Secretary of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation: Young people can be "resources for their countries and for the world," but it is necessary to fight the social problems and the narrative that leads to violent extremism.
Riyadh (AsiaNews) - 28.5% of the population aged 15 to 29 live in a country of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) - a total of almost 500 million young people. The OIC general secretary-general, Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, said on July 10 at the opening of a meeting of foreign ministers in Abidjan (Ivory Coast). In his speech, Al-Othaimeen reiterated that the youth issue is a priority for the organization.
He stated that the current situation poses "opportunities and challenges" because young people can represent important "resources for their countries and for the world", but we must fight challenges such as "economic deprivation, political exclusion, social marginalization And the disintegration of families, "creates" fertile ground for extremist and terrorist organizations to recruit young people for their deplorable purposes. " In the world of "social media and global inter-connectivity," continued the secretary-general, a "narrative against violent extremism" is needed.
According to the OIC press release, several young people from the Member States participated in the meeting, presenting proposals for activities and recommendations to promote their participation in various fields at national and international level.