International Conference Of Youth On Terrorism

Youth for World Peace

Assalamualaikum

Salam Sejahtera

Good afternoon

Beta bersyukur ke hadrat Ilahi kerana dengan izin dari Nya juga Beta dapat berangkat untuk menzahirkan titah di International Conference of Youth on Terrorism.

  1. It gives me great pleasure to address you at this final session of the International Conference of Youth on Terrorism. At the outset, I would like to congratulate the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the South-South Information Gateway for this highly commendable initiative. Youth conferences are always worthwhile endeavours. That this one reaches out to those from both home and abroad makes it especially appealing and interesting. The young tend to speak their minds, and with so many cultures and backgrounds present, I am certain that this conference has generated provocative as well as productive interactions.

Global economic crisis

  1. We meet today in greatly troubling times. Not only does violence abound, we now also have the added problem of a rapidly-deteriorating world economy. This global economic crisis is one of the most serious in modern history and it can be expected to significantly compound and complicate domestic and international affairs. The U.S. top national intelligence advisor recently testified before a Senate committee that it is the global economic crisis, and not terrorism, that is now the primary near-term security threat to the country.[1] The crisis has led to changes in governments, cut development and humanitarian spending and increased illegal migration.
  2. The effects of the global economic crisis should certainly be monitored carefully. If the already-dire conditions of countries and communities worsen, or if people are returned to crushing poverty and under-development, it is wholly possible that terrorism, along with other acts leading to bloodshed, will increase. It is difficult to entirely divorce the human condition from its economic circumstances. Economic deprivation may not actually light the flames of extremism but it can do more than casually fan them. Peace and stability are recognized to be somehow correlated with prosperity, and they remain among the main motivators for countries to raise the living standards of their people. Of course, prosperity by itself is no assurance that discord and conflict will not be present. For that to happen, the causes of dissatisfaction, usually a result of real or imagined injustices, will have to be comprehensively addressed.

Defining terrorism

  1. Thus far I have spoken of terrorism as if it had one generic meaning. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather than debate the numerous definitions, however, I will simply put forward my own: It is when organized groups commit violence against non-combatant civilians so as to instil fear among the public in order to achieve a particular political or social outcome. Do these organized groups include sovereign nation states? There is controversy over this matter but I am of the opinion that it does. It is interesting that the earliest use of the term ‘terrorism’ was in relation to the acts committed by the state against civilians during the French Revolution. Today, many experts include nation states as possible agents of terrorism.
  2. Under this definition, when a state takes the lives of innocent civilians, including those of women and children, it is in grave danger of crossing the thin line between the legitimate and the illegitimate. Note that the massacres in Auschwitz, Srebrenica, Sabra and Shatila, Jenin, Kampuchea, Rwanda and, most recently, Gaza, were not committed by non-state actors. Governments, in some cases democratically-elected governments, were involved.
  3. There cannot be different standards of behavior between sovereign states and sub-national groups. One is not entitled to view civilian deaths as merely ‘collateral damage’ in one case and an atrocity in another. The sanctity of human life cannot be subject to simply what is expedient at the time. If anything, states need to be held at even higher standards because many of them have a bigger capacity to wield death and destruction than do most small groups. They also require their people to be law abiding to preserve order. And so states, above all, must abide strictly by the law.
  4. The object of terror, whether perpetrated by state or non-state actors, is designed to achieve a particular goal. This goal is usually dressed in pseudo-legitimate terms, in order to give it greater appeal, credibility and force. In this connection, it is highly unfortunate that religion is often wrongly used to excuse the taking of innocent lives. Fortunately, more people are beginning to realise that this is no more than the cynical manipulation of religion by those seeking to enslave rather than enlighten.

Role of Youth

  1. So what do youth have to do with this? The fact of the matter is that many of the greatest acts of carnage committed this century have been by young adults who were relatively educated and wealthy. We can surmise from this that good social status and education are not sufficient to prevent indoctrination. This is not to say that those of all other age groups are not also involved. The organisation of terrorist groups is hardly ever an all-youth affair. However, the lives that are put on the line, the ones that are considered expendable, are often those of the young. Terrorist groups have become experts in capitalising on young people’s innate psychological need to subscribe to a higher cause and to attain a sense of personal significance.
  2. Young people need to be extremely vigilant and guard against this. They must be aware that there are those who would prey on their idealism and energy by subtly seeking to instil values that sanction violence against innocents as a means of bringing about change. This is not at all surprising. The communists did as much in their attempts to instigate revolution in their day, as do separatist groups and other militia try to do today. Once it becomes accepted that ‘the means justify the ends’, an unending spiral of violent behaviour is created, with aggression meeting aggression. Therefore it is imperative that, at the very outset, no opportunity is allowed for violent behaviour to thrive.
  3. Perhaps the most effective antidote against the diatribe and propaganda is to adopt an inquiring mind. Formal education is no guarantee that one is open to new ideas and concepts. One would wish that this were not the case, but it sadly is. The youth of today must therefore learn how to read the warning signs. Discussions that are conducted in the most dogmatic of terms and where alternative views are discouraged are clear indicators that something is wrong. Closed minds are fertile breeding grounds for violent agendas. A spirit of inquisitiveness, one that does not accept glib and easy answers but intellectually challenges existing conventions, can form the basis for change.
  4. The search for answers also cannot merely happen with a few books and limited interactions. They have to take place further afield and across different contexts and cultures if they are to be universal. One of the chief critiques of western civilization is that it understands so little, and for many years has been dismissive, of eastern thought and value systems. This is now beginning to be broken down little by little and there is now greater demand, even if not exactly respect, for eastern perspectives. For our part, we should not trade ignorance for ignorance and arrogance for arrogance. We are entitled to construct a critique of other cultures and defence of our own, but these must be premised on reasoned and researched arguments, not false stereotypes, misconceptions and unfounded prejudices.
  5. If nation-states are serious in combating terrorism and extremism, especially in a domestic context, then its own policies must reflect the principles of inclusion. History has shown that cultures and civilizations flourished when they were open and inclusive. Nations are strengthened when they accommodate change. It is through respect of different traditions and points of view and respect for the rights and dignity of all human beings that nations rise from good to become great. Of all the groups present in the population, I believe that youth are the best equipped to be the vanguards of tolerance and moderation.

