Download LOCAL APPROACHES TO PREVENT AND COUNTER

LOCALAPPROACHESTOPREVENTANDCOUNTERRADICALISATION
INCITIESINFRANCE,BELGIUMANDTHENETHERLANDS
RadicalisationisontheriseinmanyEuropeansocieties,becauseoftheincreasingdiversity,insecurity
and unemployment levels strengthened by the local impact of global developments, including the
economic crisis and the continual influx of refugees. Radicalisation manifest itself in for example a
growingelectorateofradicalandpopulistpoliticalparties,anincreaseinthesupportandsympathy
for radical religious – especially Islamist – movements, a fierce public debate, arson at centres for
asylumseekers,andincreasingpolarisationinsociety.Currently,thethreatofradicalisation,violent
extremismandpolarisationisacommonconcernofnationalandlocalauthoritiesinFrance,Belgium
andtheNetherlands.Forexample,nationalauthoritiesinthesethreecountrieshavedevelopedantijihadistpoliciestopreventtheirresidentsfromjoiningISfightersinSyriaandotherjihadistconflicts,
andtodealwithreturningforeignfighters.Manyofthesepoliciesarefocusedoncounteringjihadist
extremism with repressive and legal measures. Without questioning the need of such measures,
additional preventive approaches are needed with a much broader scope, to counter and prevent
radicalisationandpolarisationinlocalsocietybystrengtheningsocialcohesion,resilience,dialogue,
participation and equal opportunities. Such policies are pre-eminently the competence of local
authorities,incollaborationwithprofessionalsandcivilsocietyorganisations,facilitatedbynational
policies.
Findingthebalancebetweenrepressiveandpreventativemeasures
Many countries and cities in Europe are confronted with comparable challenges of preventing and
countering radicalisation. In general, there is a need for a broad approach to radicalisation, which
balancespreventativeandrepressivemeasures.Thisarticlefocusesonpreventiveapproachesatlocal
level.TheresponsibleorganisationinBelgiumistheFPS,whichistheFederalPublicServiceforSocial
Integration,PovertyReduction,SocialEconomyandFederalUrbanPolicy.InFrance,thisistheGeneral
CommissionforTerritorialEquality(CGET),whichisinchargeofdesigning,elaboratingandapplying
thenationalurbanpolicyindeprivedareas.Bothservicesaresupportingministerswhoareresponsible
forurbanandsocialpolicies,withoutanycompetenceinthefieldofsecurityandcounter-terrorism.
The same applies for the Dutch Ministry of Interior and Kingdom relations, which is primarily
responsibleforurbanpolicy.Theurbanpolicieswillfocusoncitiesanddisadvantagedneighbourhoods
and groups with a view to reduce the breeding ground and support for radical movements. The
institutional settings are complex in France, Belgium and the Netherlands because of the various
competencesandissuesinvolved.
CurrentapproachinBelgium,France,TheNetherlandsandEuropeataglance
InBelgium,thefederalMinistryoftheInteriorandits“Radicalism”unit,theCoordinationUnitfor
ThreatAnalysis(OCAM),coordinateBelgium’sefforttodevelopagovernment-widestrategyto
counterandpreventradicalisationandviolentextremism.Theyoperatealongwithotherlevelsof
governance:Regions,Communitiesand,finally,localauthorities.TheFederalCoordinationUnitfor
ThreatAnalysiscoordinatesinitiativesagainstradicalism,trainsstakeholdersinthematter,andis
alsoresponsibleforthepreparation,implementationandevaluationofthefederalpolicyonsecurity
andpreventionwithregardstoradicalism.TheFPS(FederalPublicService)forSocialIntegration,
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PovertyReduction,SocialEconomyandFederalUrbanPolicy,isundertheresponsibilityofthe
ministersforSocialIntegrationandforUrbanPolicyandsecretariesofstateforthefightagainst
Poverty.ThisFPSsupportscomplementarypoliciestotacklethebreedinggroundforradicalisation
andpolarisation.Regionsandcommunities,fortheirpart,havedrawnupactionplansattheirown
governancelevels.Firstandforemost,theseplanscoverthefollowingissues:socialcohesion,youth
policy,education,fightagainstdiscrimination,etc.Amongsttheregionalandcommunitymeasures
wefindtrainingandawarenessschemesforthelocalstakeholders(associations,communities,
teachers,etc.),theintroductionofanappointedofficial(SPOC)formattersrelatingtoradicalisation,
helpdesks(orfreephonenumbers)aimedatfriendsandrelativesofthosewhomighthavebecome
radicalised,mediaeducationforyoungpeople,supportforculturalevents(e.g.thetheatreplay
“Djihad”,declaredtobeofpublicinterestandseenbythousandsofyoungpeople)orintercultural
dialogue.Theseactionsalsoaffectcounter-radicalisationpoliciesfromhigherlevelsofgovernment,
includingthefightagainstdiscrimination,citizenshipeducationcourses,andsocialworkinprisons.
