The Role of Victims and Victims’
Associations in the Prevention of
Terrorism and Violent Extremism
Ahmed Hadji
Victim of July 2010 Uganda Terrorist Bombing, and CoFounder, Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum
(UMYDF)
(www.umydf.org)
Where are the Victims of Kampala
2010 Terrorist Attacks?
• Back to the villages, cannot take care of
themselves in town
• Staying with relatives, cannot take care of
themselves
• In seclusion, disturbed, emotionally perturbed
• We don’t know where others are!
What Inspired Us
• Three Things:
1. Giving hope to the victims;
2. A unique approach to countering violent
extremism (CVE) (imams, mosques, inter
faith, social media, anniversary);
3. To show resilience, to fight back, and prove
that they are not winning.
Imam Scholarship
Entrepreneurship
& Strategic Plan
Training
UMYDF
Activities
Social Media Training
CVE IEC
What Are We Doing?
• Newspaper Articles
• Imams CVE Training (social media, CVE strategies, mosques as
centres for development)
• Imams scholarship to US
• Partnerships with police and Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU)
• Building local capacity in Inter-Faith Dialogue in Uganda.
• Training of Trainers for Imams in Peace building and Conflict
Resolution
• Civic Education for Peace & Diversity in Ugandan Qur’anic Schools.
• Regional Conference to Support Reform and Modernization of
Ugandan Qur’anic Schools.
• MSLS (Muslim Students Leadership Symposium)
Where are we Doing it?
Kampala
District
UMDF
Regions
Mbale
District
Wakiso
District
How May People Have We Reached?
151 Imams
213 Muslim Youth
2 Media Houses
1 Senior Police Officer
3 Districts
Partnership with Islamic University in
Uganda (IUIU)
• Scholarship for Imams
• Training on social media, mass media, and
CVE
• Training on transforming mosques to centers
of development
• [insert picture of training Imams]
Partnering with Somali Youth
Somali Youth Action for Change-SYAC
• Somali Youth have a program which we
helped found in Kisenyi, a city slum area;
• We train them on entrepreneurship, proposal
writing, strategic planning, English, human
rights and governance
• [insert picture of training somali youth]
Strategic Planning &
Entrepreneurship Training
• Focusing on Imams and At Risk Youth (Slums)
• With Somali youth action for change-SYAC
• With youth in the mosques
• [insert picture of training imams]
Victims Anniversary
• Held on …
• Addressed:
1. Experience sharing;
2. Encouragement;
3. Counseling; and
Partnering with Security Agents
• Security Officials As Facilitators And Partners
• UMDF is the current public national resource
for anti terrorism information
Our Funding
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
We need funding to:
Train Imans’ on social media, and CVE tactics
Fund Imams’ scholarship with IUIU
Train youth on entrepreneurship skills
Transform mosques to development centres
Carry out inter-faith CVE programs
Train media on reporting on CVE
Develop IEC materials on CVE
Carry out monitoring and evaluation of our work
• US State Dept (PREACT Program)
Lessons Learnt
• Engaging Security Officials in programs very
important
• Need to address livelihoods of the at risk
populations!
• Partnering with media to share our work!
• Increasing capacity of Imams (social media,
transforming mosques to development areas,
etc)
Challenges
• Computer illiteracy of Imams;
• Lack of social media tools (computers, laptops,
etc), by Imams;
• Lack of victims association to follow up;
• Lack of clear role of victims on the anti
terrorism act;
• Lack of a national resource centre;
• Victims’ families not reached.
Future Plans
• Scholarship for 160 Imams- Imam Weekend Academic
Programs in partnership with the Islamic University in
Uganda (I.U.I.U).
• Victims Rehabilitation Centre
• Review Of The Anti Terror Act To Recognize The Role Of
Victims
• Journalist CVE Training
• CVE Materials
• National Resource Centre for CVE (DVDs, audios, books,
magazines)
• National Muslim Leadership Institute- Youth Leadership
Camps
How Can You Help?
• Donating CVE IEC Materials
• Providing financing for trainings, advocacy,
scholarships, anniversary of victims
• Support the victims rehabilitation centre
• Support the annual anniversary of victims
• Support our advocacy to review the act
Thank You!
Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum
P. O. BOX 4365 Kampala - Uganda,
Plot 2, Agape Close, Ntinda Kigoowa
Tel: +256 312 518127
Email: info@umydg.org
Website: www.umydf.org