UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan recently called for the increased involvement of civil society in denouncing terrorism. Citizens Against Terror (CAT) is a new network of civil society activists dedicated to this aim. It originated from last year's Madrid Summit, and madrid11.net is pleased to host their inaugural debate. What can a citizens' network against terror achieve? Who should take part? And - most importantly - what should it do?
Two prominent voices lead the debate, but you should have a say too! To post a comment, go straight to the end of the page...
Addressing the Root Causes
Ahmad Nader Nadery
Today’s front page headline in my local newspaper carried some bad news: ‘At least 50 civilians killed following terrorist attacks and counter terrorist operations in southern Afghanistan’, it said.
I wondered: what could a citizens’ network against terror contribute to stop the increasing violence and terrorist attacks
Moreover, what could it do not only in my country, but across the world?
There are, I believe, several answers.
On the one hand, in a world where many believe that terror should be fought primarily through military means, a global civil society network could provide some useful balance. It could show, quite simply, that people power matters.
On the other hand, a citizens’ network will encourage all those who have been passive in their opposition against terrorism. It can help them become engaged more actively in identifying and addressing its root causes.
Citizens Against Terror (CAT) could be a mechanism providing ideas and generating debates on the role of ordinary people in building a world of tolerance.
It can, however, also become a vehicle through which to empower people across the globe to take non-violent action in responding to terrorism.
In some ways, I believe it could be an agreement between the victims of terror, activists and responsible citizens to join their hands and demonstrate that they are ‘NOT AFRAID’ to challenge terror.
Most importantly, though, I hope that CAT will generate new energy amongst people around the world to identify the root causes of terrorism.
In doing so, it may also help to bring these causes to the attention of the international community.
Ahmad Nader Nadery is a member of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.   Empowering Citizens
Miguel Darcy de Oliveira
The primary and defining assumption of the citizens network against terror is that people have a direct role to play in promoting democracy and building a world without fear.
The focus on citizens – not states and organizations – is a bold concept. It is an appeal to ordinary people, not experts or political leaders. To those who are at risk and those who want to support and protect them.
To involve people the network design and architecture must stress openness, interaction, peer regulation and collaborative intelligence. Furthermore, an open participatory and interactive platform is not an option. It is the only option. The citizens’ network cannot function within a top-down structure.
The challenge for CAT’s planners is two-fold. On the one hand, they have to lift the barriers to people’s participation. It is up to the participants themselves to decide, through debate and deliberation, which idea and proposals are meaningful and worthwhile.
On the other hand, it is up to CAT’s planners to take the necessary measures to preserve the integrity of the network and prevent political manipulation.
Defining these core values and how we intend to preserve them in the network is in itself, I believe, one of the first and foremost matters to be widely discussed with potential users.
What, then, can such a network produce and accomplish?
There are many possibilities and avenues to explore: developing a common set of core values and purposes; exchanging testimonies and experiences; discussing strategies, policies and actions in support of citizens at risk; raising public awareness and knowledge about different forms of political violence; early warning and rapid reaction systems through the identification of critical situations; providing toolkits to marginalized citizens.
The opportunities are endless.
Miguel Darcy de Oliveira is founder and director of Civicus and Comunitas.
