In mid-May 2009, twelve Austrian students from a variety of backgrounds brainstormed for ten hours on today's terrorist threat to Europe and how to best counter it. They were taking part in a workshop led by Raphael Perl, Head of the OSCE Action against Terrorism Unit (ATU), on how to draft a national counter-terrorism strategy for Austria.

The workshop was part of the 2009 Win2 Conference on the Future organized by the Austrian University Management Club (UNIMC) from 15-17 May 2009 in Waidhofen an der Ybbs.

As David Lansky, one of the organizers, explained, "Terrorism was chosen as one of the subjects for the conference because it is a persistent and complex challenge that young people want to better understand, beyond what is reported by the media."

"Reaching out to students on terrorism is crucial, because among them you have tomorrow's leaders and decision-makers. The ATU often gives lectures to students, but this workshop is an interactive way to engage with them that I much prefer," says Perl.

Grasping a complex phenomenon

The workshop provided the students with a unique opportunity to benefit from OSCE expertise in order to grasp the complexity of the terrorist threat confronting our present-day societies.

"It is clear that terrorism cannot be identified with any particular social, ethnic or religious group," underlines Matthias Eder, a graduate from the Vienna Diplomatic Academy and participant in the workshop. "There are anarchist terrorists, right-wing terrorists, terrorists motivated by perverse religious interpretations, but the point is: terrorism is simply unacceptable. And it must be combated no matter what its manifestations and goals may be."

"I think we all realized that it takes people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise to better understand and combat terrorism in the long run," adds Lansky, "especially when it comes to the so-called factors conducive to terrorism, like the spread of violent extremism and the dehumanization of victims of terrorism."

For Angela Bitto, a graduate in econometrics, another important conclusion is that societies and governments should not overreact in the face of terrorism. "We should avoid reactions that play into the hands of terrorists. We cannot afford disproportionate restrictions on civil liberties, social polarization, or cost-ineffective security measures. It's all about striking the right balance."

Strategic thinking

The discussions throughout the workshop were not an end in itself, but provided the students with the food-for-thought necessary to draft a counter-terrorism strategy for Austria. "I wanted the students to use their analytical skills and think out of the box, from different perspectives, including from a possible terrorist standpoint," says Perl.

"We came up with a strategy that deals comprehensively with terrorism as a process with multiple facilitators in today's interconnected world," explains Lansky, "looking at how to counter radicalization and terrorist recruitment, how to disrupt terrorist operational planning, and how to manage the consequences of a terrorist attack."

"To counter terrorism, there are two clear prerequisites," adds Andrea Schwinner, a student in law and anthropology. "We should uphold human rights and the rule of law, and we have to increase co-operation both among countries and between the public and private sectors. With this workshop, we learned how the OSCE makes key contributions in both these areas."

Public-private partnerships

Protecting citizens from terrorist attacks is more than any State can tackle single-handedly. Over the past years, the OSCE has been actively promoting the development of public-private partnerships (PPP) between state authorities and the rest of society in countering terrorism.

"Security is a shared responsibility," says Perl. "The contributions of all are necessary to make our societies resilient. Civil society organizations, the media and religious institutions can all help promote tolerance and non-violence and foster solidarity with victims of terror. The business community is a key partner in protecting critical infrastructures and disrupting terrorist financing."

This year, the OSCE is organizing national PPP conferences, as well as specialized PPP workshops on co-operation with the media, preventing the abuse of non-profit organizations for terrorist financing and protecting critical energy infrastructures from terrorist attacks.