€650,000 to fight youth radicalisation

The programme is part of the government’s action plan for the prevention of radicalisation that can lead to extremism and terrorism. Radical Islamists play on the insecurities of youth, and in particular the disadvantaged position of Muslim youth, said the ministers, to convince young people to join them. Many from Flanders have been convinced to travel to Syria to fight.

The action plan, approved in April, targets vulnerable young people and aims to increase their social engagement. “Young people who struggle with questions of identity, who are looking for a purpose in life and a place where they belong but who cannot find it from parents, friends or teachers are frequently vulnerable to fanatical ideas,” said Homans (pictured). “We want to give those young people the chance to engage with society and develop a greater sense of self-worth.”

The project will help “organisations that are close to young people,” added Gatze, “like youth organisations, sports clubs, groups linked to mosques and volunteer associations. We are inviting them to submit project applications for target groups aged between 12 and 30, projects that help young people create a self-image they can be proud of and where they learn how it feels to be worth something, to belong.”

Application forms can be obtained from www.integratiebeleid.be or www.jeugdbeleid.be and must be submitted by 6 September. Subsidies run for two years.