Localstakeholders,whetherpublicorfromcivilsocietyorganisations,haveoftenbeenthefirst
institutionstotackletheproblemofradicalisation,asmadeclearbytheexamplesoftheimproved
servicesorplatformsdevelopedbythecitiesofVilvoorde,BrusselsandVerviers.Theiractionsare
primarilyaimedatpromotingsocialcohesionintheirneighbourhoodsbysupportingcommunity
centres,awarenesscampaignsforstreeteducatorsandsocialworkers,socio-professionalintegration
pathsadaptedtothisspecifictargetgroup(youthatriskofradicalisation),individualcontactwith
familiesorpeopledirectlyaffected,andsharingofexperiencesandgoodpractices.
InFrance,counter-terrorismactivityiscoordinatedbytheInterministerialLiaisonCommitteeagainst
Terrorism(theComitéInterministérieldeLutteAnti-Terroriste),whichconsistsoftheprimeminister
andtheministersoftheInterior,Defense,Justice,andForeignAffairs.TheMinistryoftheInterior
overseestheAnti-TerrorismCoordinationUnit(UnitédeCoordinationdelaLutteAnti-Terroriste),
whichconsistsofagenciesfromtheInteriorandDefenseministries.Preventivemeasuresaredirectly
carriedoutbyvariousministries(JusticeandInterioressentially).IntheaftermathoftheJanuary
2015terroristattacksonCharlieHebdo,Francehasquicklydevelopedanationalcounter-terrorism
program.OnJanuary28,2015,thegovernmentlaunchedanewcampaign,“Stop-Djihadisme”,to
counterthethreatofIslamicextremismatnumerouslevelsofFrenchsociety.Ithasbegunto
institutecounter-jihadismmeasurestoitseducationandprisonsystems,allocateadditional
resourcestoitscounter-terrorismagenciesetc.1InMay,awide-reachingsurveillancelawwaspassed
intendedtoimprovetheabilityofthecountry’sintelligenceservicestoidentifypotentialterrorists.A
rangeofpreventivemeasuresaredirectlycarriedoutbyvariousministries.Inaddition,the
InterdepartmentalDelinquencyPreventionCentre(ICPD)launchedamajortrainingprogramfor
variousstakeholdersinprevention.TheMinistriesoftheInterior,Justice,Education,Family,Health,
theCityandYoutharemobilisedinthistrainingandpreventionstrategy.TheFrenchMinistryofthe
CityandtheMinistryforHousing,TerritorialEquality,andRuralAreasarerelevantwithregardtothe
urbanandlocalpoliciestopreventpolarisationandradicalisationbyreducingtheirbreedingground.
UndertheauthorityofthePrimeminister,basedonaninter-ministerialapproach,theGeneral
CommissionforTerritorialEquality(CGET)isresponsiblefordesigning,elaboratingandapplyingthe
nationalurbanpolicy(Politiquedelaville)indeprivedareasthroughacontractualapproach(Contrat
deville).TheCGETintervenesinthefightagainstIslamicradicalisationontopicsrelatedtoeducation
andsocialsupportinneighbourhoodswheredistrustagainstrepublicanvaluesandsecularismis
observed.Itisalsoinvolvedinthenewpolicymeasureson“Égalitéetcitoyenneté:laRépubliqueen
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France:ExtremismandCounter-Extremism.CounterExtremismProject.
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actes”,aimingatpromotingtheadherenceattherepublic(citizenship)andsharedvalues,and
promotingequalopportunitiesforall.2Thispolicyincludesmeasurestocombatsegregation,
rehabilitationofthedisadvantagedneighbourhoods,promotingsafety,improvingeducationand
socialmixingineducation,fightingdiscriminationandpromotingcitizenshipthroughsport,culture,
languageandthevalueof“laicité”.
Inbothcountriesthecounterterrorismmeasuresandstrategieshavebeenfurtherintensifiedafter
theNovember2015ParisattackandtheeffectsoftheattacksonMarch23willbeinthesame
direction.Obviously,theseinvolvemainlysecuritymeasures.However,onecannotwinthefight
againstradicalisationandterrorismwithsecuritymeasuresonly,fortheyshouldbesupplementedby
apreventivestrategy.
