Internet and the Radicalization of Youth: Preventing, Acting and Living Together

Conference programme

Sun, 30 Oct
17:00 to 20:00	Opening ceremony Masters of ceremonies Mrs Esther Bégin, Journalist, Host, and Author, Québec Mr Yan England, Actor, Producer, and Director, Québec Opening evening Mrs Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO Mr Régis Labeaume, Mayor of Québec City

Mon, 31 Oct
9:00 to 10:45	Opening Conference - Radicalization leading to violence and the Internet: What issues? What challenges? Opening Mr Jean-Paul Laborde, Assistant Secretary-General, and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) of the Security Council of the United Nations Organization, UN Mrs Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO Round table Moderation: Mr Wassim Nasr, Journalist, Strategic Intelligence Analyst, and Specialist of Jihadists Movements and Tendencies, France 24, France Mr Smaïl Chergui, African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, African Union Mr Jehangir Khan, Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), and the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), ONU Mr Roméo Dallaire, Retired Lieutenant-General, and Founding President of the General Roméo Dallaire Foundation, Canada Mr Ross LaJeunesse, Global Head of Free Expression and International Relations, Google, Inc., United States Mrs Latifa Ibn Ziaten, President and Founder of the Association IMAD IBN ZIATEN pour la Jeunesse et la Paix, France/Morocco Conclusion Mrs Christine St-Pierre, Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, Québec
11:00 to 12:30	Session 1 - Workshop 1.2: The Influence of Internet and Digital Spaces in the Process of Individual Radicalization This workshop is about the understanding of the role of Internet in the individual paths of radicalization leading to violence; Does Internet cause radicalization? Is it a tipping factor in the radicalization or only a catalyzer? Does Internet have the same effects in all trajectories of radicalization leading to violence? Moderation : Mrs Julie Miville-Dechêne, Québec Representative in the Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO, Québec Mr Frank La Rue, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO Mr Amarnath Amarasingam, Fellow, George Washington University's Program on Extremism, Canada Mrs Cristina Archetti, Professor of Political Communication and Journalism, University of Oslo, Italy Mr Séraphin Alava, Professor in Education Sciences, University of Toulouse, France
11:00 to 12:30	Session 1 - Workshop 1.1: Internet and violent radicalisms: Situation’s overview This workshop aims to provide an overview of the role of Internet in the various forms of violent radicalisms seen today and to explore how each of these sub-categories operates on the Web. It will also provide a framework of the actors and groups involved in those different forms of radicalism as well as the strategies they use to promote their agenda online. Moderation : Mr Boyan Radoykov, Chief of the Section for Universal Access and Preservation, Knowledge Societies Division, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO Mrs Rachida Dati, Member of the European Parliament, former French Minister of Justice, France Mrs Aurélie Campana, Professor, Department of Political Science, Université Laval and Canada, Research Chair on Conflicts and Terrorism, Québec Mr Dan Shefet, Lawyer in the Paris Court of Appeal, France Mr Benjamin Ducol, Research Manager, Center for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence (CPRLV), Québec
12:00 to 14:00	Lunch .
