. The summer camp held in July brought together 70 students from secular and religious schools and universities from across the country. ’After this camp student participants will never get involved in radical activities and all of us will promote tolerance’, said one of the students speaking at the Forum. It was refreshing to hear the candid views of students, which made the Forum lively.
One of the main messages at the Forum was that both the policies and the project need to focus on building tolerance, as this is a way to prevent radicalism. Other messages were that the root socio-economic causes of radicalisation should be addressed, and that moderate religious education and notions of traditional Islam should be promoted inside the country to avoid the import of more radical forms.
The draft concept will be reviewed by the expert working group, taking into account the feedback received from many Forum participants. The final version will be then presented to the Committee on Youth Affairs, Sport and Tourism of the Government of Tajikistan, and in 2011 Alert will be working with young people to “test” some of the measures proposed in the policy concept.
The draft policy concept was developed with the support of the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) with means of the German Federal Foreign Office. The Forum was co-funded by the European Union.