Perhaps, alongside the deleterious effects of climate change
and natural disasters exacerbated by unsustainable socioeconomic practices,
effects of increasing youth radicalization and extremism poses one of the most
turbulent distractions to mainstream global issues. Unfortunately, global and
local actors seem to misunderstand the potential and actual motivations
surrounding this emerging phenomenon. The mantra of hunger and unemployment is
dominating local and international debates on the question. But there is
apparently more to the question of radicalization and extremism, in relation to
hunger and youths unemployment, than it reaches mainstream understanding.
There is global awe about a suddenly obvious proliferation of
youth subscription into insurgent activities often propelled by extremist
ideologies. That is a known fact. Vis-à-vis present demographic transitions,
there is an ever rising trend of misguided population movements from rural
peripheries into urban metropolis leading to alarmingly loud concentration of
desperate youths in city centres especially in Africa. To that effect, it is
ever more imperative to identify the vulnerabilities upon which youth
radicalization and extremism lies. The complications get even worse when we try
to answer the question why youths are increasingly being agents of destruction
instead of being productive members of their communities. These trends have
provoked several narratives from different development angels. But whether
these narratives exist in cluster or not, the question at stake is as we feel
the impacts of Boko haram insurgents in North East Nigeria and Far North of
Cameroon, Alshabaab insurgents in almost all of Somalia including Kenya and
beyond, and the Tuareg insurgent groups in Mali who are just about to
completely retreat into the deserts, are these narratives based on old thinking
or do they offer new thinking, new forms of measurement and research into the
root causes of why youths are increasingly being radicalized and mobilized into
extreme groups.
Much has been argued about tackling the unemployment crises
that is keeping many youth idle and leaving them vulnerable as destructive
agents rather than constructive ones. Other arguments have emerged about the
question of alleviating youth poverty as a critical step to mitigating exposure
of youths to radicalization through extremist groups. These assumptions are
good, but it remains to be seen if the discussion will in fact lead to more
research and a greater focus on evidence-based approaches tackling the root
causes of the issues.
“Development efforts have often been driven by assumptions and not evidence,”
said Keith Proctor, a senior policy researcher at Mercy Corps.
In a summit held at the White House about countering violent extremism, the
U.S. government signalled that it was going to look with greater sophistication
at the root causes of violence.
There is no doubt that the
narrative often held that poverty and unemployment were the primary motivators
of violent extremism, but the factors that lead youths to become radicalized
are much more complex. While not the crucial factor, jobs remain important, in
part because unemployment, or underemployment, is illustrative of a number of
other challenges. What about when youths perceive that they are shut out of
important decisions and opportunities?
Too often than not, during critical stages in youths lives, social and
political exclusion can lead them to a point of anguish or hopelessness. “What we’re seeing is that it’s not just
about jobs, it’s a broader marginalization,” said Nicole Goldin, director of
the Youth, Prosperity and Security Initiative at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies.
As many misleading researches
continue to live on the old thinking, governments and stakeholders must be
clear it’s not poverty alone that is leading youths into radicalization and
extremism because while the vast majority of young Africans for the past half a
century live in poverty and most of them are unemployed most of them are also
very peaceful. In spite of the acknowledged exploitation of young people as
canon fodders, the question of youths not finding identity, purpose and value
in society is as important as any critical push factor. However, in all
analysis than exist, it is hard to find any that is more important than the
other.
African leaders from local and national levels are crisscrossing around
the world looking for solutions to increasing violent conflicts resulting from
increased involvement of young people into radicalized extreme groups. That is
a sign of false hope. The push factors are self inflicted and solutions must be
generic. Apart from push factors, pull factors such as personal rewards
associated with membership of a radical group that offers economic gains than
the governments does, that adds to ones
fame and glory, and provides personal empowerment by owning a few dollars to
buy a cell phone or appeal from religious ideology are critical inducements but
relegated.
Often neglected are push factors such as corruption, weak governance to
drive inclusive growth, lack of rule of law and social justice to address
grievances, lack of social inclusion, grievances, a broader lack of
opportunities that empower young people perceived marginalization.
“Disenfranchisement, government corruption, ethnic divisions and exposure to
violence are all critical factors”, said Proctor from Mercy Corps.
Any effective aversion of this state of affairs in Africa particularly requires broad based
understanding of the push and pull factors. Addressing the question of
corruption as it affects the marginalized and disenfranchised groups in society
is critical. Creating holistic approaches to identify critical incentives to
radicalization and extremism, and developing comprehensive programs that
include youths at all level particularly the question of making them to feel a
sense of identity, purpose and value, and creating space where they become
productive other than being destructive members of the community. This is the
task that should keep our government officials waking up early in the morning
and sleeping late into the night. It is the task we all should be behind.
Thank you
Tabi
H. Joda Plant a tree today to avert climate change 
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