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Preventing Extremism: Strengthening Communities

Date of speech	31 October 2007
Location	Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London
Event summary	Preventing Extremism Conference

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Draft text of the speech - may differ from the delivered version.

First of all let me say that I'm very pleased to be here at what I believe is a landmark conference, bringing together expertise and experience in a coalition against violence and hatred that simply would not have been possible a few years ago.

We have councillors, chief executives and officers, chief constables and superintendents, and representatives from across the range of UK's Muslim communities, from every part of the country.

I'm delighted to welcome you all because the challenge we are talking about, violent extremism, is based on ideas that seek to drive us apart: and I believe we can best overcome it by working together. 

We all understand the scale of the challenge. It is serious; it is global; it is evolving.
 
The 7 July attacks showed how much damage just a handful of people can do. Since 2005, the security services who work tirelessly to keep Britain safe have had to contend with thirty further plots.

They need the support and the tools to continue doing an immensely difficult job. It is right to have a debate that looks at all the evidence on issues such as extending the time limit for detention without charge, or allowing wiretap evidence in court.

But a response that focused solely on security measures would be doomed to fail.

It is also vital to understand and tackle the root causes, to take on the poisonous arguments, and unpick the distorted ideas that violent extremists peddle.

Now these ideas and arguments have been around for some time. Al-Qaeda were busy long before 11 September or 7 July. But their methods, over time, have grown increasingly sophisticated and continue to evolve.

They use slick media campaigns, reaching out through the internet.

Predominantly they target young men, with a significant number in their teens.

They look for ungoverned spaces where they can approach the vulnerable: not mosques so much these days, but places like cafes, bookshops and gyms.

And the process of radicalisation can be rapid. In some cases, people are isolated from family and friends, indoctrinated and manipulated within a matter of months.

As the violent extremists' methods adapt, so must our response, informed by a new and better understanding of the challenge.

It's a challenge that will be with us for a generation to come.

But there is much that can be done - much that is being done - to tackle it.

There have been significant steps forward at every level - global, national, and local.

In just the past few weeks, a group of Muslim scholars wrote to the Pope to urge better understanding between faiths, and the Saudi Grand Mufti spoke out to warn young people against being manipulated by false messages.

This is not so much a change in ethical position: I believe that the vast majority of Muslim scholars and leaders around the world have always shared the same repugnance with acts of terror.

But it is a change in practical position - and shows that more and more people are ready to take the steps necessary to counter the voices of hatred.

Nationally, we've also seen big changes for the better.

In the past, Government made the mistake of relying too much on national leadership organisations, seeking to act as gatekeepers to the Muslim community.

We had not done enough to engage and listen to the broad range of opinion across the UK's different communities and support work direct in communities.

Just over a year ago, we took the decisive step of rebalancing our engagement. We made it clear that we would give priority to those most actively working to tackle violent extremism and promote shared values.

We were right to take that decision. It has made a real difference, with new voices emerging from across our diverse Muslim communities. We are now starting to hear direct from the grassroots, from those determined to root out intolerance in their communities, from those delivering real results.

The Government remains absolutely committed to this approach.

Let me clear, this is not about expecting leadership organisations to agree with Government. Whilst we may have different views, I defend their right to disagree on issues like foreign policy. That is one of the key liberties we want to protect.

But it does mean that simply paying lip-service to tackling violent extremism is not enough. It is unacceptable to make positive noises but fail to back that up with enough long-term action and commitment.

Responsible leadership is about working with partners in local communities to deliver positive ways in which young people and women can contribute to society. 

Responsible leadership is about supporting the police and security services in their efforts to tackle terrorism so that all in society can be safe and secure.

And responsible leadership is about delivering enhanced standards for our mosques and religious leaders - and that must include, for example, ensuring appropriate monitoring of what is preached in our mosques and the literature and other material distributed in our religious institutions.

So let me be blunt. If you're serious about taking practical, long-term steps to counter violent extremism, Government will support you and will work with you. Simple as that.

