Violent extremism can be homegrown – UNDP

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Project Coordinator, Melody Azinim, has dispelled the notion that violent extremism is solely an external phenomenon.

According to her, violent extremism can also be homegrown if governments fail to deliver on the social contract between them and their citizens.

Melody Azinim was speaking at the opening of a two-day training programme held in Tumu in the Sissala East Municipality of the Upper West Region.

The two-day programme is under the auspices of the Atlantic Corridor Project, themed: "Promoting Civilian-Security Engagement for Collaboration for Early Warning to Prevent Conflicts and Violent Extremism in the Upper West Region."

It is sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with implementation by the National Peace Council.

Other vulnerabilities likely to trigger extremism, according to the Atlantic Corridor Project Coordinator, include tribes feeling superior to others, political divisions, religious intolerance, and the non-availability of economic opportunities, among others.

She stressed the need to empower women through the creation of economic opportunities, noting that "if you leave out women in the development agenda, someone will take advantage and recruit them for the wrong purposes."

"Let's be more involved in the peace and security of our communities and nation at large; peace and security are everyone's responsibility, and no one should sit back and say it is the responsibility of one person," Melody said.

She said collaboration between civilians and security would ensure the immediate reporting of early warning signals, hence the essence of the training.

She stressed the need to build trust between the two because civilians often think that security personnel will not protect them when they provide early warning information, while there are other concerns from the security side that community members sometimes provide false information. Hence, there is a need to build trust and capacity among both for effective collaboration.

Professor Samuel Marfo, a Professor of Peace and Conflict Resolution at the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), noted that security is a critical component of any democratic governance, adding that community security works well when there is shared responsibility.

Emmanuel Danyomah, the Executive Secretary of the Upper West Regional Peace Council, thanked the UNDP and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for funding the project.

Limann Alhassan, the Sissala East Municipal Coordinating Director, said in a speech read on his behalf that the Assembly has been collaborating with various organizations to ensure peace in the district.

He said security personnel in the district are doing their best, but due to inadequate numbers, they need the support of community members and appealed to them to always endeavour to report early warning signs to the security personnel for urgent action.

Pio Kwabalugu Badiyiga Ali IV, the Chief of Kapun, described the civilian-security relations training as timely, as he recently observed an increase in the influx of people from Burkina Faso into their community, saying this called for increased vigilance on their part.

The Chief reiterated the need to economically empower women to reduce their risk of vulnerability.