AA16CR13ADD1

AS (2016) CR 13
Addendum 1

2016 ORDINARY SESSION

________________________

(Second part)

REPORT

Thirteenth sitting

Tuesday 19 April 2016 at 3.30 p.m.

Joint debate:

Preventing the radicalisation of children by fighting the root causes
Towards a framework of competences for democratic citizenship

The following texts were submitted for inclusion in the official report by members who were present in the Chamber but were prevented by lack of time from delivering them.

Mr HONKONEN (Finland) – I congratulate both rapporteurs on their comprehensive and important reports. The development of democratic citizenship is one of the most important tasks in our societies. Democracy is both a system and an ideology, and each one of us must grow into this idea. The example set at home by the family, but also by us as representatives of the political system, is significant. If confidence in the system does not develop in childhood and youth, there is not much that can be done later in life.

As a teacher, I have always thought that children and youngsters should study and examine democracy themselves and find an interest in it through their own world. Exploratory learning gives schoolchildren and students the experience of equality and democracy. They must have the chance to examine the practical decision making, what democracy means and also what it means to negotiate. The teacher's task is to explain to them what a democratic system is: a system that is based on common rules and values. The political competence of teachers is important. Schools should not be afraid of politics or the presentation of political activities: a functional and transparent system of political parties is a fundamental requirement of democracy.

Social activity and non-governmental organisations are an essential part of democracy. Schools must also present their activities and give the pupils and students a natural understanding of participation and activity in civil society. Teachers also need training and better skills for teaching democratic citizenship. To conclude, I strongly support the proposals for recommendations to the member States.

Mr NICOLAIDES (Cyprus) – I thank the rapporteur, Mr Jacques Legendre, as well as the other members of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for their invaluable input in drafting this report, which is important on many levels.

We can all agree that today Europe faces many exogenous but also inbred threats that undermine the quality of our democracies and institutions. These threats have been identified and discussed many times in this Assembly. There are, of course, immediate short-term solutions to these threats, and as President Schulz recently stated during his visit to my own country, Europe is now in a permanent state of crisis. However, there are also long-term strategic objectives that should be pursued, and I believe that the discussion of this report on democratic citizenship falls precisely within this realm. Education is, therefore, a horizontal priority for all our democratic societies, in that investing in quality education will surely pave the way for the creation of a more conscientious and responsible future generation.

Bearing in mind the fact that, one way or another, the current migration crisis will trigger profound changes in the composition of our societies, and perhaps even a more progressive approach to the social inclusion and active citizenship of migrant populations, designing the appropriate educational tools and methods, such as the ones foreseen in this framework of competences, will allow our younger generation to develop a sense of personal and cultural identity and to nurture civic engagement based on the core values of this Organisation. This, in turn, can defeat the demons that stand before us today.

This is not an idealistic vision of the future, but the results we can objectively hope to attain if we proactively engage and promote the framework of competences we are discussing here today. Its aims are far-reaching and can foster an important trickle effect that will ultimately lead to healthier, more prosperous, stable and participatory democracies.

We must, as parliamentarians active in this Assembly, do our utmost to alleviate the social disadvantages and inequalities that unfortunately persist in our societies. We must also strive to stop the transmission of intergenerational discrimination. Promoting the framework of competences for democratic citizenship in a uniform manner, with the necessary political will, and monitoring bodies to maintain the pressure on our governments to remain committed, is of paramount importance.

Mr ÖNAL (Turkey) – The radicalisation of children and young people has become one of Europe’s greatest problems. However, Europe needs to learn lessons from two world wars and the suffering which are still fresh in our minds. Raising awareness among the new generations and the realisation of the rapporteur’s suggestions contained in the draft resolution are needed to prevent polarisations which will create deep rifts between societies.

While the report focuses on the radicalisation at the source of recent Daesh-linked attacks in Europe, I would like to draw your attention to other types of radicalisation in Europe. The first type of radicalisation is the increasing xenophobia and neo-Nazi tendencies in Europe. The dramatic increase in the number of refugees arriving in Europe, the attacks perpetrated by Daesh in Europe and the ongoing economic crisis are factors that contribute to the increasing number of supporters of these tendencies, thus strengthening these movements.

We need to pay proper attention to the strategies used to spread hate speech among children and youth, and the use of the Internet for this purpose. The report entitled “Right-wing extremism online”, published in 2014 in Germany, indicates that neo-Nazis have been using websites to influence children and young people since the 1990s. On these websites, insults, threats and violent language against foreigners – Muslims, Jews and Roma – are presented with humour to attract the attention of children and young people. Furthermore, it is known that children and youngsters come across hate speech via social media and other forums. The absence of State-approved monitoring and the social media networks’ reluctance to co-operate because of commercial motives provide xenophobic groups with opportunities to reach children and young people.

I would also like to draw your attention to the training of children and youth as supporters of extremism or terrorists via kidnapping or deception by terrorist organisations. They are then used in attacks on the civilian population and security forces. It is of the utmost importance that our response to child soldiers in Africa and other regions of the world concerns every terrorist organisation without exception.

Ms de SUTTER (Belgium) – At the last part-session, we voted on Dirk Van der Maelen's report on foreign fighters who travel to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS and other violent extremist groups and then commit attacks all over the world.

In January, our colleague stressed that we had to understand the root causes before devising policy responses: I believe Ms Fataliyeva’s report brings us closer to understanding these root causes. However, we still have a long way to go before we can truly comprehend what is going on in children and young people’s minds when they become radicalised. 

After the attacks in Brussels, my own capital, I looked deeper into the root causes of radicalisation and I found that "jihadists" today are not attracted to ISIS as a result of deep engagement with jihadist ideology – as was the case when al-Qaeda membership required  a long ideological indoctrination. Instead, youths who are already anti-social and violent and who have been involved in petty criminality, including drug dealing, find legitimisation for their violent street credo in ISIS. They also find identity, belonging, purpose and significance, adventure, fun and sometimes even sexual rewards.

Jihadists today do not act according to an ideology but because they lack a feeling of identity, which they find in ISIS. We therefore have to look at our own house and put it in order. Why do young people lack a feeling of identity in our society? Why do those young people, who are often highly educated, feel unwanted? How can we increase inclusiveness in our education systems and employment markets? How can we ensure that no more women and girls join ISIS to become jihadi brides or fighters?

Society has been traumatised, and political pressure on local authorities is huge. I would therefore like to remind you of how urgent it is to raise public awareness and to stress the importance of the section on social inclusion in Ms Fataliyeva’s report, as the lack of social inclusion is the main root cause of the frustration and anger felt by children and young people, and inclusion is the key.

A strong strategy of global prevention and social inclusion is lacking today: this is where the Council of Europe can make the difference. Prevention should be the number one priority in the fight against terrorism, in a pan-European co-operation perspective.

I am very happy that Mrs Fataliyeva's report focuses not on repression but on prevention, because prevention is always much better than cure.