HEALING RADICALIZED YOUTH

- Arun Wakhlu
1. The Context:

The world is at a cross-road. Violent extremism and the underlying forces of radicalization
constitute a pervasive global challenge for all. While radicalisation is not confined to any age,
sex, group or community, young people are particularly vulnerable to the messages of violent
extremists and terrorist organizations.
In the face of such threats, our youth need relevant and timely learning opportunities to
develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that can help them build their resilience to such
propaganda.
In this article, we will look at the what radicalization is, how youth get radicalized, and finally
, how we can prevent and heal the radicalisation of youth.

2. What is radicalization?

Radicalization is a process by which an individual, or group comes to adopt

increasingly extreme political, social, or religious ideals and aspirations that reject or
undermine the status quo or contemporary ideas and expressions of a nation.
There is no universally accepted definition of radicalization. It can mean different things to
different people. The UK Home Office defines radicalization as “The process by which people
come to support terrorism and violent extremism and, in some cases, then join terrorist
groups.”
Violent extremism refers to the beliefs and actions of people who support or use ideologically-
motivated violence to achieve radical ideological, religious or political views.
Violent extremist views can be exhibited along a range of issues, including politics, religion and
gender relations. No society, religious community or world view is immune to such violent
extremism.
3. How do youth get Radicalized?
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn has remarked that all violence is born from untruths and lies:
“Violence can only be concealed by a Lie, & the Lie can only be maintained by Violence. ... Any
man, who has once proclaimed Violence as his Method, is inevitably forced to take the Lie as his
Principle”.
We have seen this vicious circle operate in Kashmir. Lies, doctored news, rumours, brainwashing
and deliberately planted distortions feed into a growing vicious circle of violence. Virulent
distortions and propaganda feed into inflaming passions, the spilling out of children, women
and youth onto the streets, protection of criminals from security forces, death of innocent
people in cross-fire, more forced shutdowns of business, emotionally charged funerals,
enhanced security surveillance and operations, stereotyping and labelling, more rage, more loss
of business, and growing hatred. The vicious circle of lies, violence and suffering continues in
this way.
The discontent is also fueled by marginalization, visible inequality, discrimination, persecution
or the perception thereof; limited access to quality and relevant education; the denial of rights
and civil liberties; and other environmental, historical and socio-economic grievances.
Poor governance, corruption and criminality (e.g. the rampant sale of Drugs, often with the
connivance of officials) and the lack of gainful employment.
Breeding on this fertile ground of anger and discontent, is the negative influence of well-organized
violent extremist groups with compelling discourses, slick propaganda videos and effective
programmes. They provide services, revenue and/or employment in exchange for
membership. Such groups also lure new members by providing outlets for grievances and
promise of arms training, adventure across the border or in distant lands and azadi (freedom).
Furthermore, these groups appear to offer spiritual comfort, “a place to belong” and a
supportive social network.
Besides what has been mentioned above, there are also other related factors like:
- A lack of identity, purpose or sense of belonging coupled with the promise of a better
life;
- Dehumanization through inculcating indifference to violence through violent games e.g
Video Games where killing people is like eating popcorn, getting youth to watch
beheadings and murders;
- Lack of understanding of faith, and being fed on highly distorted and erroneous versions
of faith; and
- A lack of training in critical thinking, discernment, rational assessment due to a lack of
good emotional and ethical education.
So, Radicalisation of youth and their getting involved in terrorism or violent extremism is the
outcome of many Contextual and Systemic Pull and Push factors. Our response as citizens,
NGOs, government leaders and all those who love Peace and Compassion, therefore, also
has to be systemic and wholesome. Piece meal solutions to Radicalisation will not bring
Peace!

4. Preventing Radicalization and Healing Radicalized Youth

Prevention of radicalization is far better than curing it.

The immediate emergency response of Governments has to be a shutting down of the sources
of radicalization .Identify such people / institutions where it happens, block the supply of funds
to such purveyors of venom polluting minds of young people and keep a strict watch for
sources of radicalization through Social Media. While this is an immediate measure, it is not a
lasting solution to the problem of radicalization.

Just as our bodies have different levels of Immunity which can resist the attack of viruses, we
have to ensure that our education system, social support systems for young people and society
as a whole is immune to the virulent virus of hate and lies, in the form of propaganda. This will
require several preventive steps.

The best practices of local communities in Mechelen (Belgium), and Aarhus (Denmark) have
shown the following measures that work in preventing radicalization :

 Targeting at-risk vulnerable groups and assimilating them into the rest of society,
significantly reduces the chances of radicalization;
 Safe spaces for young people (like Youth Clubs) where they can play sports, study, make
music, eat, and talk to each other helps in keeping young people positively engaged;
 Practical assistance in the form of Career Counselling, helping young people find jobs,
giving a listening ear and solving problems helps to build trust;
 Inter cultural and Inter Religious dialogues and celebrations help to create wholeness,
okayness, and mutual trust;
 The whole community and many agencies (the police, Local NGOs, and Community
organizations, Social Welfare Departments, Neighborhood Groups) etc. all worked
coherently together to create a preventive and responsive Network that
The points above show that social cohesion and honouring diversity through a lot of open and
high levels of Communication (especially empathetic listening) helps to build the Social Immune
System that resists the virus of Fear, Mistrust and Radicalisation.