14:00 to 15:00	Session 2 - Testimonies of Young People and Families Directly Affected by Violent Radicalization This plenary session will provide insights through the personal stories of people directly affected by violent radicalization, either individuals who have been engaged in violent radicalism or their relatives. Its goal is to give these persons the opportunity share their story and experiences, particularly regarding the Internet and the role of digital spaces in their own radicalization path. Moderation: Mrs Julie Miville-Dechêne, Québec Representative in the Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO, Québec Young people and families, With the support of the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence Mr Daniel Gallant, Former white supremacist, now works as a social worker, Canada Mr Mubin Shaikh, Former extremist turned counter-terrorism operative and expert, Canada Mr Mathieu Paiement (movie), Clip from Mathieu Paiement's movie, Television Producer (Blimp Télé), Québec
15:00 to 16:30	Session 3 - Cross-cutting views on government initiatives This high-level plenary session will showcase various governmental initiatives aimed at curbing radicalization. Moderation: Mrs Christine St-Pierre, Minister of International Relations and la Francophonie, Québec Government of Canada Representative, Government of Canada Mr Amadou Koïta, Minister of Youth and Civic Construction, Mali Mr Hector Leonel Ayala,Minister of Governance and Justice of Honduras Mr Mame Mbaye Niang, Minister of Youth, Employment and Civic Construction, Senegal Mr Rachid Madrane, Minister of Youth Aid, Houses of Justice, Sports and Promotion of Brussels to the Federation Wallonia-Brussels, Belgium Mrs Juliette Méadel, Minister of State for Victim Assistance, France Mr Martin Coiteux, Minister of Public Security, Québec
17:00 to 18:30	Session 4 - Workshop 4.1: Countering Radicalization and Learning to Live Together: What Role for Cities? This workshop will examine the role of cities as local actors in the prevention of radicalization leading to violence and as promoters of social cohesion. Radicalization processes also being rooted in local contexts, it is crucial for prevention initiatives to take in account this perspective. This workshop will showcase municipal initiatives from around the globe and networks that are actively engaged in developing expertise and foster collaboration on prevention of radicalization, including regarding the digital aspects of the phenomenon. Moderation: Mr Régis Labeaume, Mayor of Québec City, Québec Mr Khalifa Ababacar Sall, Mayor of Dakar, Senegla Mr Hans Bonte, Mayor of Vilvoorde, Belgium Mr Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montréal, Québec Mrs Florence Haye, Deputy Mayor of St-Denis, France
17:00 to 18:30	Session 4 - Workshop 4.2: Gender Perspectives and the Process of Radicalization This workshop will focus on women who are involved with violent extremist groups and will provide a gender-based analysis of the factors that lead to their radicalization. The goal of this session is to explore this phenomenon from a gender perspective using interdisciplinary approaches to understand the role of Internet into violent radicalization among women. Moderation: Mrs Chafica Haddad, Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Conference, Chair of Information For All Programme (IFAP) and Deputy Permanent Delegate of Grenada to UNESCO, Grenada Mrs Magda Abu-Fadil, Director at Media Unlimited, Lebanon Mrs Eva Ottawa, President, Conseil du statut de la femme of Québec, Québec Mrs Anabella Giracca, Chairholder, UNESCO Chair on Communication for the Strengthening of Cultural Diversity, Guatemala Mrs Laura Kropiunigg, Head of Strategy at Women without Borders, Austria

Tue, 1 Nov
8:30 to 10:00	Session 5 - Prevention of violent radicalization: A multisectoral issue This plenary session will provide reflection on how the prevention of radicalization leading to violence on the Internet must be thought through a multidimensional approach and involve a variety of partners in order to build multisectoral partnerships and thus cover more broadly the various aspects of the phenomenon. Moderation: Mrs Cécile Rousseau, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, and Scientific Director of SHERPA, the Research Institute of the CIUSSS of Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Québec Mr Ross LaJeunesse, Global Head of Free Expression and International Relations, Google, Inc., United States Dr Anantha Kumar Duraiappah, Director of the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) Mrs Nathalie Goulet, Sénatrice, Senator, Vice-Chair of Foreign Affairs and Defense Forces, Head of the Investigation Committee on Foreign Fighters, France Mr Firmin Edouard Matoko, Assistant Director-General, Africa Department, UNESCO Mrs Maria Mourani, Criminologist, Sociologist, and Author, President and CEO of Mourani-Criminologie, Ph.D. at the University of Ottawa, Québec
10:15 to 11:45	Session 6 - Workshop 6.1: Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence Through the Use of Counter and Alternative Narratives on the Internet This workshop will explore the use of counter and alternative narratives to extremist and violent contents on the Internet. It will showcase ongoing initiatives on the subject, as well as address the debates and limitations of this preventive approach. Moderation: Mrs Élaine Ayotte, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Canada to UNESCO, Canada Mr François-Bernard Huyghe, Senior Research Fellow, The French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, France Mr AbdelRahman Fouda, Assistant Professor (Al-Azhar representative), Egypt Mr Pavan Duggal, Specialist about Legal Issues Related to Internet, and Advocate to the Supreme Court of India Mrs Tanya D. Silverman, Against Violent Extremism (AVE) Network Coordinator, UK
10:15 to 11:45	Session 6 - Workshop 6.2: Hate Speech, Extremist Propaganda, Freedom of Expression, Internet and Media This workshop is dedicated to the problem of hate speech, its media treatment and its regulation online and in the medias. Even though hate speech is not necessarily related to violent radicalization processes, it contributes to the polarization of discourses and perceptions in the public space, as well as the stigmatization of some communities and the exacerbation of their insecurity. Notions of freedom of expression and respect of person’s rights will also be addressed. Moderation: Mrs Albana Shala, Chair, Intergovernmental Council of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), Netherlands Mrs Audrey Delacroix, Advisor and Representative of the Secrétaire générale de la Francophonie, OIF Mr Marc Hecker, Director of Publications at the French Institute of International Relations, France Mrs Manu Mainil, #NoHateSpeech campaign coordinator at the Bureau International Jeunesse, Belgium Mrs Jade Boivin, #NoHateSpeech campaign committee president in Quebec, Canada Mr Thibault Chareton, Project Management Specialist, Media and Migration, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)
11:45 to 13:15	Lunch .
