Recognize the Vitality Of Student leadership In Fight Against Terrorism

Student leadership has been at the core of the university progress both in infrastructure development and service delivery to students and the immediate community. In utmost reports and communication; they have been termed as “disfranchised pressure groups” instead of fundamental element in the university management.

Furthermost; student leaders are prompted to leadership interest by many factors including; past leadership experience in high school, service to students, and a learning experience and to develop a culture of dialogue with university management. Despite these values, student leaders still face many challenges in efforts to achieve the intended goals. These “path hunks” to success range from institutional rigidities, high student expectation and skepticism, betrayal from some of the perfidious members of the body doctored by the university management.

Universities in EA Region go through various challenges conveyed about by globalization and technological development with the help of an existing competitive environment today. By implication, one of the immediate responses to these challenges is creation of system of governance & leadership which provides a forum for effective representation of all stakeholders particularly the students. No students, No university, No Activity.

A typical student leadership body in any institution today, is responsible to university management in the following areas:

• Assisting management in determining decisions that affect the students.

• Consulting and debating with the students on issues of mutual interest

• Guiding the students responsibly

The above roles are major and central as far as the stability of normal university activities is concerned. In this blog, I would like to talk about how student bodies can exhaust the possibilities of the last responsibility to management (above) in the fight against terrorism.

Radicalization is the main ploy used by the perpetrators of terrorism; this is because the target is susceptible. Students will experience many issues as they pursue higher education in East Africa region; these issues include financial incapacity which boils down to having a flow of income to cater for a few wants. Remember a large percentage of these students do come from a basic rural home with an aim to maximize the education opportunity and bring social and economic transformation in their families.

The knowledge, skills and aptitudes with which students do have is second to none, terrorist see this as an opportunity to tap these important resources to be used for their own goals of disrupting governments and causing fear.

In a number of studies done on radicalization there is no particular definition of violent radicalization or comprehensive multifaceted approach to define it.

The way in which violent radicalization is defined by governments reflects the state’s interests geopolitics as well as the state’s interest to share and guide its anti-radicalization strategies whether to focus on security and punishments measures, religion rehabilitation or socio-economic & political reforms in-order to maintain legitimacy.

Radicalization: The action or process of causing someone to adopt radical positions on political or social issues. Dictionary Definition – online

Essentially, the root causes of radicalization are established by the pathways towards radicalization and violent extremism. In Kenya a study of influence to radicalization and Violent extremism used categories of the opportunist: where the target is motivated by remuneration, boredom and lack of purpose. The avenger has a purpose driven by desire to redress injustice, take revenge, cause political change and achieve personal redemption.

There are multiple processes including polarization of views, identity radicalization, and lineages with likeminded people and encounters with enabling structures.

Through the above knowledge and base of several reasons, objectives and the whole foundation of terrorist activities pointing at the target as a resource; you will comprehend that student leadership can play a fundamental role in countering violent extremism and radicalization in our tertiary institutions.

How?

• Youth Community Initiatives

The student bodies should work closely with respective tertiary institutions in the region to see how best they can use community initiatives to dismantle hopelessness, purposelessness and boredom among the youth. This can be done through creating opportunities such as tree planting, education and generational conversations with elders.

• Unity begets success

Student bodies in the region must comrades together through sporting’s activities and interactive shows that can allow designing of plays that interact the audience and raise awareness about causes of terrorism and its impact in our society today.

• Social Media Education

Through creating awareness on beneficial use of social media, we shall see a massive tech-lit individual growth in East Africa region because 90% of the youth today are well versed with the use of mobile phone. Through this, we can easily navigate the potential harm of radicalization through cyber-crime and hacking, the knowledge to counter such activities can be disseminated in such forums organized by the student leadership.

• Research Initiatives

Tertiary institutions must be the home of solutions to the future problems and issues, student bodies with the help of university senate and management should ensure they embrace the opportunity they have to research initiatives dear to them. Through this, it becomes easy to handle research questions such as studying the link between religion and violent extremism.

This blog aimed at groping the role of education sector through the common voice of student leadership in the radicalization process of young individuals in the higher education in East Africa region.

It is clear that radical activities do not only recruit low-skilled but also well-educated young personalities. Higher institutions act in these processes often as attractive recruitment places as explained in the first paragraphs of this blog, based on these findings; the education sector through comrade leadership has a huge role to play in this fight.

Conclusion

Mitigating and preventing extremist violence effectively may demand new approaches such as resilience practice that emphasize community adaptation and collective action.

Thank You!

Kipserem Nehemiah.

The Best Is Yet To Come.