South & Southeast Asia is impacted by high levels of violent extremist activity. According to the 2109 Global Terrorism Index, South Asia had the highest average impact from terrorism, with Pakistan and the Philippines ranking amongst the top ten countries most affected by such activities.
“Young people are most at risk of adhering to violent extremist ideology and joining groups.”
Whilst factors of youth vulnerability have generally correlated with a lack of economic opportunities and lower levels of education, recent trends have suggested an increase in attacks led by middle-class, educated youth across the region. A targeted approach by extremist groups to recruit women and men based on pronounced gender stereotypes can also be observed in different groups operating in the region.
In line with these trends, our Chapters in South & Southeast Asia focus on sensitizing and building the capacity of young people in urban areas across their respective countries. Chapters in the Philippines and Pakistan – as well as one honorary Chapter in Bangladesh – were established in 2020 as part of our “Leading the Way to Peace – Youth Together for Social Cohesion” project implemented alongside the EU. Our Chapters in the Philippines and Pakistan were established with the help of Arizza Nocum and Ali Abbas, two of our Extremely Together Leaders working in those countries.
Through various activities, our country chapters work to foster peace and social cohesion in their respective countries and also collaborate to promote these values across the region.
The Extremely Together movement and its local chapters in the region strive to enhance civil society and youth capacities to recognize causes of violent extremism and to create innovative responses to radicalized narratives. A strong emphasis is placed on the use of digital platforms and social media to reach and mobilize young people.
Read more about the launch of our activities in the region here.
South & Southeast Asia
Extremely Together
Extremely Together Philippines
Since 2020, the Kofi Annan Foundation and its Extremely Together initiative have been working with young leaders in South and Southeast Asia to prevent violent extremism in the region in the context of the “Leading the Way to Peace – Youth Together for Social Cohesion” project supported by the European Union.
The Philippines has experienced a resurgence of violent extremist activity in recent years, concentrated mainly in the South of the country. In 2019, the country ranked 10th in the Global Terrorism Index of top countries most affected by violent extremism and has experienced an average of one assault per day in the last few years. This has a profound impact on young people and marginalized communities all over the country.
Together with our partner the Kristiyano-Islamic Peace Library (KRIS), founded by Extremely Together Leader Arizza Nocum, we work to reach thousands of young people in urban areas across the Philippines. Sensitization activities include cultural events, the signing of peace pledges with young Filipinos in vulnerable areas, online discussions, magazine distribution to inform hard-to-reach communities on peacebuilding, or the distribution of relief packages for communities displaced by violent extremism as a way of strengthening their resilience. These activities are coupled with capacity-building programs in the form of ‘Peace Camps’, and even grants competitions for small-scale youth organizations working to better their communities.
Extremely Together Pakistan
Pakistan is one of the youngest countries worldwide with 63% of its population being between the ages of 15 and 33 years old. The country is also one of the most affected by terrorism globally, ranking 5th in the 2019 Global Terrorism Index.
Violent extremist ideology has gained most traction amongst young people in the country, particularly the urban, middle class and educated youth who are most influenced by political discourses and pop culture trends emphasizing violence and toxic masculinity. Over the past few years, the country has experienced several ideologically motivated attacks against women, civil society, and religious minorities carried out by young, educated people from middle or upper-middle-class backgrounds.
The Pakistani Chapter of Extremely Together was established in partnership with the College of Youth Activism and Development and has since become the largest youth movement on preventing violent extremism in the country. In 2021 alone, over 5,000 new members from cities across the country had registered to join. Activities are mainly conducted in Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, and Lahore where city-wide chapters were put in place. Extremely Together Pakistan focuses on bolstering young people’s awareness of peacebuilding possibilities as well as their capacities through actions like city-wide campaigns, cultural and artistic activities, or leadership retreats for youth responsible for city chapters. The aim is also to promote youth solidarity through community service actions and live discussions on issues of peace and inclusion.
A Toolbox for Peacebuilders
The Peacebuilders’ Toolbox compiles all the resources and materials that resulted from the collaboration between our chapters in South and Southeast Asia. The toolkit aims to help fellow young peacebuilders drive change at their own level and empower them to take the lead in shaping their future.
Our research on entry points to engaging with youth in the region
Analysis that synthesizes research conducted by our teams in each country in South and Southeast Asia and gives an overview of the central problems people are facing in these countries. It aims to help young peacebuilders find key entry points to engaging with youth in the region.
Our full “Building Peace Together” Guide
The full version of our Building Peace Together Guide. Discover the three main goals for fostering a youth-led approach to preventing violent extremism and the seven main challenges that PVE practitioners face.
Our “Building Peace Together” Executive Summary
A short overview of the main points from the full Building Peace Together Guide.
Our recommendations to the European Union
Building on the challenges and solutions identified in the Building Peace Together Guide, discover our recommendations for the EU and the donor community on how to better support youth-led initiatives to promote peace and prevent violent extremism.
Our video toolkit series
In this three-part series, three of our young leaders from Extremely Together Philippines, Pakistan, and Bangladesh take you through the ins and outs of youth-led peacebuilding and provide key tips on how to get involved, how to drive change and how to build a movement.
Partners
South & Southeast Asia
KRIS is a non-profit organization based in Quezon City, Philippines that aims to promote peace through education.
