FIFTY FORMER violent extremists, including neo-Nazis, Islamic fundamentalists and drugs gang members, are to attend a summit in Dublin co-hosted by Google’s new “think/do tank”, Google Ideas.
The technology company has teamed up with the US think tank Council on Foreign Relations to hold the “Summit Against Violent Extremism” from June 26th to 29th.
Victims of terrorism, diplomats, academics, civil society organisations and the private sector will take part in the summit, which aims to generate new and innovative ways to address the threat posed by radicalisation.
“This is our [Google Ideas] first public event and part of the reason why we are doing this is that radicalisation is a really tough challenge that we face,” said Jared Cohen, director of Google Ideas.
He said Dublin was chosen as the location because of its positive experience of dealing with violent extremism in the Northern Ireland peace process. It is also centrally located for participants, who will travel from all over the world to attend, he said.
The Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation has been asked to share its experience in working with former paramilitaries in Northern Ireland at the summit.
“Symbolically Ireland’s experience with violent extremism has been one that we have seen has proven to be important,” said Mr Cohen.
Several former radicals, who have renounced extremism and are now working to prevent radicalisation, have signed up for the summit. They include TJ Leyden, a former neo-Nazi who has set up a foundation to combat bigotry; Maajid Nawaz, a former member of the Islamist party Hizb ut-Tahrir; and Susan Cruz, a former member of one of the most notorious Latino gangs in the US.
Ms Cruz said the idea that the children who join the drugs gangs in the US are different to those children attracted to religious extremist groups, and who end up as suicide bombers, was wrong. “They may dress different[ly], their language may be different but fundamentally deep down inside the child that joins a gang is the same child that joins a militia or an extremist religious group . . . they are all looking for the same things,” said Ms Cruz, who works with children to steer them away from violent gangs in the US. Shot and imprisoned when she was a gang member in Los Angeles, she said she hoped the summit would find solutions to help children stay away from extremist groups and provide hope that people can change.
Google is interested in the way technology is used by extremist groups to recruit members and by pro-democracy demonstrators in North Africa and the Middle East.