tbilisi international forum on counter-terrorism, geopolitics, and state security

PREVENTING / COUNTERING VIOLENT

EXTREMISM (P / CVE) IN GEORGIA

ONNIK JAMES KRIKORIAN

Tbilisi International Forum on Counter-Terrorism, Geopolitics, and State Security

International Council of Economics and Law, 11 December 2015

PLAY VIDEO: ASHRAF AL KHALED

DUISI, PANKISI GORGE, GEORGIA © ONNIK JAMES KRIKORIAN 2015

– J.M. Berger, Counter terrorism Exper t, ISIS: The State of Terror co-author

“[…] millions of people are fleeing ISIS territories, while mere

thousands have traveled to join the group. […] the Islamic State’s

ideological sympathisers make up less than 1 percent of the

world’s population, even using the most hysterically alarmist

estimates, and […] active, voluntary par ticipants in its caliphate

project cer tainly make up less than a tenth of a percent.”

SUPPORT FOR ISIL

– Quantum Communications, Interviews with 49 current and former members of extremist groups in Iraq and Syria

WHY IRAQ AND SYRIA?

– Richard Barrett CMG OBE, former Head of Counter terrorism, MI6, and co-founder of United Nations Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF)

“The consequences for society of so many people being exposed

to the violence and brutality of war and to radical extremist

groups at the forefront of the fighting are unpredictable, but

unlikely to be positive.”

RETURNING FTFs

• measures to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism;

• measures to prevent and combat terrorism;

• measures to build states’ capacity to prevent and combat terrorism […];

• measures to ensure respect for human rights for all and the rule of law

as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism.

UN CTITF FOUR PILLARS

– United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF)

– Resolution 2178, United Nations Security Council

“[…] the United Nations […] Encourages Member States to engage

relevant local communities and non-governmental actors in

developing strategies to counter the violent extremist narrative

that can incite terrorist acts, address the conditions conducive to

the spread of violent extremism, […], including by empowering

youth, families, women, religious, cultural and education

leaders, and […] civil society […].”

WHAT IS CVE?

– Humera Khan, Executive Director, Muflehun

“Countering violent extremism (CVE) is the use of non-coercive

means, to dissuade individuals or groups from mobilising towards

violence, and to mitigate recruitment, support or engagement

in ideologically motivated or justified terrorism, by non-state

actors, in fur therance of political objectives.”

WHAT IS CVE?

• BUILDING AWARENESS

• COUNTERING EXTREMIST NARRATIVES

• EMPHASISING COMMUNITY LED INTERVENTION

• RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND FAITH ENGAGEMENT

• CIVIL SOCIETY

• YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

• SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

WHAT IS CVE?

– Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Summit, U.S. White House

– Humera Khan, Executive Director, Muflehun

“Social media and online tools are crucial for our work. Our

audience are young people and the online space is part of their

life. For many youth, online and offline are seamlessly

integrated and we need to communicate with them through

all channels.”

SOCIAL MEDIA AND CVE

• POSITIVE AND ALTERNATIVE NARRATIVES

• STRATEGIC COUNTER NARRATIVES

• ETHICAL COUNTER NARRATIVES

• IDEOLOGICAL AND RELIGIOUS COUNTER NARRATIVES

• TACTICAL COUNTER NARRATIVES

• HUMOUR AND SARCASM (SATIRE)

Developing Effective Counter-Narratives In Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Hedayah Centre, September 2014

COUNTER NARRATIVES

– Rachel Briggs OBE, (formerly) Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD)

“There are no more credible messengers than those who have

been touched personally by violent extremism.”

MESSENGERS

– Submission to the Pankisi Times

“The religion of Pankisi is Islam. Muslims go to do Jihad. Nowadays,

Jihad is in Syria. Teenagers from Pankisi go to Syria to do Jihad.

They think that it is the right way. A lot of teenagers died in Syria

for Allah. They think that when they die in Jihad they will go to

heaven. They fight against Assad soldiers.”

GEORGIA

– Bennett Clifford, Wake Forest University / Georgian Foundation of Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS)

“If unchecked, tensions between Christians and Muslims,

particularly in Adjara, can contribute to the perception among

Georgian Muslims that it is impossible for them to maintain their

institutions and way of life in a Christian-dominant society.”

GEORGIA

– Bennett Clifford, Wake Forest University / Georgian Foundation of Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS)

“A lack of opportunities for formal Islamic education,

fragmented Muslim institutions, and a lack of local civil

society measures have created strong inroads for more

conservative iterations of Islam, including Salafi Islam, to create a

substantial ideological presence.”

GEORGIA

PLAY VIDEO: INTERVIEW BY RFE/RL WITH MOTHER OF GEORGIAN ISIL FIGHTER

– J.M. Berger, Counter terrorism Exper t, ISIS: The State of Terror co-author

“Would it have been better to act earlier? Sure, but it's not like

this issue is going away any time soon. Or ever.”

A FINAL WORD

CONTACTEMAIL

onewmphoto@gmail.com

WEB http://www.onnik-krikorian.com

FACEBOOK

http://www.facebook.com/onewmphoto

TWITTER http://www.twitter.com/onewmphoto