IntheNetherlands,theNCTV(NationalCoordinatorforSecurityandCounterterrorism),whichis
imbeddedintheMinistryofSecurityandJustice,coordinatesthenationalpolicytocounterterrorism
andradicalisationthatisdevelopedandimplementedbyallrelevantMinistries.TheNetherlands
comprehensiveactionprogrammetocombatjihadism3ofAugust2014aimstoprotectdemocracy
andtheruleoflaw,counterandweakenthejihadistmovementintheNetherlandsandtodiminish
thebreedinggroundforradicalisation.Implementingthesenewmeasuresrequiresclosecooperation
betweenallpartnersatthelocal,nationalandinternationallevel,andbetweengovernmentandcivil
societypartners.ThemainpartnersinthenationalCounterterrorismStrategyaretheMinistryof
SecurityandJustice(underwhichtheNCTV,thePublicProsecutionService,andNationalPolicefall),
localgovernments(themayorbeingresponsibleforpublicorder)andtheMinistriesoftheInterior
andKingdomRelations(responsiblefortheGeneralIntelligenceandSecurityService),ForeignAffairs
andSocialAffairsandEmployment.Preventivepoliciesandmeasuresaremainlytheresponsibilityof
theMinistryofSocialAffairsandEmploymentincooperationwiththeNCTV.Thepolicytocounteract
radicalisationincludesmeasurestodetectradicalisation,preventtheincreaseofnewadherentsto
thejihadistmovement,enhancingresilienceagainstradicalisationandcounteringsocialtensionsthat
couldbeabreedinggroundforradicalisation.Thenationalgovernmentsupportsthelocalapproach
intheprioritisedmunicipalities.TheMinistryofSocialAffairsandEmploymenthasestablisheda
teamforthepreventionofradicalisationandsocialtensionswhichsupportsmunicipalities,
professionalsandcommunitiesincounteringradicalisationandsocialtensions:theExpertiseUniton
SocialStability.Municipalitieswithincreasedproblemsofradicalisationaresupportedbylearning
circlesonanintegratedpreventiveapproachtocounterradicalisation.Manylocalgovernments–
thatareconfrontedwithmanifestationsofradicalisation–havedevelopedorintensifiedtheir
policiestocounterradicalisationandsocialtensions.
AttheEuropeanlevel,theEuropeanCommissionsupportsMemberStatesintheireffortstoprevent
andcounterviolentextremismofalltypes.TheEuropeanRadicalisationAwarenessNetwork(RAN),
launchedbytheCommissionSeptember2011,supportsfirst-linelocalpractitionersinvolvedin
preventingradicalisationandviolentextremismacrosstheEUandfacilitatestheexchangeofbest
practices.Currently,theCommissionisintheprocessofsettingupaRANCentreofExcellence,anEU
knowledgehubforconsolidatinganddisseminatingexperiencesandcooperationonantiradicalisation.In2014,theCommissionsetouttenareasofactionforstrengtheningthecooperation
betweentheMemberStatesandtheEUtopreventalltypesofextremismthatleadstoviolence,
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See:Problemsinurbanneighbourhoodsareassociatedwith«unmalaisesocialetunecrisedesvaleurs»,see
gouvernement.fr,and:Synthèseducomitéinterministérielégaliteetcitoyenneté:RépubliqueFrançaise,PremierMinistre:
EgaliteetCitoyenneté:laRépubliqueenactes.Réunioninterministérielledu6mars2015.
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TheNetherlandscomprehensiveactionprogrammetocombatjihadism,29-08-2014
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regardlessofwhoinspiresit(‘PreventingRadicalisationtoTerrorismandViolentExtremism:
StrengtheningtheEU'sResponse’(COM(2013)941finalof15-1-2014).On28April2015,the
EuropeanCommissionsetoutTheEuropeanAgendaonSecurity(COM(2015)185final)forthe
period2015-2020tosupportthecooperationofEUMemberStatesintacklingsecuritythreats.
TacklingterrorismandpreventingradicalisationisoneofthethreeprioritiesofthisEuropeanAgenda
onSecurity,focussingonaresponsetoterrorismandforeignterroristfighters.“Education,youth
participation,interfaithandinter-culturaldialogue,aswellasemploymentandsocialinclusionhave
akeyroletoplayinpreventingradicalisationbypromotingcommonEuropeanvalues,fostering
socialinclusion,enhancingmutualunderstandingandtolerance”,accordingtotheCommission.
PolicyChallenges
Governments have developed a variety of approaches to counter violent radicalisation and
polarisationandtofostersocialcohesionandinclusion.However,therearestillmanyquestionsabout
the real essence of the problem to be tackled (what is radicalisation? What is polarisation?), the
societal and individual causes and conditions that (may) promote radicalisation, persons and
communitiesatrisk(includingthebreedingground),whichmeasuresareeffectiveforearlydetection,
preventionandcombatingradicalisation,withwhomtocollaborateandhowtosupportprofessionals
andcommunitiesatrisk,andhowtocombinemeasuresinanintegratedlocalpolicy.Nationalandlocal
preventiveapproachesincludeabroadspectrumofmeasures(seetheRANbestpracticecollection
and data base of approaches, lessons learnt and practices to prevent radicalisation). Preventive
approachesinclude:raisingawarenessoffirstlinepractitioners,strengtheningresilienceofyouthat
risk,engagementandempowermentofcommunitiesatrisk,educationofyoungpeopleoncitizenship
and tolerance, support for families vulnerable to radicalisation, delivering counter-narratives to
extremistpropaganda,andcreatingappropriateinstitutionalinfrastructuresforsupportforpeopleat
risk of radicalisation (RAN 2014). Currently the national policies focus on anti-jihadist policies.
