KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (NNN-Bernama) — The youth and academia play significant roles in prevention efforts to combat radicalisation and violent extremism, said the United States Ambassador to Malaysia, Brian McFeeters.
He said the whole-of-society approach, which involves both groups and other related and important stakeholders, is vital in tackling the global challenge in which youths are particularly among those most at risk for radicalisation.
He said while there had been fewer reports of terrorist attacks in the region recently, the shared commitment by Malaysia and the US to further degrade terrorist networks remains strong.
“We believe and recognise that youths are particularly susceptible to violent extremism, hence it’s why we must make it a priority to empower and equip our young generation with the right skill sets in facing this threat.
“I firmly believe that our young people are more than ready to tackle this challenge and can assist in creating a more peaceful and sustainable future for generations to come,” he said at the launch of Malaysian Youth as Peace Ambassadors (MYPA) 2022 Programme held here, Friday.
MYPA 2022, which commences with a four-day workshop from June 2 to 5, gathers more than 120 students from over 13 tertiary institutions nationwide to build their resilience against radicalisation.
The programme is organised by the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation, International Islamic University (ISTAC-IIUM), Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT), the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and youth media organisation MyKampus Radio (MKR).
Director-General of SEARCCT Ganeson Sivagurunathan, meanwhile, said as terrorism today is transnational, it is imperative for SEARCCT to initiate and sustain engagements by leveraging national, regional and global platforms available.
He said as an entity under the Foreign Ministry, SEARCCT fosters constructive engagements between public, private and civil society stakeholders to build new bridges in the effort to prevent and counter violent extremism.
“I believe this programme has established such a bridge and has strengthened SEARCCT’s vision to partner with the Malaysian youth to build a more peace-loving nation,” he added.
The programme also celebrates Malaysia’s multiculturalism and diversity and equips Malaysian youths with communication and storytelling skills, including harnessing social media platforms to counter violent extremism.
— NNN-BERNAMA