DPC POLICY NOTE 10: Countering the Cultivation of Extremism in Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Case for Comprehensive Education Reform.
DPC POLICY NOTE 10: Countering the Cultivation of Extremism in Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Case for Comprehensive Education Reform.

Author(s): Valery Perry
Subject(s): Politics, Education, State/Government and Education, Inter-Ethnic Relations
Published by: DPC Democratization Policy Council e.V.
Keywords: BiH; extremism; cultivation; education; reform; educational policy; youth; ethnicity; fragmentation; critical thinking; analytical skills; media literacy; Balkans; Syria; Iraq; Ukraine; post-war;
Summary/Abstract: This policy note argues that while educational policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) do not explicitly encourage radical or extremist thinking, they do decidedly facilitate the emergence of narrow-minded, ethnically exclusive groups of young citizens unequipped to operate in a heterogeneous, complex world. Insufficient measures exist to promote critical thinking, media literacy, multiperspectivity and inclusive civic-mindedness. At best, the present educational approach bodes poorly for the socio-economic prospects of BiH’s youth in an increasingly competitive global market; at worst, few preventive measures exist that would dissuade vulnerable individuals from gravitating towards extremist worldviews. BiH’s ethnically fragmented and exclusivist approaches to education are anathema to the development of critical thinking and analytical skills necessary to open young minds, reduce intolerance and question the ethnic status quo narrative. While global fears of Islamist extremism dominate discussions on radicalism and terrorism, other forms of extremism (radical nationalist; white supremacy; neo-Nazi; anti-immigrant; etc.) benefit from young minds unable to effectively digest and question messages of hate and intolerance. Young people from the Balkans have gone not only to Syria and Iraq, but also to Ukraine, as part of a perceived ideological, cultural struggle.

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