13:15 to 14:45	Session 7 - Workshop 7.1: Youth, Internet and the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence: A Look on Field Initiatives This workshop will showcase some innovative initiatives that aim to deliver responses and solutions to the challenges discussed on the first day of the conference. Local stakeholders from different regions of the world will present concrete initiatives linked to Internet where young people are actively engaging to prevent radicalization leading to violence. Moderation: Mrs Souria Saad-Zoy, Programme Specialist, Youth and Sports Team, Social and Human Sciences Sector, UNESCO Mr Muhammad Ali Hee, Project Manager and Special consultant for Copenhagen’s VINK Mentor Program, Denmark Mrs Sonia Boddie, Former CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Saint-Kitts and Nevis Mr Ernesto Rodriguez, Director of the Latin American Center for Youth, Uruguay Mr Pat Dolan, UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement, Founder and Director of UNESCO’s Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland Mrs Maïmou Wali, Educational Project Leader in Quranic Schools, Niger
13:15 to 14:45	Session 7 - Workshop 7.2: Web Education and Digital Literacy This workshop will focus on Web education and digital literacy fostering critical thinking and aiming at preventing online indoctrination of young people. Moderation: Mr Indrajit Banerjee, Director, Knowledge Societies Division, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO Mrs Catherine Audrain, Associate Researcher, PhiloJeunes Director, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Québec Mrs Manon Barbeau, Director-General, Wapikoni mobile, Québec Mrs Samar Sassine, President of the Association du Dialogue Inter-Culturel et Inter-Religieux (ADICR - Association for Inter-cultural and Inter-religious Dialogue), ICT Caravan Project, France Mr Daniel Da Hien, General Coordinator of African Youth Network, Burkina Faso Mr Vivek Venkatesh, Director, Social Media Education Every Day (SOMEONE) Initiative, Québec Mr Jove Jankulovski, Co-founder of the Civil Society Organisation Interactive Education and Resource Network, Macedonia Mr Cédric Rémy et Mrs Noémie Métayer, Youth Forum: Reflection and Dialogue on Radicalization and Violent Extremism Online, Québec * : Share the speaking time
15:00 to 16:00	Talking Across Generations on Education in Québec (TAGe Québec) Town-hall discussion organized in collaboration with the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development in New Delhi (MGIEP) and the Center for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence in Montreal (CPRVM). Moderation: Mr Yan England, Actor, Producer, and Director, Québec Mr Stéphane Berthomet, Co-director of the Observatoire sur la radicalisation et l’extrémisme violent (OSR - Observatory on Radicalization and Violent Extremism), Researcher at the Centre français de recherche sur le renseignement (CF2R), and Associate Researcher at the CIRRICQ, Québec
16:15 to 17:15	Session 8 - Defining an agenda for the prevention of radicalization leading to violence in the digital era This session will explore future entry points and areas of work in the prevention of Internet-related aspects of radicalization leading to violence; What types of initiatives need to be supported or explored? Which partnerships need to be established or deepened? In what formats? Moderation: Mrs Esther Bégin, Journalist, Host, and Author, Québec Mrs Muriel Domenach,Secretary General of the Comité interministériel de prévention de la délinquance et de la radicalisation (CIPDR - Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency and Radicalization), France Mr Yassine Souidi, Researcher, Center of Studies and Research on Values, Rabita Mohammadia of Ulam, Morocco Mr Ahmad Alhendawi, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, UN Mr Herman Deparice-Okomba, Executive Director, Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence (CPRLV), Québec Mrs Chafica Haddad, Chair of IFAP, Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Conference, and Deputy Permanent Delegate of Grenada to UNESCO, Grenada
17:30 to 18:00	Closing ceremony .