However, preventive policies should aim at countering more general ‘causes’ of radicalisation,
includingexclusion,inequality,discrimination,segregationandrejectionofthedominantsociety.
Thechallengewouldbetodeveloplocalpoliciestodiminishthebreedinggroundforradicalisationand
supportandsympathyforradicalmovements.Thesepoliciesaretypicallyintendedtointerveneatthe
momentthatmembersofthetargetgroupsarenotradicalised(yet).Socialconditions,includingunfair
treatment,discrimination,exclusionandsegregation,incombinationwithindividualfactorsincrease
theriskofradicalisation(See:Fermin2009).Inaddition,theglobalcontextplaysarole,ascurrentlyis
thecasewiththewarinSyria.Althoughtherelationshipbetweensocialconditionsorbreedingground
andactualprocessesofradicalisationiscomplex,abroadpolicytocounterradicalisationatlocallevel
hastotacklethesesocialconditionsincombinationwithanindividualapproachfocusedonspecific
individualsandcommunitiesatrisk.
Prevention of radicalisation should also aim at a wider group of active supporters and passive
sympathisers.Terroristscanonlyperformtheiroperationsiftheyreceiveactivesupport(information,
safehouses,financialsupport,transportationandfalsepassportsetc.)andacertainlevelofpassive
sympathyandunderstandingfromawideraudience.AccordingtoStefanAust,theauthorofBaaderMeinhof:TheInsideStoryoftheR.A.F,theactivitiesoftheRAFonlystoppedwhenthesupportersand
sympathisers felt that it had been enough.4 Any terrorist activity is always part of a bigger radical
movement, for example the Islamist movement in the case of IS terrorist fighters. Thus preventive
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NRC Handelsblad 28-11-2015:“verstop jij even die tas met geld”.
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policiesshouldalsotargetthepassivesympathisersoftheIS.Thegroupofactivesupportersisamuch
smaller one. Preventive policies should aim at reducing the size of the group of sympathisers and
supporters,byforinstancebyimprovingtheopportunitiesforyoungpeople.Itisalsoimportantto
counterthehostilitytotheWesternsocietyandvalues,notonlybyteachingfundamentaldemocratic
values,butalsobyacceptingthemasfullcitizens,improvingdeprivedneighbourhoodswheremany
migrantslive,improvingtheopportunitiesforyoungsters,andacceptingIslamasaoneofthereligions
inEurope.
To develop a broad preventive approach, answers are required to questions including: How to
recogniseandinterpretradicalismandsympathyforradicalmovementsinlocalsociety?Whatarethe
driversandbreedinggroundofradicalisationandsympathyforradicalmovements?Howtocounter
these developments? How to involve and train professionals working with young people (schools,
socialservices,policeetc.)tounderstandthephenomenon?Howtoreachthevulnerableyoungsters
and how to reduce their vulnerability and increase their resilience? How to enhance their
opportunities?Howtocollaboratewithcivilsocietyorganisationsandwithlocalcommunities?How
topromotedialogue?Howtoincreasethesupportfordemocraticvalues?Experienceofindividualand
collectivedeprivation,unjusttreatmentandsecondclasscitizenshipcanleadtofrustrationandanger,
especiallyamongadolescentsandyoungadultswithathreatenedpositiveidentity.Thesecondand
third generations of migrants with an Islamic background are particularly vulnerable. Preventive
policiesareaimingatdiminishingthebreedinggroundforradicalisationandforsympathyforradical
movements by improving social relations in neighbourhoods, promoting mutual understanding,
fightingdiscrimination,andimprovingtheeducationalandlabourmarketopportunitiesofthegroups
atrisk.
InBelgium,FranceandtheNetherlandspreventivepoliciesbuildonandstrengthenpreviouspolicies
to promote social cohesion, shared values, dialogue, equal opportunities and inclusive policies.
However, there is still a lack of clarity due to the complexity and diversity of the processes and
interrelations with societal and individual conditions. Some municipalities are already well on their
wayindevelopingandimplementingpreventionpolicies,whileothermunicipalitieshavetomakea
startorareuncertainabouttherightdirection.Mutuallearningandexchangeofexperienceswillhelp
policy-makers and practitioners at various levels to get a better understanding of preventive
approachesandmeasures.TheEUKNwillbeactivetocreateplatformsandeventswherethislearning
andexchangeofexperiencescantakeplace.
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