Terrorism is often associated with beliefs that are too extreme. This has become a significant threat to the security of the world. In line with what Lubis (2024) conveyed, terrorist attacks not only cause casualties and material losses but also cause fear, social conflict, and political instability. Therefore, it is vital to increase national political resilience to face the threat of terrorism. In addition, extremism, whether in terms of religion, politics, or ideology, is a significant threat to the social and political stability of a country. Often, extremist groups use violence or radical propaganda to change existing political and social structures. States must implement proactive and reactive policies to oppose extremism and boost the population’s resilience. The specific challenges of terrorism and extremism vary across countries due to different political, social, and economic conditions.
However, many common alternatives can be used to increase the nation’s political resilience in the face of this danger. This can be exemplified by activities that include vigorous law enforcement, increased international cooperation, strong security policies, and the development of a tolerant society. National political resilience to terrorism and extremism depends heavily on effective security policies, which a country needs to develop. Of course, this involves making effective security policies in an efficient way that takes into account human rights and democracy to ensure that the actions taken do not hurt society as a whole. This strategy must also be multidisciplinary and holistic, including the prevention of terrorist attacks, the identification and arrest of perpetrators, and the protection of communities from existing threats. Inclusive community development is also an essential strategy in preventing extremism and terrorism, one of which can be done by creating community-based education for rehabilitating and reintegrating, for instance, as conveyed by Spalek (2012).
Furthermore, rehabilitating former terrorists is an arduous task. Personal disputes, extreme ideas, and societal isolation are all common contributing factors to radicalisation. Successful rehabilitation programs must be adapted to each person’s unique circumstances. In addition, the societal stigma associated with terrorism might hurdle the rehabilitation efforts. Former terrorists typically face prejudice and limited options, raising the likelihood of recidivism. Addressing these obstacles is critical for effective rehabilitation. That’s why engaging in community-based efforts is worthwhile.
Then, reintegrating former terrorists into society involves a complicated set of obstacles. These persons frequently face substantial challenges upon release, including social stigma, economic hardship, and restricted prospects. Fear of relapse can cause social isolation and prejudice, limiting their capacity to reconstruct their life. Furthermore, the transfer to civilian life can be difficult, as former terrorists may lack the skills and education required for employment. These variables, together with the possibility of radicalisation re-emerging, increase the chance of relapse.
Thus, education provided through learning methods has yet to solve various problems society faces, including expensive education costs. This is a fact. Today’s education is only a “luxury” given to the rich and well-off, while the poor are waiting for good fortune. This, of course, can also trigger and give birth to new acts of extremism and terrorism from existing social and economic disparities. Community-based education, also known as “community-based education”, is a model based on the principle of “from society, by society, and for society”. Community education refers to the community as the subject and actor of education, not as an object, so it is expected to reach deeper to educate the community because it is based on the community’s needs. This is undoubtedly due to the shift of sources of terrorism to internal and even mixed, so that it is not only from external factors, as argued by Spalek and Weeks (2017).
Community-based education aims to meet the community’s needs rather than just adding or supplementing formal education materials, as Darwis (2016) stated. This is because many people feel that formal education is getting further away from the actual reality of society. Education needs to pay more attention to local potential with its curriculum, which sometimes does not meet the local community’s needs. With community-based education, what are the problems in society, and what do people need to meet their living needs? The concept of community-based education emphasises the idea of liberation as a way to improve the quality of life. Liberating means escaping the legal and formal shackles that have prevented education from being critical and creative. Since humans have the freedom to choose and do what they want, human nature is to have the freedom to choose, choose, and develop their potential. Through community-based education, we can know what problems are happening in society, and extremism and terrorism can be prevented. This is related to mental conditions, confidence, and even the potential for community participation, which can foster a sense of tolerance and solidarity expected to lead to the fall of radicalism, as explained by Macnair & Frank (2017) and Weine et al. (2017).
References
Darwis, Maidar. “Model Pendidikan Berbasis Komunitas (Sebuah Konsep Pendidikan Alternatif).” Darwis, M.Ag | FITRA, July 24, 2018. https://jurnal.staitapaktuan.ac.id/index.php/fitra/article/view/20.
Lubis, Endang. “Ketahanan Politik Nasional dalam Menghadapi Ancaman Terorisme & Ekstremisme,” 2023. https://liternote.com/index.php/ln/article/view/62.
Macnair, L., & Frank, R. (2017). Voices against extremism: a case study of a community-based CVE counter-narrative campaign. Journal for Deradicalization, 10, 147-168.
Spalek, Basia. “Community-Based Approaches to Counter-Terrorism.” In Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 27–49, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137009524_2.
Spalek, Basia, and Douglas Weeks. “Community-Based Counterterrorism.” Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 40, no. 12 (January 23, 2017): 987–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610x.2016.1253984.
Weine, Stevan M. MD*; Stone, Andrew MD†; Saeed, Aliya MD‡; Shanfield, Stephen MD§; Beahrs, John MD∥; Gutman, Alisa MD†; Mihajlovic, Aida MD*. Violent Extremism, Community-Based Violence Prevention, and Mental Health Professionals. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 205(1):p 54-57, January 2017. | DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000634