Role of civil society vital in preventing violent extremism, concludes workshop co-organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

JAHORINA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 23 October 2015 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in co-operation with the Ministry of Security of BiH, held a two-day workshop in Jahorina, on engaging civil society in countering violent extremism which concluded today.

More than 70 representatives of security, government, non-governmental, education and media sectors shared ideas, practices and information aimed at raising awareness of threats, risks and vulnerabilities that define the environment for, and the process of violent radicalization in BiH.

“By adopting a new counter-terrorism strategy highlighting prevention, Bosnia and Herzegovina made a commitment to counter violent extremism in its early stages,” said Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “With its expertise in multiple sectors and through its field presence around the country, the OSCE is making sure all communities are involved in prevention, which is often most effective at the local level. Vulnerable individuals, particularly young people, must be educated about the dangers of engaging in violent extremism.”

Vlado Azinovic, Professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Sarajevo underlined that civil society should be encouraged and be more aware of its role in identifying and preventing violent extremism cases in their communities. “We all as a society have a major role in preventing violent extremism,” he said.

Assistant Security Minister Vjekoslav Vukovic emphasized the significant role of local communities in preventing violent extremism. “We need all actors - media and religious leaders included - to get involved and assist us in successfully addressing this issue. Public trust in security institutions is of vital importance for raising awareness and ensuring co-operation with the authorities.”

This workshop also contributes to the wider social media campaign “OSCE United in Countering Violent Extremism - #UnitedCVE”, which is raising awareness on the joint efforts across the entire OSCE region at all levels aimed at preventing violent extremism.