Pull and Push Factors workshop Human Rights And Prevention of Violent Extremism 18th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights Pull and Push Factors workshop 5-7 November, 2018 (9:00 – 18:00) Dr. Theo Gavrielides Founder & Director of the IARS International Institute and the Restorative Justice for All Institute

Thank you! 26 participants from Asia and Europe Rika Iffati Farihah and Irsa Wafiatul Qisthi Dr Irfan Ahmad

Key messages Understanding the factors needs a historical and societal context Factors that can lead to violent radicalization can be: Micro - the individual Meso – the society Macro – the political Economics and the current financial situation provide context including the level of financing security measures vs PVE initiatives and the community Citizens’ expectations and relations with their governments are linked with macro factors There are shared experiences in the two continents and despite the cultural and social differences, power imbalance is the common variant Human rights can act as levers for balancing the distortion of power. However, they must be seen and applied as universal values and not as a hidden form of colonial power or as a Westernized product Acknowledge individual as well as collective trauma and how they both impact on the process of violent extremism

Key challenges The terminology of “pull and push” factors is not always helpful or clear especially in the world of practice The universality of human rights The conceptual framework of terrorism vs violent radicalization vs radicalization Nationalism and isolation Issues of accountability especially in relation to holding states into account vs individuals Using PVE as a policy to destruct from developing other policies of internal and external affairs including addressing poverty Shifting the mindset from managing people as risks to tapping into their humanity and using empathy

Recommendations The importance of giving a voice – democratic representation of minority groups (e.g. case study – election/ reserved seats) Encourage civil society to push governments and help governments understand that they cannot deal with the issue of violent extremism on their own. Formal/ informal education (e.g case study from Poland) Inform and engage funders (national/ regional) Deal with local fears and trauma at the political level Encourage media literacy, better social media regulation and influence their business model Include “state terror” in PVE. Address the root causes of hate and the attitudes that lead to violent extremism including nationalism and feelings of isolation It is important to measure progress and the impact of PVE initiatives including the ASEM

Thank You! Dr. Theo Gavrielides Founder & Director of the IARS International Institute and the Restorative Justice for All Institute @Tgavrielides | T.Gavrielides@iars.org.uk | www.theogavrielides.com