The roots of Islamist extremism in Bangladesh can be traced back to British Colonial rule, during which the social, economic and religious differences between Hindus and Muslims were exploited and exacerbated. In the tumult that followed the partition of India in 1947, new conflicts emerged based on language, culture and economic inequalities, resulting in the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971.
In November 2021, the Strong Cities Network (SCN) organised a study tour to the Netherlands for 25 Jordanian and Lebanese policymakers, judiciaries, practitioners and national stakeholders, in partnership with the US Embassy of the Netherlands and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The tour allowed for exchange of insights and experiences with Dutch national and local professionals as part of the SCN’s preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) programme. This exchange sought to institutionalise and enhance the capacity of the municipal-led Local Prevention Networks (LPNs) in Lebanon and Jordan.
For the town of Majdal Anjar in Leabnon, 1 August will never be the same again. Where normally the country would mark Lebanese Army Day, commemorating the moment when the country formally took control of its armed forces in 1945 following independence, this year it was the day of the chess tournament. Nidal Khaled, Local Prevention Network Coordinator, writes about the transformative potential of sport in preventing violent extremism, which the town of Majdal Anjar witnessed first-hand in August.
The Strong Cities Network held a Young Cities Showcase Expo on November 11th, 2021 in Skopje, North Macedonia. This was the first time the showcase was organised as a fair across the Young Cities programme. The goal of this event was to provide a platform for the youth groups to present their projects and accomplishments to relevant stakeholders and partners.
On 27-28 October, 2021 the Strong Cities Network (SCN) and the University of Ghent hosted a workshop that brought together experts in the field of the prevention and countering of violent extremism and polarisation, including mayors, policy makers, practitioners, and academics from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States.
While the media is rightly commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks this month, in North Macedonia the year is remembered for different reasons. It marks 20 years since an insurgency of Albanian guerrillas waged war against state security forces for more than six months. It was the culmination of a decade of civil unrest and division that can be traced back to the country’s declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. In this piece from Sefer Selimi, Founder and Executive Director of Democracy Lab, and Emir Hasanovic, Coordinator on the Strong Cities Network, they describe the steps that the country has taken to address this division, and argue for the need for local ownership and participation in North Macedonia’s prevention efforts.
At the @CarterCenter for the @StateDept City Pair Program exchange between the German cities of Halle and Rostock with Atlanta and Savannah. @GermanyinUSA @GermanyDiplo @USConsLeipzig @usconshamburg @StateDeptCT @Strong_Cities @CulturalVistas @gciv
Join us for the concluding session of the South Asia Summit on Multistakeholder/Whole-of-society approaches to P/CVE! We will have presentations and discussions from @iij @ComSecCVE @PaimanTweet @dnetbd @archanakpr @PereraJehanpc @aishathalinaaz @isioloCounty011 @Saidamunicipal⬇️
South Asia Summit: Developing Effective Multistakeholder Mechanisms for P/CVE: the Role of #Cities. With presentations from:
@iijmalta @ComSecCVE @PaimanTweet @dnetbd @archanakpr @PereraJehanpc @aishathalinaaz @GulminaBilal @individualland
Registration:
https://t.co/AjFDm0bgWs
South Asia Summit: Developing Effective Multistakeholder Mechanisms for P/CVE: the Role of #Cities. With presentations from:
@iijmalta @ComSecCVE @PaimanTweet @dnetbd @archanakpr @PereraJehanpc @aishathalinaaz @GulminaBilal @individualland
Registration:
https://t.co/AjFDm0bgWs
Looking forward to the next two days, learning about the challenges and opportunities across nations in tackling extremism. @Strong_Cities
Interesting debate, on empowering youth organisations to work with government both nationally and internationally.
🎓🇧🇩 "Youth is at the heart of our programmes and in #Bangladesh, we support over 400 #youth platforms at different levels," said Marine Shahbazyan, GCERF country manager, at the @Strong_Cities #SouthAsia Summit.
#PreventExtremism
At the @CarterCenter for the @StateDept City Pair Program exchange between the German cities of Halle and Rostock with Atlanta and Savannah. @GermanyinUSA @GermanyDiplo @USConsLeipzig @usconshamburg @StateDeptCT @Strong_Cities @CulturalVistas @gciv
Join us for the concluding session of the South Asia Summit on Multistakeholder/Whole-of-society approaches to P/CVE! We will have presentations and discussions from @iij @ComSecCVE @PaimanTweet @dnetbd @archanakpr @PereraJehanpc @aishathalinaaz @isioloCounty011 @Saidamunicipal⬇️
South Asia Summit: Developing Effective Multistakeholder Mechanisms for P/CVE: the Role of #Cities. With presentations from:
@iijmalta @ComSecCVE @PaimanTweet @dnetbd @archanakpr @PereraJehanpc @aishathalinaaz @GulminaBilal @individualland
Registration:
https://t.co/AjFDm0bgWs
South Asia Summit: Developing Effective Multistakeholder Mechanisms for P/CVE: the Role of #Cities. With presentations from:
@iijmalta @ComSecCVE @PaimanTweet @dnetbd @archanakpr @PereraJehanpc @aishathalinaaz @GulminaBilal @individualland
Registration:
https://t.co/AjFDm0bgWs
Looking forward to the next two days, learning about the challenges and opportunities across nations in tackling extremism. @Strong_Cities
Interesting debate, on empowering youth organisations to work with government both nationally and internationally.
🎓🇧🇩 "Youth is at the heart of our programmes and in #Bangladesh, we support over 400 #youth platforms at different levels," said Marine Shahbazyan, GCERF country manager, at the @Strong_Cities #SouthAsia Summit.
#PreventExtremism
We partner with city officials to establish local risk assessments and design action plans and programmatic responses. From de-radicalisation programming to youth engagement strategies, we ensure that local responses address local needs.
Working from the ground up, we establish local coordination bodies that unite city halls, civil society educators, public health bodies, the private sector and faith leaders to identify and address community tensions. We base our success on harnessing existing and credible institutions, from social services to traditional civic infrastructure.
We galvanise mayors, city officials, local services, communities and youth, training them to play active roles in diagnosing and responding to local risk factors, creating an international repository of best practice approaches.
We help members access the latest research and best practice from across the network through our SCN Online Hub, which features stories, interviews, guides and training modules for teachers, city officials and civil society. Our SCN Hate and Extremism Mapper provides members with data, building digital observatories that correlate online risks with offline behaviour.
We act as a bridge, creating stronger working relationships between local and national governments. We also provide civil society with the knowledge, skills and resources to foster meaningful partnerships with officials in city halls.
Design