Youth radicalization is a symptom of problems bedeviling the world today
Youth radicalization is a symptom of problems bedeviling the world today. These myriad of problems can be grouped into Push: marginalization, historical injustices, youth bulge and run away unemployment, deep corruption, ethnicity, nepotism and general poor governance in many states especially in Africa and other Asian countries. These push factors have made youth hopeless and without definite opportunity to participate in nation building. Remember, youth have dreams too in their lives to work, make money, marry and participate in development. The absence of opportunities for the youth to participate in social, political and economic spheres of life make them vulnerable. This vulnerability coupled with illiteracy, both in religious and secular education, makes them susceptible to bad influence and ideologies, including radicalization and violent extremism.
On the other hand, we have pull factors: employment, housing, social status in the radical groups, women and in religion good life hereafter/Paradise. Such promises made to, inter alia, vulnerable youth, makes it almost automatic for them to join such radical and extremists organizations. Individuals have two parts, the social and the self part, each of them needs expression and satisfaction. The two parts can be influenced for good or bad depending on socialization.
What we need to do is have consorted or multifaceted approach to mitigating youth radicalization. We should tackle push and pull factors from the economic, social, political and religious pillars of society. This in essence is to say all have a role to play, governments, civil society, faith based organizations, the private sector, communities and families must do what they have to do best to reverse the growing global youth radicalization trend.
Good governance and ethical conduct should be the guiding principles in this war against youth radicalization. State and non-state corporations should practice good governance, while businesses, professionals and individuals must remain ethical at all times in their work. We should work to promote ethical business, work, professional service, operations and even ethical profits for the private sector. This way, we will be honest, trustworthy to humanity, truthful, transparent and accountable, all of which are values the whole world is pushing for fairness and equity in the way we live, am of which do not need an understanding akin to rocket science but simply Knowledge of just what is right and wrong. If we promote this ethical behavior and be consistent all over the world even the radical youth will see the light in the long run.
Finally, we should desist from profiling youth radicals based on ethnic, religious or regions they are coming from. All youth radicals should be treated as such and solutions sought without further creating hate and dividing the world based on narrow and myopic understanding of youth radicalization. Not all Muslims or poor youth are radicals for example. We should exercise caution and tolerance in our quest for solutions to this global pandemic
Halimu Suleiman Shauri is an associate professor in Department of Social Sciences, Pwani University. He was also a Lecturer and Tutorial Fellow in Department of Sociology, Kenyatta University. He has 3 Books (Self-authored, 5 book chapters, 2 proceedings papers and 3 publications in international reviewed journals).
