Islamabad: Conference on Countering Violent Extremism, organized by Community Resilience Activity – North (CRA-North) in collaboration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Center of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism (CoECVE) and Paigham-e-Pakistan, concluded at a local hotel in Islamabad.
Over three days, from 6 March to 8 March 2024, the event passionately addressed the essential role of partnerships between government agencies, civil society organizations and international stakeholders in creating sustainable strategies to counter violent extremism.
The conference provided a platform for engaging discussions and insightful sessions that brought together various stakeholders, including government officials, law enforcement agencies (LEAs), CVE experts, academic researchers and other stakeholders, who came together to chart a course toward effective counter-extremism.
With a focus on fostering collaboration and seeking support from government institutions, the event highlighted strategies for future programming under the mandate of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP).
Of note were sessions that delved into harnessing the power of mass and social media platforms to spread stories related to countering violent extremism and engaging educational institutions as key agents in cultivating a resilient society against violent extremism.
Participants argued for the indispensable role of educational institutions in inculcating counter-extremism narratives among the younger generation. Stakeholders recognized the pivotal influence of the educational environment and emphasized the importance of embedding the CVE message in academic curricula and developing critical thinking skills among students to inoculate them against extremist ideologies.
Highlights of the conference included comprehensive discussions on community resilience, capacity building initiatives and the role of education and youth engagement in countering violent extremism.
The session delved into the importance of partnerships between government agencies, civil society organizations, and international stakeholders in developing sustainable CVE strategies by engaging through mass media and social media platforms and spreading the message through educational institutions.
Dr. Ayaz Khan, Chief Coordination/Executive Director, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism (CoECVE), emphasized the importance of joint efforts between CRA-North and CoECVE in countering violent extremism in the merged areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially in North Waziristan, Khyber, Kurram and Orakzai districts. He reiterated CoECVE’s commitment to not only counter violent extremism but also prevent it.
Dr. Qibla Ayaz, Chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology, expressed his appreciation for the active participation and valuable contributions of all participants. He emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing the complex challenges posed by violent extremism and reaffirmed the commitment of CRA-North and its partners to continue working together in this critical effort.
The Community Resilience Activity – North (CRA-North) aims to strengthen community-level resilience and prevent conflict in the newly merged districts (NMDs) of Khyber, Kurram, North Waziristan and Orakzai in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Implemented in close collaboration with the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP) at the regional and district levels, CRA-N seeks to promote civic engagement, strengthen social cohesion and provide assistance to former Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDP) communities. It focuses in particular on communities with social, ethnic, or religious identities that have been exploited by Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs).
