Perspectives on violent extremism from development–humanitarian NGO staff in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Violent extremism (VE) significantly affects many contexts within which international development–humanitarian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operate in Southeast Asia. Recent preventing/countering violent extremism (P/CVE) models highlight the need for community-based preventative activities; however, there has been little research to date examining the understandings of international development–humanitarian NGOs regarding VE in their context, and little attention paid to their views as to how development–humanitarian NGO programming might seek to address VE. This paper explores the meaning and impact of VE as understood by the Myanmar, Indonesia and Philippines country office staff of a large international NGO. Drawing on 40 interviews, the findings illustrate new understandings of VE and the role NGOs can play in shaping and improving counter-extremism strategies. This includes a proposition to broaden the conceptual focus on extremism to include expressions of hatred and intolerance that do not necessarily involve threats, physical violence or links to violent extremist networks. Additionally, the findings point to the importance of relationships between VE and women’s and girls’ position in society, its effect on youth, and the relationship between extremism and any extreme use of force by the state or its promotion of hate towards minority groups.

Keywords:

• Violent extremism
• hate speech
• aid
• Myanmar
• Indonesia
• Philippines

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all of the research participants for giving their time and sharing their experiences and insights with us. We thank Dave Husy for his guidance in designing the scoping study and the reviewers for their valuable input into earlier drafts of the paper.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Juhi Sonrexa

Juhi Sonrexa has 15 years’ of experience in the effective conceptualisation, design, delivery and assessment of humanitarian and development programming and research. She is a PhD candidate at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia, exploring the translation of post-development principles into practice.

Leanne M. Kelly

Leanne Kelly is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia, on a project examining development and humanitarian NGO responses to violent extremism. She has nearly 20 years of experience working in development and humanitarian NGOs with a focus on research and evaluation.

Greg Barton

Greg Barton is Research Professor in Global Islamic Politics at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. His research is concerned with Islam, civil society and democratisation, religion and modernity, and with countering violent extremism, with a particular focus on Indonesia, Turkey and Asia.

Anthony Ware

Anthony Ware is Associate Professor of International and Community Development at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. His research focusses on humanitarian/international development approaches in conflict-affected situations, with particular interests in Myanmar, the Rohingya conflict, conflict sensitivity/do no harm, everyday peace and participatory or community-led development.