What if it was you being punished for your beliefs?
On October 16th, I attended a conference on The Connections between Development and Counter-Terrorism by Mark Singleton, director of the International Centre for Counter-terrorism, organized by the Society for International Development & the Humanity House.
Mr. Singleton began by explaining how violence has been changing due to factors such as social media, now we can see in real-time what is happening in Syria and Iraq which was never before seen. He then continued explaining how counter-terrorism is often seen as quick wins, armed coercion, and the imposition of security by a foreign hand which makes long term achievement or preventive measures a difficult task.
Acknowledging that even with all the intelligence, technology, and having full knowledge of the communications of terrorist groups it is hard to know who is being taken down and even if they take someone down how many more arise and unite to the cause at the funeral of that person.
This is why the connection arises between development and counter-terrorism and how the focus should be more preventive by identifying and addressing the symptoms ahead of time. According to USAID 2011 “many of the drivers of violent extremism and insurgency are development changes. Indeed factors such as socioeconomic inequalities, repression, corruption, and poor governance often create an enabling environment for radicalization extremism.”
In order to not just aim for the short-term security interventions to communities vulnerable to radicalization USAID also recommends “policies to foster economic development, improve education, nurture inter-religious dialogue, train young police leaders, and facilitate inclusive political dialogue.” Even though it may be perceived as wishful thinking, great development could be achieved by the international community by the simple awareness of these facts and the willingness to aim for longer-term goals.
Under a humanitarian perspective, these atrocities should not be tolerated nor permitted by the international community, we do not want to go through the genocide in Rwanda or the former Yugoslavia all over again with hands crossed. No matter how we see it, intervening is always a delicate and expensive matter for countries that aim to aid both in human and economic resources.
Although it is up to the world leaders to make the decisions and take action, we can ponder upon the recent occurrences and try to understand the true nature of the happenings, like how is it that people become extremists and radicals losing all respect and tolerance. Contrary to the common belief, generally terrorist groups are led by the middle class, educated or even highly educated people, the poor people are too busy surviving while the rich ones are fairly satisfied with the situation.
This is where addressing the symptoms becomes essential but in this case, we have to learn from the mistakes again and avoid further escalation of mass murder. Part of what makes the world an amazing place is the diversity of cultures and beliefs but beliefs should never be coerced, every person should have their freedom of religion, speech, and association protected and have the security that they will not be punished or will be having their human rights or life withdrawn. As privileged people living in countries where we can enjoy our rights freely, it is our duty to protect and stand up for these rights, we can’t be indifferent. What if it were you being punished for your beliefs?
For more information:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144
http://sidnl.org/16-october-counter-terrorism-and-development-mark-singleton/
