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A symposium on fighting extremism in youth

Dr. Kawser Ahned, photo supplied

Dr. Kawser Ahmed, photo supplied

UWinnipeg’s Post Doctoral Fellow Dr. Kawser Ahmed, (political science) is presenting a symposium titled Radicalism Driven Violent Extremism: in search of a Pedagogical Model for Conflict Transformation, on Wednesday, February 13, 2019 from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm, in room 4C83, in Centennial Hall. This symposium is a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) sponsored project under the supervision of  UWnnipeg’s Dr. Tanya Narozhna, (political science), and is hosted by the Department of Political Science.

“Radicalization to violence is a global concern and Manitoba is not immune to it,” said Ahmed.”Almost everyday we come across extremism and violence related incidents in media. Given such a trend, this research looks into developing an extremism intervention model implementable in educational institutions in Manitoba through mobilizing educators, community leaders, and policy makers.”

Ahmed’s research has found that a stakeholders-led pedagogical approach is needed to shift such extreme narratives and intervene in radicalization.

“In light of this, my project considers building a consensus among  key stakeholders (educators and policymakers) as an essential first step towards realizing its goals followed by developing a pedagogical intervention model befitting to the needs of the youth of Manitoba.”

Participants include educators, community members, Provincial policy makers and the Winnipeg Police Service. The symposium will have presentations and discussions on  the resources and tools needed to address extremism. Extremism and radicalization to violence is a global concern urgently requiring the advancement of knowledge on prevention. The symposium is free and open to the public.

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