Paris, France, January 2019 – Encouraging at the local level young Europeans to build alternative narratives to extremism and intolerance is the objective of a new, Efus-led European project titled “LOUD – Local young leaders for inclusion”, which started in January.
The project is based on evidence showing that young people have been particularly hit by the consequences of the 2008 crisis and that this could lead some to intolerance and extremism, a situation that calls for local responses that strengthen inclusion and tolerance.
> Fostering inclusive environments for young people
Gathering nine local authorities and three NGOs from five European countries for a duration of two years (until January 2021), LOUD will seek to foster inclusive environments for young people in order to prevent them from drifting into intolerant and extremist behaviours.
The project will seek to counter all forms of intolerance and extremist propaganda among young people; provide effective alternative narratives at the local level; empower young people on tackling discrimination and extremist contents, and promote European exchanges on alternative narratives among young people.
The project will make a diagnosis of the situation in this respect in nine local authorities in order to enable local governments to set their priorities and identify key local stakeholders. Furthermore, it will organise on site training sessions on the methodology of counter narrative and the building of local campaigns. Lastly, nine local alternative narrative campaigns will be created by young Europeans.
> A substantive body of work by Efus on the prevention of radicalisation
This new project will enrich the work Efus has been conducting for several years now on the issues of discrimination, radicalisation and extremism, in particular through several European projects such as JUST on the prevention of discriminatory violence; Liaise (Local institutions against violent extremism); Stresaviora (Bounce), which seeks to strengthen the resilience of young people in the face of radical and extremist messages; Local voices (Local communication strategies to prevent extremism), and PRACTICIES (Partnership against violent radicalisation in cities).
Efus also started in January a project on the local prevention of polarisation and radicalisation, BRIDGE.
>>> More information on the LOUD project
>>> Read the publication of the JUST project, Preventing Discriminatory Violence at the Local Level: Practices and Recommendations
The European Forum for Urban Security is currently looking for an expert for the LOUD project. Know more
