OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sebastian Kurz attends roundtable discussion on youth role in countering violent extremism in Skopje

SKOPJE, 13 February 2017 - OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Austria’s Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje Ambassador Nina Suomalainen and the Mission’s informal Youth Advisory Group exchanged views on youth perspectives in countering terrorist radicalization and violent extremism in a roundtable discussion hosted yesterday in Skopje.

“Alongside my daily exchanges with politicians, officials and experts, I greatly appreciate such opportunities to look at things from a different perspective. Discussing today’s challenges with tomorrow’s decision-makers is particularly enriching for me. We must listen to youth, empower them and make them part of the solution,” said Kurz.

During the event, entitled “#NO2Radicalization: Youth against Violent Extremism”, members of local youth councils from Bitola and Kichevo and civil society organizations reviewed efforts to identify and address conditions conducive to radicalization and violent extremism leading to terrorism. They also discussed innovative approaches to dealing with this challenge.

Foreign Minister Poposki said that education is the key factor in the fight against violent extremism: “Cross-border co-operation among institutions is visibly lagging behind recruiters’ networks.”

Suomalainen emphasized the value of youth engagement, particularly at local level: “I believe that grassroots movements can strengthen the resilience of societies confronted with these phenomena. We should listen to and engage with the youth, if we are to succeed.”

Kurz commended the OSCE Mission to Skopje for using its valuable and committed presence as well as long-standing co-operation with all communities as a resource for countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism through youth engagement.

The roundtable discussion is part of the Mission’s activities to engage youth and civil society organizations in countering violent extremism. The contributions of the young leaders and representatives of civil society organizations and think tanks – Analytica, Center for Intercultural Dialogue, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and Democracy Lab – provided a useful basis for further work in this field.