The seal of the United States of America is inscribed with the Latin dictum E Pluribus Unum-out of many, one. It is our great strength that the American social fabric continues to weave together waves of immigrants to the United States and people from all backgrounds and walks of life as part of an indivisible community. We are a pluralistic Nation and a society that does not just accept diversity; we embrace it, and we are stronger as a result. We surmount the many challenges that we face by remaining committed to the American ideals of freedom, equality, and democracy, which transcend differences of religion, ethnicity, and place of birth. Since America's founding, our country and our ideals have been assailed by forces of hate and division, yet we remain strong, unified, and resilient.Throughout history, violent extremists-individuals who support or commit ideologically-motivated violence to further political goals-have promoted messages of divisiveness and justified the killing of innocents. The United States Constitution recognizes freedom of expression, even for individuals who espouse unpopular or even hateful views. But when individuals or groups choose to further their grievances or ideologies through violence, by engaging in violence themselves or by recruiting and encouraging others to do so, it becomes the collective responsibility of the U.S. Government and the American people to take a stand. In recent history, our country has faced plots by neo-Nazis and other anti-Semitic hate groups, racial supremacists, and international and domestic terrorist groups; and since the September 11 attacks, we have faced an expanded range of plots and attacks in the United States inspired or directed by al-Qa'ida and its affiliates and adherents as well as other violent extremists. Supporters of these groups and their associated ideologies come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnic and religious communities, and areas of the country, making it difficult to predict where violent extremist narratives will resonate. And as history has shown, the prevalence of particular violent extremist ideologies changes over time, and new threats will undoubtedly arise in the future.
A number of Indonesian nationals who support the self-styled Islamic State have now returned home from the Middle East. Some may have received military training or even seen combat, but so far the majority have been those who failed in their attempts to enter Syria and Iraq from Turkey and were subsequently deported. While recent updates to anti-terrorism legislation offer potential avenues for prosecuting militants returning from abroad, many of those coming home with extremist convictions will be reintegrated back into society. Since 2017, over 200 forcibly repatriated Indonesians have been sent back to their communities following a one-month 'rehabilitation' period in state care. Additional funding, human resources and effective coordination among stakeholders will be required for such reintegration efforts to produce positive outcomes.
The March 2019 assault on two mosques during Friday prayers in Christchurch, New Zealand, shocked a nation unaccustomed to the terrorist violence suffered elsewhere in recent years. The immediate reaction from political leaders and wider society was to stand in close solidarity with the targeted Muslim community, and a broad recovery process soon emerged which provided substantial ongoing support to anyone impacted by the incident. The authors spent two weeks in New Zealand in mid-2019 with the aim of understanding the apparent societal resilience displayed following the attack, and the ways in which the response was coordinated across different levels of government and civil society. It became clear that effective working relationships among national/municipal authorities and community members/associations established well before the tragedy facilitated communications, cooperation, and the appropriate targeting of support. High levels of institutional trust and authentic leadership enabled an organic, personable recovery process, and represents a pertinent example of societal resilience following an act of terrorism.
This policy note outlines the key details of Indonesia’s National Action Plan for P/CVE before discussing the evident challenges and opportunities moving forward. The ambitious strategy (known by its Indonesian acronym, RAN PE) could decentralize P/CVE programming in Indonesia, facilitate the formalization of working relationships between civil society organizations and local government authorities, mainstream gender perspectives, and streamline activities to improve targeting and avoid overlap. But constructive outcomes will depend on overcoming thorny obstacles, such as coordinating the varied interests, motivations, and capacities of the many stakeholders involved, and allaying concerns over applicable definitions that some perceive as overly broad and possibly divisive.
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