That's why I am so pleased at the new voices now contributing to the debate - and at how we are now making the most of the talents and energies at the grassroots.

We're learning from people like Ed Husain who were once extremists themselves: who understand the dangers, and who understand what needs to do be done now to tackle them.

We're learning from people from communities across the country, full of commitment and passion - particularly young people and women. They have fresh ideas about how sports, art and culture can be a way of celebrating diversity, bringing people together and helping young people build resilience to hateful messages.

The other big change is that we're getting better at understanding who is best placed to make a difference.

In the past we relied too much on Whitehall solutions, forged by people who - however good their intentions - simply didn't live with these issues every day.

Instead, it is by putting local communities in the driving seat, with proper support from Government, that we can make the most progress.

That's why we are committed to helping imams and mosque leaders develop the professional skills to play a greater leadership role in their communities.

And it's why, through local authorities, we are doing more to support those who are standing up to hatemongers, who are actively promoting shared values like respect for the rule of law, respect for others, equality of opportunity.

In April this year we announced a pathfinder scheme with local authorities distributing £6m to support community-led projects.

Already 200 projects have been agreed - nearly 80 in London alone. There are some imaginative ideas about what can be done to give communities the confidence and skills they need to take on hateful messages, and to support vulnerable young people:

In Tower Hamlets, they're putting together a video - called TAG TV - of young people's views about faith and identity, how they can be proud to be Muslim, proud to be British.

In Birmingham, the Council is working together with the community to develop an accredited programme for imams employed in the city. This will help them deliver sermons in English, reach out to young people more effectively, and develop the skills they need to tackle the ideology of violent extremists

And in Reading a series of roadshows have given people from across the community to debate the issues, to meet people from the local authority and police, and to discuss how best to work together so that there is no room for hateful messages.

This is all a great start, and we can be proud of how far we can come.

But it is still just a start nonetheless.

In the months to come we must continue to broader, deepen and refine our approach.

And every one of us needs to step up a gear: local authorities, central government, and communities themselves.

So to every local authority leader in the room. It has never been clearer that taking on violent extremism should be part of your core business. You should be providing leadership right from the top. There's a measure in the new indicator set for assessing performance - "building resilient communities." The very fact that it's there as one of just 198 national priorities is a sign of how important it is.

I know several local authorities want to make it one of their targets for improvement and I welcome that. There are some others who perhaps haven't thought it - but who, in all frankness, should. I'd encourage every area to think long and hard about what they are doing and what more they can do to understand and work with Muslim communities in their area.

Central government, in turn, needs to provide the right support for this work. So I'm pleased to be able to confirm a step-change in funding. We will provide £45m over the next three years to local partnerships. By 2010-11, support for local authorities with their community partners will rise to £18m per year, triple what it is today.

The challenge will be to turn that step-change in investment into a step-change in practical results.

But it is not just a question of providing more resource. It is also about using it better. Getting smarter at what we do. And there are four key areas in which I want to accelerate our strategy.

First, it's important to get much better at working with children and young people. By getting in early, by helping them understand their religion, equipping them with the confidence and skills to challenge and reject those preaching conflict, we can make today and tomorrow's communities more resilient to the violent extremist message. That's why I believe local projects should put an increasing focus on working with younger people, and give peer leaders and youth workers a bigger role and better support. Centrally, we will also be providing at least £250,000 a year for the next three years to support projects run by young people, for young people. I think the kind of projects this might support could include peer mentoring - helping young people look out for their friends: student support networks: leadership programmes, perhaps using arts, media culture and sports, to give people the confidence to speak up against hateful messages. But the best solutions are those that come from young people themselves, and soon we will be hosting a youth conference to give them a bigger voice and get the ball rolling on this work. And that conference must not be a one-off but the start of a process that means we get much better at listening to young people, so a new panel will be speaking direct to me on the issues that matter to them.

