PVE Monthly highlights - August 2022

PVE Monthly Highlights - August 2022

 

Global Highlights

• We can’t wait to share our PVE Global website with you! Look forward to our new UNDP PVE Global website that will be launched within October 2022.

 

 

Regional Highlights 

• UNDP Asia Pacific and TikTok partnered up for a creative training initiative aiming to use peer networks to reach, empower and educate young people in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines on an online culture of respect, kindness, tolerance, and equality. This Creators Forward programme offers training, mentorship, and tools to create engaging and positive narratives on their platforms. Participants will use their strengthened digital skills and creative thinking to engage their community on diverse topics including countering cyberbullying, celebrating cultural diversity, and advocating for global empathy.
• To learn more about this initiative, please visit UNDP Asia Pacific website, and Creators Forward website or follow us on Instagram, and Facebook. Use the hashtag  #CreatorsForward and join the movement for online peace. 

 

 

• The Africa Regional PVE Team launched, as part of the podcast series #ExploringExtremism, a 4-episode spin-off. The kick-off episode ‘Not child’s play: How extremist groups in Africa recruit children’ unpacks findings on children’s vulnerability to recruitment and concrete approaches to build resilience and preventative efforts. 
• Available now on UNDP PVE Portal or on Spotify.
• Further details are captured in a blog post.  
• The next episode will focus on the Use of Drugs as a Method by Violent Extremist Insurgent Groups in the Lake Chad Basin, to be disseminated by end of August.  

 

• Following the Arab regional Roundtable discussion on 16th June 2022, a virtual session to present the final draft of the project document was held on 1st August 2022 with CO focal points to seek additional feedback. During this session, country offices in the Mashriq region requested for a complementary session to better comprehend the lessons learned, recommendations, and best practices from first phase of Regional PVE project which was held on 3rd August 2022. These concerted efforts to incorporate the increased experience, knowledge built through research, and expanded partnership on interventions to prevent violent extremism in Africa and the Arab States have thus contributed to finalizing the revision of the project document.

 

 

Country Highlights 

• UNDP Kyrgyzstan provided technical support to state institutions in extremism prevention trough knowledge transfer and support in development of normative legal framework and application of rule of law, gender sensitive and human rights-based mechanisms.   
• As part of the “Strengthening resilience to prevent violent extremism in Asia“ STRIVE Asia (EU-UN Joint Partnership), the State Commission for Religious Affairs staff attended a workshop to discuss the adopted concepts and laws in the context of ensuring freedom of religion and belief. 
• A Community Prevention Center opened in Balykchy city, Issyk-Kul Region, Kyrgyzstan, as part of the STRIVE Asia project, aiming to maintain security in the region and ensuring the peace of local people.  

 

• UNDP Tanzania collaborated with Global Peace Foundation for Peacebuilding workshops in Lindi Region (May 2022) and Mtwara Region (July 2022) to empower faith and cultural leaders, as well as parents and caregivers in mentoring youth to be peacebuilders and good citizens in the community through faith-based approaches and parenting. Participants were ntroduced to the concept of “Peace Sustainability” and the discussion introduced the understanding of peace from faith perspectives and the role of religious precepts in maintaining peace. At the end of the workshops, faith leaders understood their role in promoting peace and setting moral standards, and agreed to promote youth engagement in peace and security for resilient communities.

 

 

• UNDP Iraq, under the auspices of the Council of Ministers Secretariat (COMSEC), the Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displaced (MOMD), and the Governor of #Kirkuk, has concluded an interfaith conference for over fifty religious leaders from Kirkuk Governorate.  
• Key religious sects from Kirkuk were represented in their diversity, including Sunni and Shia Muslims, Christians, Sabean Mandaeism, Kakai, and Baha'i. Read more at: https://bit.ly/3dolyFT 
• Peacebuilding is not complete without considering impacts on mental health. Read how UNDP Iraq is contributing to healing the wounds caused by conflict, breaking cycles of despair and violence among returnees and community members: https://bit.ly/MHPSSIraq  

 

• UNDP Tunisia produced a new publication, “Development and Security Challenges in Tunisia Southern-Eastern Borderland”. The area has experienced successive shocks and crisis since 2011, undermining the livelihoods of border populations. While the security situation has deteriorated, the militarization of the border has contributed to exacerbate hardship and social unrest in the region. The qualitative research is based on field data collected in ben Guerdane, Remada and Dehiba, three border cities in South-Eastern Tunisia. It provides an understanding on how development and security imperatives collide, and it advocates for a better balance between the two through a new paradigm that would prioritize human security and development. 

 

• UNDP Turkmenistan within the joint EU-UN partnership, STRIVE Asia project and the United States Embassy-supported “Launch Life Coding Bootcamp” held a Women's Hackathon themed “DigiWomen STRIVE” from August 12 to 15, 2022.  Turkmenistan’s first-ever Women’s Hackathon was kicked off on August 12 to mark the International Youth Day and brought together more than 35 women and girls. Over the next two days, 9 women teams created tech-driven projects that generate innovative ideas and digital solutions. The “DigiWomen STRIVE” Hackathon aimed to empower women and girls with digital skills, provide a platform to create innovative ideas and showcase their newfound technical talents, and encourage more women developers to pursue careers in IT to create a sustainable and inclusive future for all. 11 participants were awarded with internship at local IT companies and 2 projects are being further supported by the UNDP to apply for grants for their realization.   
• See how this first-ever Women’s Hackathon promotes gender diversity in Tech 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: the updates do not constitute an exhaustive list of monthly activities, rather only a selection of brief highlights that we are able to collect thanks to Country Office support.