Young people in Montenegro discuss their engagement in combating violent radicalization
How youth engagement can combat violent radicalization was the topic of a two-day workshop on 7 and 8 November 2019 in Budva. The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, together with the Ministry of Sports and Youth, organized the event.
Around 20 young people from all over Montenegro gathered to discuss combating violent radicalization, what its drivers are, and the national prevention framework.
Opening the workshop, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Maryse Daviet said that violent radicalization is complex, and a multi-faceted challenge not confined to borders. “The OSCE participating States are part of a broad coalition that supports a multi-dimensional approach, focusing on prevention of violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism. In this regard, I would like to commend Montenegro for taking a number of positive initiatives in this area and for recognizing it as a key security challenge,” said Daviet.
She said that the Mission would continue to support Montenegrin authorities and civil society as they work to address preventing violent radicalization on different levels. “Over the next weeks, the Mission will deliver training for elementary and high school teachers on the role they can play in identifying and developing strategies to prevent violent radicalization,” said Daviet.
Nenad Koprivica, Director General of the Directorate for Youth at the Ministry of Sport and Youth, said that this workshop is just one example of the synergy and joint activities for young people, implemented by the Government of Montenegro with the OSCE Mission and other stakeholders as the issue of youth is a multi-sectoral issue.
“Since its inception, the Ministry of Sport and Youth has invested more than EUR 800,000 in 150 projects of youth organizations. We are the first country in the region to open a branch office of the Regional Youth Co-operation Office (RYCO), and we have recently celebrated the first year of 'The European Youth Card (EYCA)', a project that provides young people in Montenegro with free cards for numerous discounts in the country and across the Europe. Supporting the youth is high on the priority list of the Ministry and the Government,” said Koprivica.
Dragan Pejanović, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Interior and National Co-ordinator for Combating Violent Extremism, said that Montenegro started early in recognizing this challenge. “Montenegro does not have a visible problem with violent radicalization, but we are constantly working on its prevention, and education is one of the key elements in successfully addressing violence and violent extremism that leads to radicalization,” said Pejanović.