Between 24 March and 1 April 2023 I spent ten days in the Maltese city of Qawra on the international project Waging the war against violent extremism. Together with participants from eleven other countries, we spent seven days working on the prevention of violent behavior, extremism and radicalism. It was very informative and I took away not only valuable knowledge, but also many contacts and a more empathetic view of other people's behavior and how to deal with it. I am grateful to the Erasmus+ program for supporting this project, as it was a valuable piece to my experience.
On the first day, we were getting to know ourselves as well as the topic. We defined what violent extremism means to us, and what preventing and actively fighting it can look like. How it differs from radicalism and terrorism, or systematic counter-terrorism. What is the difference between the two basic factors that cause radicalism? They are divided into push and pull factors. Among push factors, we count those that push individuals into extremism, i.e. poverty or isolation. Pull factors are those that pull the individual to the extreme, for example, material unfulfillment or security of self and family, or mob communalism. We also went through our hopes, fears and opportunities for individual involvement in the project program, as well as establishing common rules of coexistence and daily schedules.
The next day we explored the signs of radicalization in its early stages and what we can do to help people who show them. These include not accepting views other than extremely strong ones, sudden changes in expression and behavior, changes in clothing and lifestyle, changing social groups or leaving school or work, separation from family and friends, isolation, sudden attraction to violence and possible bullying, and more. There are several methods of helping such individuals who finds themselves on the threshold of extreme behavior. It is necessary to begin to communicate with them and to gently practice non-verbal communication skills as a way of preventing misunderstanding and social exclusion. To help them develop critical thinking skills and some form of perseverance and resilience. And it is also possible to offer active participation in peaceful and community-oriented events that will point his or her need for community in the right direction. Subsequently, each national team presented one of the groups particularly susceptible to violent extremism of their choice (we thus learned details of the lives of the Armenian mafia, Polish religious radicals, Ukrainian internal displaced persons, Maltese immigrants, etc.).
On the third day, we focused on how our brain learns and how we can significantly influence the reception of positive information. There are three types: cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioral. Cognitive is based on the ability to think critically and understand the interconnectedness of terms and understanding the links between them. Socio-emotional is based on 'experiencing humanity', empathy and solidarity, intercultural competence. Moreover, behavioral is defined by responsibility for one's own words and actions, self-awareness, and motivation to act in acts of peace. In addition, we were interested in why we should be active in preventing and addressing violent extremism. Primarily, it is essential to prepare properly, to know the context and background of the ties of a given community and individual, and to reduce our natural fear of the unknown and controversial. We need to be clear about the purpose for which we are embarking on the activity, the learning objectives, the necessary learning materials and the necessary consent of the participants. We need to plan well the time and place of our event and conduct our discussions with respect and mutual tolerance of all participants. Afterwards, we practiced all the acquired knowledge in discussions in threes with the theme "my religion".
The next day was dedicated to detailed planning of non-violent activities to prevent and combat violent activism. In groups, we had to prepare each part of this process for the others, which we then presented. It is essential to start with effective teamwork and personal development (for example, through the Johari Window method). Then focus on the professionalization of our actions and how to achieve it. Not forgetting the local challenges in preparing such initiatives (for example, global threats, currently evolving conflicts, etc. ). Last but not least to plan everything properly (for example using the GROWTH method – goals: SMART objectives, reality: community-mapping, options: SWOT analysis, will: planning, tactics: schedule, habits: sustainability and dissemination of results).
The main theme of Wednesday's day was gender-based violence and inequality. We covered six main themes: recruitment and radicalization, promotion of extremist ideology, long-term continuation of violence, kidnapping and human trafficking, refugee crisis, post-conflict reconstruction. This is beautifully summarized in the video What works to prevent violence. From the podcasts, we then had to find out the motives of individuals from the police, representatives of NGOs, but also the state sphere in the field of social housing, for fighting these different phenomena.
The last day was focused on the creation of projects. Each group was given a target group and a budget with which to create a helpful project. Moreover, that came up with some great ideas. Supporting a school program for interfaith understanding. A halfway house for migrants. An education program for youth with criminal backgrounds. A program to develop migrants' competencies for better employment. In addition, lots of other ideas with regard to sports and leisure activities for children and adults. The afternoon was then devoted to the evaluation of the whole program and the production of four materials to engage the public in a discussion on the topic of prevention and mitigation of violent extremism (a social campaign, a series of memes, a brochure and a video).
During the program, we also had the opportunity to have a personal insight into the reality of what is happening in Malta, and to enjoy a few moments of relaxation in this beautiful place.