Equally, as we look to work more with the very young we should work better with the very vulnerable. Because young people away from their family or home for the first time are particularly susceptible, it's crucial that the people offering them support truly have their best interests at heart. We're developing a framework of minimum standards for public institutions engaging imams working with the young and the vulnerable - places like prisons, hospitals and universities. Ensuring that these key figures have the understanding, skills and capacity to engage with young people and confront and isolate extremists. This vital work can help make sure that there is absolutely no place in tomorrow's communities for those who seek to divide us.

Second, we need to get better at thinking more broadly about what we, as a Government, can do. Today and for the future preventing violent extremism needs to be at the heart of what every Government department does. For example - because education is so important, this work needs to be a priority for the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Sports and the arts can provide positive activities which engage young people, and culture can be a powerful medium for celebrating diversity and promoting understanding and tolerance. For that reason it also needs to be a priority for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport . That's why I'm delighted that my colleagues Jim Knight and Gerry Sutcliffe are here. And I hope today's discussions will help us all understand how we can really connect with young people.

The third area where we need to accelerate what we're doing is empowering the community to show a lead everywhere.

The commitment of Muslim communities to this work is absolutely vital and I welcome the whole range of ways that you have already shown this - from getting involved in pathfinder projects, to talking constructively to government, to taking steps to strengthen institutions like mosques.

Take for example the publication last week of the draft constitution of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board. I'm pleased to see real practical progress on this body that could do so much for communities to bring the same high standards we see in some places brought to every area. Mosques that are not just places of learning and worship, but centres for the whole community, bringing together advice and services for the vulnerable, getting young people and women involved, and reaching out to the local neighbourhood. And well-run mosques, which have proper checks and balances, are also a bulwark against the tiny minority who preach violent messages.

We as a Government need to make sure we are supporting the solutions that come from communities themselves. In Bradford, for example, the Council of Mosques has designed citizenship lessons for mosque schools. They encourage young people to play an active part in local life through volunteering and voting, and they underline that the spirit and teachings of the Quran are rooted in respect and tolerance. Other communities are now looking to follow their lead and we will support them to do so.

I'm also interested in supporting the leaders who really want to empower their community. Because when people feel they can get things done, they don't feel like victims. Instead, they feel like they are in control of their own future. And in that respect I'm also very much looking forward to the report of the Councillors Commission that is looking at ways to get more people from a wider background to stand as local councillors.

Finally, I want to make sure we get much better at unlocking the potential of Muslim women. Their voice often goes unheard, despite the fact that their role as leaders in their families and wider communities gives them a unique perspective on the challenges we face, and a unique position to get things done.

At a national level, Government is setting up a group of Muslim women to give expert advice on how best we can support them: to be ambassadors and role models for the community.

I've invited a group of exciting, energetic and inspirational women to take part. I believe they are going to make a real difference by showing just what women can achieve in their community and in wider society.

I want to understand the views of women from a whole range of backgrounds: homemakers, academics and City lawyers; those who wear the niqab, the hijab, and those who wear neither.  And I believe this group can help do that.

It's also important to learn from the good work going on locally to give women a voice. In High Wycombe, for example, the Muslimah Project runs workshops that look at historic and modern-day role models - women who have spoken out and made a difference to the world around them. The workshops also explores, through Islamic principles, how Muslim women could and should play a positive role in wider British society. I think there is a lot we could learn.

I began by saying that today's event was the first of its kind, bringing a wide partnership together of different organisations and individuals. If we are to make the most of it, then this partnership must continue to grow and strengthen.

We are setting up a dedicated website to share good practice and of course there will be further events like this in future. Government has also agreed with the Local Government Association to form an advisory group to give local partners a voice within Government, to help us all understand what more we can do and how we can make the best use of resources. So the framework is much more mature now, and puts us on a sounder footing to drive this work forward.

None of this will be simple and success will not come overnight. Violent extremism is a challenge that will last for some time to come. But I am confident that we have the right approach, the knowledge and the will to overcome it. And together, we can make our communities stronger and safer for years to come.