THE ROLE OF OSCE IN COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND RADICALIZATION

Abstract

Numerous terrorist attacks, mass shootings, war crimes and less brutal instances of deviant behaviour such as commitment to radical Islamism or hatred against other nations often tend to be the manifestation of one of the last stages of radicalization. There is no single scenario, according to which radicalization proceeds. Absolutely different reasons can encourage a person to renounce normal values and accept the idea that the world can and should be fundamentally changed, sometimes even by force and violence. This is the main reason why OSCE adopted a “Whole-of-Society” approach to counter radicalization and its brutal results throughout the OSCE area. The adopted strategy is highly comprehensive and tackles not only different aspects of radicalization (e.g. gender, war, post-conflict, etc.) but also numerous institutions (e.g. families, churches, mosques, schools, scholars, etc.) that can detect and prevent radicalization of a person and integrate him or her back into the society. This article provides an analysis of OSCE efforts in this field by studying OSCE reports on extremism and radicalization and evaluating achieved outcomes. It finds out that despite being highly inclusive and all-pervasive with various successful instances in different regions, a bulk of member states do not have a platform that would facilitate communication between all actors involved to provide early warning and rehabilitate radicals. Efforts to develop a comprehensive framework are too costly, leading to limited projects and initiatives. Further research in finding the most efficient ways to implement OSCE ideas in the OSCE member states and beyond is required.