ASEAN holds meet on peace, violent extremism

Citing the growing influence of violent extremist groups across Southeast Asia, the radicalization of conflict-affected communities, the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) together with the ASEAN Society-Philippines (ASP) and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, will be holding the “2017 ASEAN Conference on Peace and the Prevention of Violent Extremism” on Sept. 22-23 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila.

The organizers of the twoday event said that violent extremism calls for a “sustainable, multidimensional, and inclusive counter-terrorism approach that goes beyond the use of force and law enforcement.”

The PCID said that civil society organizations have a role to play in the prevention of violent extremism.

The two-day conference is also envisioned to elicit perspectives on the challenges posed by evolving ideology and faith-based radicalization and the extent of influence of violent extremist groups in the Philippines and the ASEAN region.

The conference aims to get an exchange of best practices and networking of organizations that focus on prevention of violence and extremism and countering violent extremism, allowing these organizations to adapt initiatives that have worked, and to engaged local actors and strengthening their communities’ resiliency.

An estimated 300 participants, consisting of local and international security analysts, peace advocates, civil society, academe, religious leaders, business leaders, political leaders, media, women and members of the youth are expected to discuss the possible multifaceted approaches to resilient peace-building and the prevention of violent extremist narratives in ASEAN member states.

Former president Fidel Ramos together with former ASEAN secretary generals Ambassador Ong Keng-Yong and Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN ministers and leaders from conflict-affected areas of Mindanao are expected to drive the conversations surrounding community resiliency, and also to contribute meaningful insights to the conference discourse.

The conference is in partnership with the Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development, the Australian embassy, Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the embassy of Switzerland, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of the Philippines (UP).

Leading the ASEAN Society Philippines is former president Fidel Ramos, who serves as the organization’s chairman emeritus.

He is joined by Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert, former Secretary of Foreign Affairs; Edgardo J. Angara, former senator and president of the University of the Philippines; Dr. Federico Macaranas, chairman, Asian Institute of Management’s economics department and former Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the APEC SOM 1996; Amina RasulBernardo, former presidential adviser on youth affairs and University of the Philippines president Danilo Concepcion.

The Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization dedicated to the study of Islamic and democratic political thought and the search for peace, democracy and development in Muslim communities.

First established as a council in 2002, PCID was formed amid global and domestic challenges confronting Islam and Muslims.