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Description
The organization has pointed out that the undergrowth for the support of extremism is relatively large in Slovakia, especially among young people. In 2016, the extremist party entered the parliament with a gain of 8.04% of votes. Among the first-time voters, this party gained up to 22%, which for the first time drew more attention to the topic of young people''s inclination towards extremist ideas and movements. The state''s current approach to suppressing radicalization and extremism (even among young people) is more focused on repression. There is no systematic prevention or effective work with young people who show signs of radicalization. The project promoter´s research experience from Norway shows that it is very important to apply a local approach in prevention and intervention, involving a wide network of relevant actors. The local police also play an important role here, working not repressively but in partnership, on the basis of community policing. This project will contribute to strengthening social cohesion, trust and preventing the radicalization of young people at the local level through the preventive activities of a network of actors highlighting the role of the police force. It will create a mechanism for the prevention of radicalization of young people that can be used at the local level throughout Slovakia. The mechanism will be designed in close cooperation between the police force, local authorities, NGOs and young people''s representatives (through a working group and consultation workshops). The basic pillars of the project will be research (quantitative and qualitative) of the perception of this topic and the role of the police in it among young people and participatory methods (working group, consultation workshops, advocacy activities), which will involve more than 200 young people in creating a mechanism to prevent radicalization at the local level.
Summary of project results
The project responded to the long-standing underbelly for the spread of radicalization and extremism among young people. It has already been shown in previous researches that it is young people who are often the target and goal of various extremist movements, and it is the first-time voters who most often vote for right-wing extremist parties in elections. At the same time, the period of the COVID 19 pandemic meant a lack of social contacts, support in their immediate surroundings from family or institutions, which contributed to the increase in uncertainty, isolation and vulnerability of young people. These facts can lead to leaning towards extremist movements and radicalization of young people. The goal of the project was to create a Radicalization Prevention Mechanism that will be useful for local governments, but also for other actors working in this area.
In the first step, the project implementers carried out a series of quantitative and qualitative research, the aim of which was to identify and describe in more detail the reasons for the radicalization of young people. In the next phase, they held meetings of the working group, at which, as part of interactive activities, they gradually worked on topics that were the content of the Radicalization Prevention Mechanism. In the third phase, the Prevention Mechanism itself was being prepared. After the creation of the mechanism, a series of advocacy activities were carried out, the aim of which was to present the mechanism to all relevant actors.
In its research part, the project brought two complex analyzes - Young people and extremism and Prevention of radicalization from the point of view of institutions. The result of the work of the working group was the handbook Mechanism for the Prevention of Radicalization and subsequently a series of advocacy activities. The main contribution of the project is in the participatory involvement of relevant institutions and young people, and based on the data and the subsequent preparation of an effective manual, which will serve various actors to create quality preventive programs focused on the topic of radicalization. This also means benefits for target groups - young people, municipalities, police, state institutions, schools, NGOs, etc.