Preventing and countering violent extremism in focus of multi-stakeholder meetings organized by OSCE throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina

SARAJEVO, 27 October 2017 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina is organizing a series of multi stakeholder meetings on local level responses to preventing and countering violent extremism that will gather representatives of municipalities, civil society organizations, educational institutions, social welfare centres, mental health centres, police, religious communities and correctional facilities.  Meetings will be held in Cazin on October 30-31, Bihac on October 31 – November 1, Brcko on November 6-7, Tuzla on November 13-14, and Zenica on December 7-8.

The aim of these meetings is to improve local stakeholders’ knowledge of countering violent extremism and radicalisation by sharing and learning best practices, discussing and clarifying security issues and designing activities for specific regions.  In addition, activity plans will be supported through the Mission’s programs in the areas of security co-operation, human rights, democratic governance, education and rule of law.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina has made significant progress in preventing and countering violent extremism in the past few years. We need to keep the discussion going on this global issue and ensure that sharing of experiences among the different stakeholders at the local level continues,” said Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassador Bruce G. Berton.

By bringing local community actors together and creating a platform for dialogue and co-operation, the meetings will help address violent extremism as a multidimensional issue that concerns and affects society as a whole. This activity will also contribute to the OSCE United in Countering Violent Extremism campaign (#UnitedCVE), which calls for everyone to rise to the challenge of responding to the corrosive appeal of violent extremism by promoting tolerance, mutual respect, pluralism, inclusion, and cohesion.