STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN PREVENTION OF VIOLENT EXTREMISM: ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES OF PRISHTINA MUNICIPALITY

Kosovar Center for Security Studies has organized today, 13th of July 2017, organized the conference “Strengthening the Role of Women in Prevention of Violent Extremism: 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:

Mrs.  Fitore Pacolli – Municipality of Prishtina

Mrs.  Taibe Canolli – Kosovo Police

Mrs.  Besa Ismaili – University of Islam Studies

Mrs.  Rudinë Jakupi – Researcher at KCSS

The aim of this activity was to discuss about the current engagement of women in preventing violent extremism in the Municipality of Prishtina, with focus on:

• Women as active and passive agents of violent extremism

• Women as subjects of radicalization by violent extremist ideology: Efforts on prevention their further radicalization

• Achievements and challenges regarding the increasing role of women in preventing violent extremism in the municipality of Prishtina

According to the Kosovo Police representative, Mrs. Taibe Canolli, aroundt 40 women are part of the conflict in Syria and Iraq, while 7 of them have returned to Kosovo.

The representative from the University of Islam Studies, Mrs. Besa Ismaili focused her discussion on the challenges of the re-integration process and the lack of cooperation between the institutions of Kosovo and different organizations in relation with educating and developing professional skills of the returnees.

Whereas, Mrs. Fitore Pacolli presented the strategy of Municipality of Prishtina on the re-integration process, their achievements and the challenges they are going through due to lack of capacities in the Municipality of Prishtina.

This activity is organized within the framework of the three-year project titled “Further support to Kosovo institutions in the fight against organized crime, corruption and violent extremism” which is implemented by B & S Europe, commissioned by Kosovo’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and funded by Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) of European Commission. The Kosovar Centre for Security Studies is the B&S Subcontractor for implementation of the Component 4 of this project which deals specifically with supporting Kosovo central and municipal institutions in implementing the abovementioned strategy.