New Delhi/ Montreal---The UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) based in New Delhi, India and The Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence (CPRLV) based in Montreal, Canada are delighted to join forces for the Prevention of Violent Extremism through Education.

With the aim of putting youth in centre of PVE-E discourses and efforts, the joint activities will place emphasis on mobilising youth leaders under CPRLV’s What if I am wrong? When We Talk, We Learn! and UNESCO MGIEP’s International Youth Campaign on Kindness for the Sustainable Development Goals especially in the North American region.

While the CPRLV’s campaign encourages critical thinking among youth to question their convictions that may sometimes lead to radicalisation, UNESCO MGIEP’s campaign aims to mobilise the world’s youth to achieve the 17 SDGs through Transformative Acts of Kindness. For both these campaigns, the two organisations will work together to recruit youth leaders and influencers to spread their messages far and wide. 

Speaking about the partnership and their joint efforts, Dr Anantha Duraiappah, Director UNESCO MGIEP said: “The CPRLV was an integral partner during the first phase of #YouthWagingPeace. They not only advised and reviewed the publication, they hosted the second authors’ workshop in Montreal and took up the French translation of the Action Guidelines that was launched in April 2018. The youth are our future and we must allow them to exercise their agency to find solutions to our problems for their future wellbeing. We are happy to formerly synergize and I look forward to the fruits of this promising collaboration that aligns with our vision. To prevent violent extremism, or solve any contemporary issue/problem, we must join hands far and wide.”

The two organisations are also committed to enhancing capacities of youth leaders to mobilize community stakeholders and implement community-centred activities or projects to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism and contribute towards long-lasting peace.

The Interim Director of the CPRLV, Mr. Jacques Savard, shared that “UNESCO MGIEP has been at the forefront in developing education and youth led initiatives in the field of PVE-E. With this new partnership, we are very pleased to continue our long-term collaboration. This project will allow us to encourage and mobilize youth by amplifying their voice and give them the platform to be an active part of the global action in preventing violent extremism.”

To that effect, the MGIEP and CPRLV will not only train youth leaders but also provide support for them to implement their community-centred projects in Quebec, Canada and other parts of North America. In addition, to facilitate knowledge sharing and joint resource mobilisation, the two organisations will design and hold events and encourage dialogue on platforms such as UNESCO MGIEP Social .

For more information:

• Anamaria Cardona, Head of Partnerships and Community Engagement Team, CPRLV (acardona@info-radical.org)
• Simon Kuany, PVEE Specialist, UNESCO MGIEP (s.kuany@unesco.org)