World Peace

  1. What I have said so far is, in fact, neatly summarised in the Constitution of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization which begins with the statement that:-

Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed, (and) that ignorance of each other’s ways and lives has been a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world through which their differences have all too often broken into war.

  1. This constitution was drawn up in 1945 – 64 years ago – but it remains as relevant today as it was then. In 1999, UNESCO went on to define a culture of peace by setting out the values, attitudes, traditions, modes of behaviour and ways of life that were associated with it. Among them were respect for life, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence, human rights, development and environmental needs and rights, freedom of information and expression and, naturally, freedom, justice and tolerance. It subsequently declared 2001-2010 as the International Decade of the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World and embarked on a Programme of Action.
  2. This decade has been anything but peaceful. It began with the events of September 11th and quickly escalated to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. There were also significant regional conflicts, not least in the Middle East and Africa, a large number of serious border disputes, not to mention heightened international tensions. Given all these events, one is entitled to ask whether the protagonists were really interested in a culture of peace. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to remind ourselves of the eight action areas of the internationally-agreed framework that is in place which provides an agenda for all youth to work towards.
  3. The first area is education, specifically education that promotes peaceful conflict resolution, dialogue, consensus-building, and non-violence. We have to acknowledge that there are education systems being practiced that promote the exact opposite of these objectives.
  4. The second area is economic and social development. I have touched on economic inequities but must mention as well food security, debt relief and environmental sustainability.
  5. The third area is respect for human rights. A culture of peace can only exist if there is, among other things, the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression and equality before the law.
  6. The fourth and fifth areas are gender equality and democratic participation. The need to act against gender discrimination and ensure participation in economic, social and political decisions should be self-evident, but it remains an outstanding issue today. On democratic participation, we have discovered, to our cost, that it alone does not ensure that there is world peace. Democracy implies inclusive decision-making and but there must also be a highly responsive and accountable government in place. Without the latter, the will of the people for peace can be easily subverted.
  7. The remaining three areas of the Programme involve advancing understanding, tolerance and solidarity; supporting participatory communication and free flow of information and knowledge; and promoting international peace and security. The youth of the world may or may not be in a position to influence these outcomes directly, but they do have the ability to participate via their educational institutions and through civil society organisations. Their ability to affect outcomes through conscientiousness can bring about significant change not only as youth but also as they proceed into adulthood.
  8. I wish to add to this list by proposing a ninth essential area in propagating a culture of peace, that is, regard for the law, upholding the rule of law and respecting the institutions established through and in accordance with the law. The law is a fundamental building block of any nation. In Malaysia, primacy of the law is upheld as one of the pillars in our Rukun Negara, just as it is held as paramount by most progressive countries. The law governs our interactions with each other and with the state. A lawless system breeds a lawless culture, which in turn suggests lawless governance and lawless governments. Peaceful and harmonious coexistence among the people of a nation and of the world can not prevail under a state of lawlessness.

Conclusion

  1. It is easy to be pessimistic about the possibility of a world free from war and terrorism. The renewed impetus that many national and international bodies are giving to this problem, however, is heartening and this Conference is one such effort. No headway can be made against political or sectarian extremism unless a committed stance for peace and against violence is declared. Young people have the ability to contribute in this regard by rejecting any and every link with people and organisations promoting violence. The effort to end the indiscriminate taking of lives may not be easy but it could occur within one generation if the youth of today, including those in this room, are firm in their conviction.
  2. The true challenge is for statesmen and policymakers to give the young a role and a stake in the process of nation-building and the creation of a just international order. This is the challenge that the young who will inherit the world throws to the old. The latter must consider this seriously, if they wish to fully discharge their responsibilities in passing on a better world to the former. The world’s great leaders were never shackled to the past. They always looked far ahead into the future with renewed confidence and optimism. The young ought to emulate such leaders as we build the future in this not-so-new 21st Century.
  3. I hope you have had a very productive conference and that the knowledge you have gained and the ideas you have formed here will, in some way, guide you in your chosen paths. For those of you who are visiting, I hope your remaining days in Malaysia will be very enjoyable.
  4. May the culture of peace be renewed in all of you today.
  1. ‘Financial crisis called top threat to the U.S’, Washington Post, 13 February 2009 ↑
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