Empower youth to fight extremism, French official urges

AMMAN — Jordan has demonstrated resilience in its fight against terrorism, but youths must be empowered in order to prevent the spread of violence, a French official said this week.

“This is a difficult challenge to all societies, you [Jordan], and us [Europe] have been victims of terrorist acts, and we need to combine efforts to enhance security measures and mobilise our civil societies, and mostly empower youth,” said Elisabeth Guigou, president of the Anna Lindh Foundation. 

Success is not achieved simply by “lecturing and counter narrating”, she argued. “We must invent the means, nurture the skills, and foster new ideas to prevent the spread of violence,” she told The Jordan Times during a visit to Amman.

Empowering young people will combat the appeal that extremist ideologies hold for men, women and teenagers, said Guigou, adding that fostering a culture of dialogue at a young age encourages active citizenship later in life.  

The Anna Lindh Foundation brings together civil society and citizens across the Mediterranean to build trust and improve mutual understanding. Its Jordanian network is coordinated by the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS).

RIIFS Director Majeda Omar said the institute is keen to promote human values to counter the root causes of terrorism, highlighting the importance of active dialogue. 

For Zina Nimri, Anna Lindh Foundation coordinator in Jordan, the purpose of the organisation is to bring people together and improve mutual respect to create a better future.