Education is the single most important intervention point for preventing radicalization and
creating one wholesome world. HH The Dalai Lama, talks of “a worldwide movement
promoting the message of love through education” to tackle the world's problems. He invites
us to draw upon and evoke the intrinsic Compassionate nature at the core of all living beings:

Here are a few things that we can do as Educators to Prevent and Heal radicalisation:

 Socio Emotional and Ethical (SEE) Learning :

Our schools and the educational; system as a whole need to educate children in important
skills like Emotional Hygiene ,Mindfulness, Emotional intelligence, and rational thinking. It is in
the minds of children that radicalization is born and it is in the minds of children that the light
of humanism and wholeness, secular humanism and ethical reasoning have to be brought
back. Mindfulness training, closely linked to this point above, is the development of the
awareness and presence in children. Many practical exercises for training in SEE and
Mindfulness are also available on the net. (See references: 1, 2 and 3)

 Cultivating values and new patterns of thoughts:

The use of stories and biographies of great people who have had a positive impact on society
are inspiring ways to evoke humanism and positive values in children. Skilled and trained
teachers can draw upon story banks to pull out these stories and also to link them to humanistic
and wholesome values.
 Art from the Heart

Art (Music, Painting, Singing, Dance, Theatre, Films etc.) has a powerful healing effect on people
who create it and also experience it. It is an excellent tool for catharsis and healing. It puts
students in touch with the Creative Intelligence at our core. They learn the power of creation
and choice.

 Connecting with Nature

Standing on the edge of the alpine Tarsar lake in Kashmir, or looking down at the Dal Lake from
the Twin Peak above Shalimar, one cannot but be in awe of the Grandeur and magnificence of
the Creator! There is something about the energy of a forest that calms you down. I remember
hugging an 800 year old Sitka Spruce tree in Cape Meares State Park , Oregon. It felt like the
love of an ancient compassionate grandmother pouring into my body. Regular times out in
nature, silent walks in forests and gardens, silent sitting amidst nature has an immense calming
effect on people. It evokes a connectedness with the deeper life-giving energies that run the
forest and the rest of nature.

 Appreciating, and Serving from our Strengths:

Focusing on the strengths of youth and building on their desire for mastery, autonomy and
higher purpose will keep them away from radicalisation. It also helps them to look at making
effective career choices based on Compassionate Work : what they love doing and are
naturally gifted at . Work as service with Love is a great healer and connector!
 Creating Spaces for Compassionate Communication:

Radicalized youth have often been at the receiving end of unspeakable violence. Bringing such
youth back into the main stream, purging their guilt and rekindling their numbed emotions
requires spaces for compassionate conversations. When safe spaces for open, heartfelt
conversations are created, and we are free to discuss things that we truly care about, a space
of healing is opened up.
His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama has said:
“The 20th century was the century of violence. Conflicts cannot be solved by violence. Let’s
make the 21st century a century of dialogue.”
Compassionate Communication (especially listening) and dialogue hold the key to both
preventing radicalisation and healing of Radicalized youth:
Here are three examples of Compassionate Communication at play:

1) When our parents Khem Lata and Omkar were in the captivity of Hizbullah Militants
in Kashmir for 45 days ( in September-October 1991), it was their compassionate
teaching, communication and listening that helped them to build bridges of
understanding with their radicalized captors. This subsequently led to their release;
 2) At the Indo-Pakistan People to People Diaglouge for Peace and Prosperity ( held in
August 2001 at the Initiatives of Change Centre, Asia Plateau, Panchgani, India)
former Militants, Generals from India and Pakistan, Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims,
Students, Teachers and Activists from Civil society, all sat together with deep respect
and an open heart to Listen empathetically to each other. We sat silently, washed
dishes, sang and danced together as One Human Family (not as “us” and “them”).
Immense healing took place;

3) In 2018 and 2019, nearly 40 children from three schools in Pune, India and
Karachi/Sindh Pakistan interacted with each other using Video Conferencing (Zoom).
The theme was Collaborating for Compassion. A few outcomes that emerged for the
Youth and Teachers:
 Recognizing that we are truly One Global family;
 Dissolving long-held stereotypes of “Us” and “Them”; and
 Commitment to co-creating a new story of Peace, Compassion and Prosperity
together as youth leaders.

Conversational tools and processes like Appreciative Inquiry, Open Space Technology and
Word Café are available to create spaces for such compassiponate conversations. Good
leaders/facilitators would also have to be developed to make this happen.

5. Conclusion

As Leaders, Teachers and Youth become more whole, a natural sense of responsibility, born out
of compassion and love, will arise in us. We will see Youth all over the world as our family.
As His Holiness the Dalai Lama puts it:
“To meet the challenges of our times, I believe that humanity must develop a greater sense of
universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for our own individual self, family
or nation, but for the benefit of all mankind.”
Today , all of us are interdependent and closely interconnected with each other. With a feeling
of universal brotherhood and sisterhood, and an understanding that we really are a part of one
big human family, we can overcome the downward spiral of radicalisation, violent extremism
and suffering. We can together take actions to bring about peace and prosperity in all strife torn
regions of the world.
Our youth, awake to the infinite love and compassion that abounds at our core, will consciously
co-create a world which is spiritually fulfilling, socially just and environmentally sustainable. The
light of Truth and Love burning in their Hearts, will pave the way for One Wholesome World.
References:
1. UNESCO, A Teacher’s guide on the prevention of violent extremism:
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000244676
2. Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning (SEE): https://seelearning.emory.edu/
3. Fargo, Sean: https://mindfulnessexercises.com/
4. Wakhlu, Dr. Omkar Nath and Wakhlu, Arun: “One Wholesome World”
5. Dalai Lama, H.H: BEYOND RELIGION: ETHICS FOR A WHOLE WORLD
6. Monetsorri, Maria, The Silence Game: https://livingmontessorinow.com/the-silence-
game/