Author(s): Ioana CHIŢĂ, Irena CHIRU
Publication name: Romanian Intelligence Studies Review
Publisher name: Mihai Viteazul National Intelligence Academy
Publication type: Journal article
Publication date: June 30, 2019
Pagination:
Issue/ Volume: 21/2019
DOI:
Abstract
In recent years, radicalisation has greatly evolved. Armed conflicts from failed
states have boosted radicalisation inside the EU, and the rise of foreign terrorist fighters
(FTF) is only an example. Thousands of the EU citizens have joined the war theatres of
Syria and Iraq. As a result, radicalized returnees with combat skills and indoctrinated
against European values pose a great threat to the security of EU. Furthermore, terrorist
propaganda led to uncoordinated attacks of home-grown lone actor terrorists, difficult
to detect before they strike. A response strategy to the above mentioned societal trends
might be dealing with their root causes. Education and good quality training remain at
the central core of building a resilient society against extremist ideologies and
radicalisation, as well as of having first line practitioners that hold expertise.
Practitioners like intelligence officers, community police officers, prison and
probation officers, law enforcement, youth and social workers, healthcare professionals
and others, are valuable key actors in the prevention and combat of radicalization. Each
one of them provides a part of the solution; there is no single actor that can prevent the
phenomenon on its own. Therefore, it is important that they all know how to contribute.
Training practitioners in the spirit of creating a multi-agency network where they can
share both expertise and information is a key solution to efficiently combating
radicalization. In addition to this, having a society resilient to radicalisation is part of
the wider desideratum of promoting a security culture among civil society. Building a
resilient society means transforming teaching institutions into “labs for democracy” and
“training the teachers” because they are at the frontline when it comes to potentially
identifying early signs of radicalisation, besides raising awareness through educational
programs and public campaigns or round tables that address the topic.
Keywords: radicalisation, training practitioners, building resilience.
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