Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the US

Violent Extremism in the United States
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Violent Extremism in the United States
One of the main problems affecting peace in the United States is the encouragement, condoning, justification, or acceptance of the use of violence to further political, ideological, religious, social, or economic aims. The U.S. government agency has supported research on violent extremism's radicalization and how to prevent and combat it for more than ten years (Arlington, 2015). This term paper attempts to explain how empowering local partners has been employed to achieve the prevention of violent extremism in the US. Also, this paper will focus on how terrorism is politically motivated violence against non-combatants to spread fear, terrorize, and force some policy change.
* Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the US
The United States government is actively involved in cubing violent extremism by empowering the communities’ local partners. The state emphasizes the strength of communities as being at the heart of the strategy while relying on a wide range of competencies and tools that are crucial to preventing violent extremism. Families, local communities, and local institutions that are knowledgeable and prepared are the best barriers against violent extremist ideas (The White House, 2011). The United States has a long history of community-based initiatives and collaborations addressing a variety of public safety concerns. The community's awareness of the threat and readiness to cooperate with one another and the government is a part of that history. Because violent extremists are aiming at their children, families, and neighbors, communities are best positioned to identify and address the threat. The state must discover ways to assist these communities in protecting themselves rather than criticizing specific communities. In order to do this, the government must keep working to make sure that all Americans recognize their importance as citizens and as allies in the fight against violent extremist beliefs and groups that aim to undermine society.
The United States federal government will frequently be ill-equipped to intervene in the societal enclaves where radicalization to violence occurs, but through its connections to local government, law enforcement, mayor's offices, the private sector, local service providers, academia, and many other groups that can aid in preventing violent extremism, it can foster partnerships to support communities (The White House, 2011). Local stakeholders and practitioners who are on the ground and well-positioned to forge grassroots partnerships with the communities they serve are now receiving more support from federal departments and agencies. The state has a wealth of expertise in assisting locally based projects that link communities and government to address local issues through cooperation and the formation of stakeholder networks.
Community-based problem-solving is an effective model of organizing communities and government to counter violent extremism in the United States. The following are examples of this model in practice;
Comprehensive Gang Model
Communities can adopt the Department of Justice's Comprehensive Gang Model, a flexible framework that includes community mobilization, social intervention, opportunities for educational and professional progression, and organizational transformation, to lessen or prevent gang activity. To implement cutting-edge techniques in gang prevention, intervention, and suppression, local community organizations and government offices responsible for combating gang-police, schools, probation officers, youth agencies, grassroots organizations, government, and others. This will help identify causes, recommend appropriate responses, and choose activities for local implementation. In affected areas around the country, the significant gang-related offenses have decreased as a result of this multifaceted, community-led approach to gangs, which is directed by local stakeholders and backed by the federal government.
Building Communities of Trust Initiative
The Building Communities of Confidence (BCOT) Initiative was started by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to increase trust between police, fusion centers, and the communities they serve to combat the difficulties of crime and terrorism prevention (Homeland Security, 2022). To support BCOT, a National Planning Team made up of representatives from the federal, state, and local governments, community organizations, and privacy and civil liberties groups met and held roundtable discussions in specific locations. The goal of these discussions was to examine how to create and uphold trustworthy relationships. These roundtables' lessons have led to government recommendations emphasizing the significance of meaningful information exchange, responding to community concerns, and separating cultural practices that may legitimately indicate criminal activity or terrorism precursors from those that do not. The BCOT initiative has been implemented in over 15 urban areas across the country.
Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative
The Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Initiative was developed to enhance broader, more comprehensive local initiatives to combat violence and drug misuse among the country's young, schools, and communities (The White House, 2011). The initiative was launched by the Departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services. School districts must collaborate with local law enforcement, juvenile justice officials, and mental health professionals to be eligible for an SS/HS award. Programs that promote early childhood development, social, emotional, and behavioral development, as well as school- and community-based mental health services, must be included in proposals. The Initiative has led to fewer pupils experiencing or seeing violence, improved school safety, and a general decline in violence in the neighborhoods where the initiative is engaged.
Enhancing Federal Engagement with and Support to Local Communities that may be
Targeted by Violent Extremists reduces the cases of violence in the United States. The functions of the federal government include real interaction and communication with the American people. The open system of government mandates that the government answer questions, enlighten the public, and disseminate data on its projects, policies, and programs. The government provides a forum for communities to voice complaints and offer input on legislation and governance. This is accomplished through holding forums, creating brochures, replying to mail, publishing information on websites, and directly engaging with communities. This makes it simpler to respond to inquiries, providing information and direction, and presents chances for communities to offer insightful recommendations on how the government may be more effective and responsive in resolving their concerns.
b) Terrorism is politically motivated violence against non-combatants in order to spread fear, terrorize, and force some change in policy.
The illegal use of force or threat of force or violence, in violation of federal law, to advance political and/or social agendas has risen in the United States. They are mostly thought to result from anti-government or anti-authority sentiment, including opposition to perceived economic, social, or racial hierarchies, as well as perceived government overreach, negligence, or illegitimacy. Typically, threats from anarchist violent extremists (AVEs), militia violent extremists (MVEs), and sovereign citizen violent (SCV...