The training addressed various facets of terrorism, exploring different manifestations of violent extremism. It then progressed to discussing the strategic goals outlined in the Strategy.
Labinot Leposhtica, the Legal Office and Monitoring Coordinator at BIRN Kosovo and member of the Working Group for the National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism, emphasized the crucial role local communities play in combating extremism and terrorism. He underscored the pressing need for the strategy to be effectively implemented at the local level.
Milot Sfishta, a representative from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, highlighted the vital role that local authorities play in achieving the goals of the Strategy.
The event provided a detailed presentation of the situation concerning returnees, underlining the significance of local involvement in the overall process.
During the training, participants discussed the challenges of preventing terrorism and violent extremism in Kosovo. They emphasized the importance of early identification—whether of potential radical behavior or childhood aggression—as a key to effective prevention. They also highlighted the need for context-specific strategies, cautioning against directly copying models from other countries without adapting them to local realities.
The one-day workshop, which is part of the ‘Resilient and Inclusive Community Programme’ funded by GCERF, had 12 participants, 5 of whom were women.
During the workshop, the attendees were engaged and expressed their opinions that such workshops are very important for them as a referral mechanism to be more informed on P/VE, R&R, and other forms of extremism so that they can exercise those in the Municipality of Junik.