PVE Quarterly highlights - January - March 2023

Please also find the highlights attached in a handy PDF format, for ease of access and dissemination. 

Global Highlights  

• UNDP launched a new Policy Brief: “Stepping Forward: Parliaments in the Fight Against Hate Speech” in February outlining the guidance for parliaments and stakeholders on ways they can address hate speech while fostering peace, constructive dialogue and trust. 

  • Read it now.

• Find out more about women’s experiences with MHPSS in peacebuilding, and how it helps to overcome trauma, as well as being the core providers of MHPSS during crises. UNDP PVE HQ released the fourth story of the #InnerPeacebuilding series, titled "Peacebuilding for women, by women”.

  • Read it here. 
     

Regional Highlights  

• UNDP Asia Pacific’s ExtremeLives Season 5 is out now! This series focuses on stories of youth from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, who, against all odds, chose alternative paths to violence and became agents of change in their communities. UNDP uses the power of story-telling to showcase lives that have been directly affected by some of the key drivers of extremism, such as discrimination, bullying, and socio-economic hardships. This new season was shaped using innovation and behavioural science.  

  • See the video: The ExtremeLives YouTube channel 

  • This flagship video series is produced by the regional PVE team at UNDP RBAP in partnership with the European Union and was featured during the 67th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) as an innovative project for advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.  

• In light of the continued rise of fatalities and terror-related deaths of violent extremism accelerating tenfold in the Sahel since 2007, and now turning Africa at large into a new global epicenter of violent extremism, UNDP launched a series of PVE knowledge products including the second flagship Journey to Extremism (2023), to keeps in step with the rapidly changing context of violent extremism (VE) in the region, and to position UNDP as a thought leader on development-based and evidence-based solutions. 

  • Watch the launch video. 

  •  On 17th February, UNDP organised a high-level event in Addis Ababa to launch the “Journey to Extremism in Africa: Pathways to Recruitment and Disengagement” and the research paper “Dynamics of Violent Extremism in Africa: Conflict Ecosystems, Political Ecology and the Spread of the Proto-State." 

  • The launch event was moderated by prize-winning journalist, John Allan Namu, and a virtual statement by the UNDP Administrator, as well as keynote address by Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director, Regional Burau for Africa, UNDP. An interactive discussion was held between prominent representatives from Kenya, African Union Commission, Mali, Somalia, key practitioners from civil society, including the NEEM foundation and African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace. 

• Want to know what is fuelling rampant terrorism?

  • Watch the DW News interview with Ms. Nirina Kiplagat, Peacebuilding Advisor

Country Highlights 

• In Iraq, a project to promote community resilience and prevent violent extremism was completed in Tal Abta in Ninewa in partnership with Al Taheer Association for Development was completed in February. The project included the following components: 

  • 150 community peace initiatives, supplies and furniture for 60 schools benefitting 25,000 students, 35 generators supplied to provide power to 150,000 community members, community service committees created to advocate for community needs 

• Youth and Women for Peace groups networked and discussed plans for 2023. With support from the Government of Denmark, they will implement ten peacebuilding initiatives throughout their communities related to PVE, encouraging social cohesion, and advocating for gender equality, among other important topics tailored to their community needs.

• In March, 141 people graduated from vocational training as part of the Socio-economic and Community Resilience for the Prevention of Violent Extremism (SERVE) project. The training focused on food preparation, electrical and plumbing services, ceiling installation and beauty services. This project encourages reintegration in communities of Anbar, Ninewa and Salah al Din in Iraq by providing livelihood and MHPSS. It is implemented with partner World Vision Iraq, and is generously supported by the Government of Japan. 

• UNDP Kyrgyzstan carried out a couple of initiatives under the Joint EU-UN STRIVE Asia Initiative:

  • provided technical support was provided to the Kyrgyz government to adopt the Law on Countering Extremist Activity in February. This and the related, Law on Countering Terrorism, which was adopted in July 2022, were drafted in an inclusive consultative process, through national and sub-national roundtables, engaging representatives of law enforcement agencies, CSOs, INGOs, human rights defenders, media and the local authorities nationwide

  • Read UNDP Kyrgyzstan’s blog on how Acceleration programs for social entrepreneurship play an essential role in reducing drivers of violent extremism  

  • A business acceleration project, “Janyration Jamaat”, was launched to strengthen partnerships between nine C/PVE Advisory Boards and youth activists. The project aims to economically empower young men and women from vulnerable groups and to explore a new model of interrelationships between C/PVE Boards and young entrepreneurs in preventing violent extremism through economic empowerment. Watch the video to learn more: 

  • Jointly with UNOCT and UNRCCA, UNDP conducted a Coordination platform with national stakeholders on the national C/PVE Action Planning for 2023-2027. The design and formulation of the State C/PVE Programme and its Plan of Action are derived from the above-adopted laws and supported by STRIVE Asia project 

• In Somalia, the Federal Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs and the UN formalised an agreement on a joint programme on the prevention and countering of violent extremism in Somalia. The programme adopts a peacebuilding approach to address violent extremism and will be led by the federal and state-level ministries of endowments and religious affairs, with overarching strategic guidance from the Presidency's Office of National Security.