#The Only Solution For Confronting ExtremismIs

The Middle East has been rocked by a series of violent conflicts over the past several years involving thousands of foreign fighters traveling to support different extremist groups. Fighting these groups and the extremist ideologies they subscribe to has emerged as one of the top priorities in the international community.. Many governments throughout the Arab world have called for promoting more moderate forms of religion. While prevention and fighting extremism have received a great deal of attention, success has been limited and there remains no consensus on how best to confront these ideologies.

With the near imminent defeat of the so-called Islamic State in Mosul and Ansar al-Sharia in Libya many are also beginning to discuss what comes next. To date, no clear answers exist. Defeating extremists on the battlefield does not necessarily lead to defeating the ideological and material reasons for their existence. Hence, governments and civil society require a deeper understanding of how to deal with the underlying causes that drive people to take these actions and support these groups and how to manage militants returning home from fighting alongside extremist groups.

The Munathara Initiative believes that such an important issue warrants a thorough public debate in which youth and established experts can explore the best solutions to this grave challenge. By putting forward the hashtag #TheOnlySolutionForConfrontingExtremismIs as a prompt for discussion, Munathara aims to present an opportunity to include the voice’s of the region’s youth in the discussion.

What are your opinions or suggestions on finding solutions to combat extremism? Join the conversation by uploading a video of 99 seconds or less. You can express your contribution in the manner of your choosing, including through speech, song, poetry, comedy or any other form of expression. The hashtag #TheOnlySolutionForConfrontingExtremismIs must be included in your submission.

The participant with the top rated video, based on the public vote will automatically qualify to be flown to Beirut and be a finalist in the competition for the live show. Munathara’s editorial panel will select the rest of the finalists. The panel selects finalists with an eye to ensuring that Munathara fulfills its ongoing commitment to promote marginalized voices and diversity in its programming.