COOPERATION BETWEEN STATE AND NON-STATE ACTORS IN PREVENTION OF VIOLENT EXTREMISM - ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES OF PRISHTINA MUNICIPALITY

Kosovar Center for Security Studies, today, on 18th of July 2017, organized the roundtable on implementation of “Strategy and Action Plan on Prevention of Violent Extremism and Radicalization Leading to Terrorism 2015-2020” that was focused on Achievements and Challenges of Prishtina Municipality.

This event brought together representatives from the local and central level, civil society, media, International Missions in Kosovo and representatives from diplomatic missions in Kosovo.

Invited as panelists were:

Mr. Dardan Sejdiu –Deputy Mayor of Prishtina Municipality

Mr. Agron Metolli – Kosovo Police

Mr.Fitim Flugaj– Islamic Community of Kosovo(BIK)

Mr. Florian Qehaja – Executive Director of KCSS

The aim of this activity was to discuss about the current engagement of the governmental and non-governmental organizations in cooperation with Municipality of Prishtina on preventing the violent extremism, with focus on:

• Cooperation between State and Non-State actors in Prevention of Violent Extremism;

• Socio-Economic factors as a key element in preventing violent extremism;

• Achievements and challenges in preventing violent extremism in the municipality of Prishtina.

The Executive Director of KCSS Mr. Florian Qehaja presented the KCSS work on PVE and organizations  contribution in drafting the National Strategy and expressed the readiness of KCSS in cooperating with the central and local level on PVE.

Mr. Agron Metolli, Kosovo Police representative spoke about the influence of foreign organizations on the radicalization of Kosovo citizens and the institutional vacum that those organizations used to infiltrate in a post-war Kosovo.

Whereas, Mr. Dardan Sejdiu presented the strategy of Municipality of Prishtina on PVE, their achievements and the challenges they are going through due to lack of capacities in the Municipality of Prishtina.