CYAAD works with young men and women in Pakistan who are in dire need of social and technical guidance to carve a bright future for themselves.
↗ Learn more about College of Youth Activism and Development
Global Community Engagement & Resilience Fund (GCERF) is a global fund that strengthens community resilience by supporting local initiatives to address the drivers of violent extremism.
Rupantar, meaning social transformation, is a non-government organization (NGO) that has been working in the field of development in Bangladesh since 1995.
Funders
South & Southeast Asia
Publications + Media
First published in
Youth-led initiatives to prevent violent extremism: Inspiring practices from South & Southeast Asia
Together with a diverse group of civil society and youth-led organizations across South and Southeast Asia, we have assembled learnings and advice to help guide and inspire you on your own journey to build peace in your community. Then our new guide, Building Peace Together: Youth-led initiatives to prevent violent extremism, is for you! How was […]
First published in
RESEARCH: Urban Youth Building Peace in South & Southeast Asia
Throughout 2020 and 2021, the Kofi Annan Foundation’s youth initiative Extremely Together, alongside the Kristiyano-Islam Peace Library (KRIS) in the Philippines, the College of Youth Activism and Development (CYAAD) in Pakistan and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) in Bangladesh conducted extensive research among young people in urban areas across South and Southeast Asia. […]
First published in
We stand with the people of Afghanistan
A statement on the situation in Afghanistan by Extremely Together Young Leaders Arizza Nocum, Bjørn Ihler, Hajer Sharief and Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi. In the world of politicians and policymakers, diplomats and dignitaries, in the lecture halls of western universities and the offices of think tanks, it seems many have forgotten that terrorism is real. […]
First published in
Statement | Almass Elman: A statement from Extremely Together
Yesterday we received the devastating news that Almaas Elman, sister to our Extremely Together Young Leader Ilwad Elman, was killed by a bullet in her car while being driven to the airport in Mogadishu, Somalia. We are devastated to the very core at this tragic event. Devastated for the world’s youth that has lost yet […]
First published in
Keynote Address by Fatima Zaman at the 2018 Obama Foundation Summit
My name is Fatima Zaman and I am a counter-extremist. I’ll tell you what that means later on, but first I’d like to tell you how I got here. On Thursday 7 July 2005, I found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time. That day, I witnessed the most devastating terrorist attacks to […]
First published in
Resilience Rising: Youth Research Informing Global Climate and Conflict Responses
The convergence of climate change, environmental degradation and conflict poses a significant threat to peace and stability worldwide, particularly in fragile and conflict affected countries. Young people in these areas are disproportionately affected, yet they are also uniquely positioned to drive transformative solutions. The report Resilience Rising: Youth Research Informing Global Climate and Conflict Responses […]
First published in
Youth-led initiatives to prevent violent extremism: Inspiring practices from South & Southeast Asia
Together with a diverse group of civil society and youth-led organizations across South and Southeast Asia, we have assembled learnings and advice to help guide and inspire you on your own journey to build peace in your community. Then our new guide, Building Peace Together: Youth-led initiatives to prevent violent extremism, is for you! How was […]
First published in
RESEARCH: Urban Youth Building Peace in South & Southeast Asia
Throughout 2020 and 2021, the Kofi Annan Foundation’s youth initiative Extremely Together, alongside the Kristiyano-Islam Peace Library (KRIS) in the Philippines, the College of Youth Activism and Development (CYAAD) in Pakistan and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) in Bangladesh conducted extensive research among young people in urban areas across South and Southeast Asia. […]
First published in
Women’s Rights Held Hostage in Libya by The Geneva Observer
The Geneva Observer spoke to Extremely Together leader Hajer Sharief on the topic of women’s rights in Libya, where the country’s first female foreign minister Najla El-Mangoush is under pressure to leave after only seven weeks into the job. Hajer has been vocal in denouncing her country’s deeply ingrained culture of excluding women from politics, […]
First published in
Hajer Sharief and Ilwad Elman proposed as Nobel Peace Prize contenders
Geneva – Two Extremely Together Young Leaders, Libyan Hajer Sharief, 26, and Somalian Ilwad Elman, 29, are included in the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) Director, Henrik Urdal’s personal shortlist of possible contenders for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. President of the Kofi Annan Foundation Alan Doss states: “We are delighted to see the extraordinary […]
First published in
The Global Threat of White Terror
Bjørn Ihler, Extremely Together Young Leader and survivor of the Norway terrorist attack in 2011, shares an opinion piece on the terror attacks in Christchurch. This article was first published by Project Syndicate. “Massacres like the Christchurch shootings are not, as some leaders claim, isolated attacks carried out by disturbed individuals. They are part of a […]
First published in
Introducing Extremely Together's Jonah Obajeun of Nigeria
Jonah expresses his hope for a world where young people can live together peacefully and diversity is valued as a strength.
First published in
Introducing Extremely Together's Arizza Nocum of the Philippines
Arizza on the role of education in countering violent extremism and understanding the root economic and social causes which lead to extremist ideologies.
First published in
Introducing Extremely Together's Mimoun Berrissoun of Germany
Mimoun talks about building bridges to strengthen communities and protect vulnerable young people from extremist ideologies.