Are young people the key to countering extremism?
- How can young people prevent the radicalisation of their generation?
- Can we create a truly inclusive civil society?
- Global politics is increasingly extreme – how do we amplify moderate voices?
Over one fifth of the world’s people are living with violence, political conflict and insecurity. The United Nations states that if these issues are not addressed, four times as many people will be affected by the year 2050. Already more than half of the One Young World community lives in fear of terrorist attacks in their country, and almost two-fifths lives in countries which have experienced a terrorist attack in the last two years.
It’s not just terrorism that fuels social conflict. 70% of One Young World Ambassadors have witnessed violence created by intolerance and extremism in their own communities, with over a third having been personally attacked, either verbally or physically. More than half thinks violence in society has increased in the last ten years.
Whilst over half the One Young World community believes rising intolerance and extremism are causing free speech to diminish, they also believe the media increases fear of terrorism. The basic right to freedom of expression whether as a journalist or an individual is an essential part of any democracy and a basic human right but a greater tolerance for diversity among people is essential for a more peaceful society.
