Mardan (By: Shahid Ali Tareen): A three-day multi-stakeholder program was held under the auspices of the non-governmental organization Individualland, in collaboration with the European Union, UNODC, NACTA, and Mardan City Council. The purpose of the program was to establish an effective early warning system to prevent growing political, social, and religious extremism, which would help identify potential threats of violent extremism. This system aims to monitor the factors leading to extremist thinking, raise public awareness, and assist in the early prevention of any possible tragedies.
The implementation strategy for this early warning system will include WhatsApp channels and radio broadcasts, providing timely and effective information. A 20-member committee was formed to assess the risks of extremism, while a separate team of 30 individuals will analyze misleading information circulating on social media and use WhatsApp channels to provide accurate information to the public.
During the program, Khoso Saifullah, Integrated Operations and Program Manager, highlighted the factors contributing to political, social, and religious terrorism and discussed possible ways to address them.
Mashood Ali, Capacity Building Lead, presented the initial draft of the early warning system, which was discussed by the participants, including Mardan Mayor Hamayatullah Mayar. After incorporating suggestions, the final version of the early warning system and its implementation strategy was approved and handed over to the Mayor of Mardan.
Addressing the program, Mardan Mayor Hamayatullah Mayar stated,
“In this modern age, where hatred, lies, and extremism are taking new forms, we must also prepare ourselves on modern lines. We need to adopt effective means to provide timely and accurate information to the public and strengthen the community to identify extremist elements early and protect our nation from major disasters.”
Experts and participants at the program termed this initiative an effective strategy, expressing hope that this system would enable the timely identification and prevention of extremist tendencies. Furthermore, radio broadcasts will play a significant role in raising awareness about media literacy and combating violent narratives.
This initiative will be an important step towards fostering cooperation between local government, civil society, and the media, and towards creating an integrated and sustainable system to protect citizens from extremism.