Post title & Shortlink (added in 2017): “Munich,” and the Strong Cities Network [ISIL/ISIS aren’t the only ones who want to control the World]. (Published 7/29/2016) (WP-generated, case-sensitive shortlink ends “-42b”)
PREVIEW:
The follow-up post details the “family counseling” programs identified to “de-radicalize” terrorists that, actually, a US Ambassador recommended in a May, 2, 2016 speech on “The Global Threat of the Islamic State,” mentioning that the Germans have some experience in this area, thanks to their work de-programming the Nazis — and that practitioners have a lot to teach other countries on how this is done.
The parallels with behavioral modification and socialization according to federally-approved value programming already in place within the US targeting batterers, family violence, family lack of unity (i.e., “reunification”), preventing child abuse (really?), preventing poverty through promoting marriage and fatherhood.
On the Strong Cities Network site, I found a (broken) link to what looks like a tour of the US to learn “CVE” techniques — from someone, obviously, in the following U.S. Cities, which apparently is starting something intended to be an ongoing program. Notice the language “Practitioners” and “CVE”
The SCN International Visitor Leadership Program
The U.S. Sate Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs organised the first Strong Cities Network IVLP from 27 February to 19 March, 2016. Exchange visitors travelled to Washington, Los Angeles, Denver, Columbus, Indianapolis and Chicago where they connected with U.S practitioners and gained insight into local CVE strategies.
[The link showing this IVLP (under “Activities”) is not active.]
I see that the IVLP was created back in 1940 – it’s not new. What’s new is the “Strong Cities Network IVLP” tour. This tour and that program is under the US Department of State.
https://eca.state.gov/ivlp/about-ivlp
The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.
It’s been around since 1940, meaning it was launched (so to speak) right as World War II was underway, and before the US joined the Allies (Pearl Harbor: Dec. 7, 194). Visitors do not apply but are nominated by US embassies within other countries. The visits have specific themes. This is currently (website anyhow) housed under the US Department of State’s “Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs” mandated by a 1961 law to promote peaceful relations through cultural understanding…. But the IVLP apparently predates that..
Each year nearly 5,000 exchange participants come to the U.S. on the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). More than 200,000 International Visitors have engaged with Americans through the IVLP, including more than 335 current or former Chiefs of State or Heads of Government.
Launched in 1940, the IVLP helps strengthen U.S. engagement with countries around the world and cultivate lasting relationships by connecting current and emerging foreign leaders with their American counterparts through short-term visits to the United States. The majority of IVLP exchanges include visits to four U.S. communities over three weeks, although projects vary based on themes, Embassy requests and other factors. Participants meet with professional counterparts, visit U.S. public and private sector organizations related to the project theme and participate in cultural and social activities.
There is no application for IVLP. Participants are nominated and selected annually by the staff at U.S. Embassies around the world. For those who live in the United States, there are many opportunities to get involved at the community level. Visit the Global Ties U.S.website for a list of community organizations in 45 states and information about local activities.
I just searched (several times, and they have more than one search link) this U.S. Dept. of State/Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs — and “IVLP” is a program underneath this bureau — website for any reference to “Strong Cities” (several — but not the network), “Strong Cities Network” (not found) and finally “Countering Violent Extremism” and found 16 results (short videos, this is mostly promo, not much real information) and only 12 results — NONE of them referencing this 2016 spring tour of the US. Here’s are two to make a note of, but neither labeled “Strong Cities.”
- [P2P or “Peer-to-Peer”] In partnership with EdVenture Partners and the U.S. Department of State, 23 Universities around the globe were invited to create digital campaigns to counter violent extremism.
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FINALLY — searching the web under the title “SCN International Visitors Leadership Program” I found a link under the other website, and clicking through, Secretary of State John Kerry’s March 1, 2016 remarks on this. Why wouldn’t this be posted more readily available in the logical place — either under “countering violent extremism” — on a list of recent IVLP exchanges as one of them labeled Strong Cities? Instead, it’s under the direct US Dept. of State Website. I also notice NOT ONE MAJOR MEDIA MENTION came up in my first three pages of search results on this:
Remarks at the Strong Cities Network International Visitors Leadership Program for Municipal Leaders and Countering Violence Extremism Experts Event
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 1, 2016
His first example is from Windsor, Canada, and eventually he gets down to promoting the Strong Cities Network…as an all-purpose remedy to keep young people on track:
The fact is that the battle against violent extremism does not begin on some distant battlefield, but it’s in our own neighborhoods and in classrooms and workplaces and houses of worship, and homes.
And we’ve learned that lesson in bitter ways. We’ve learned it pretty realistically. There are many, many countries – ours included – that have young people, by and large, almost always – who have been seduced into believing that somehow life is better blowing people up and living according to the dictates of someone else rather than the choices that you yourself make. And what people learn very quickly when they get sucked into one of these enterprises is how deprived and stark and horrendous life itself can be. We know this because we know people who are survivors who’ve escaped, and regrettably, too many people are executed summarily when their captors – mental captors, physical captors – learn that they are in fact disaffected and perhaps contemplating escape.
So we know these lessons. We’re learning them. And the question is whether or not we’re going to apply them in a thoughtful way in order to protect ourselves for the long term.
Windsor, Canada learned this very much in a firsthand way last year. Two of their native sons, both in their 20s, had gone to Syria in order to join the terrorists of Daesh. And when Windsor learned this, the citizens of that community were upset; but they were also determined that they weren’t just going to be upset. They were going to do something about it. They were going to try to prevent that kind of tragedy from happening yet again . . . .
So this is a challenge that we have all come here today to try and meet, and I want to particularly congratulate everybody who has picked up this baton to take up the challenge of a Strong Cities Network. That’s what we need.
We want cities across the globe to help each other to make use of the tools and the capabilities that are available to protect citizens. We want to create more opportunities to learn from one another about what works best in building resilience to radicalization. We want to exchange ideas, best practices. …. The idea is here to tailor these things to pick the best practices from various places and make them fit….
And we are encouraging national governments to recognize the value of inter-urban collaboration to help cities work together to prevent violent extremism from ever taking root.
The fact is that the Strong Cities Network and other initiatives like it are regrettably – well, I shouldn’t say “regrettably” – are absolutely essential, because even if we didn’t have the challenge of violent extremism, we ought to be doing these things to connect people to their community, to get people connected one to the other. It would still be important in terms of just keeping people out of trouble, out of jail, helping people to find the right path for education and for a future.
Again, the Title “says it all” in who is supposed to connect — Municipal Leaders and CVE Experts. Not the public, necessarily, through normal governmental channels, but the US Department of State taking opportunity to hop, skip, and jump targeted cities to inject the concept of best CVE practices. The CVE experts names are not referenced in the remarks, are they??
Remarks at the Strong Cities Network International Visitors Leadership Program for Municipal Leaders and Countering Violence Extremism Experts Event
The ONLY other reference to this “SCN IVLP” on the ECA (Educational and Cultural Affairs) website of the USDepartment of State — a small description under major other graphic, distracting and “bulletin-board” postings, was this one, February 29, 2016 (after the tour already began). As you can see, this title makes no reference to the CVE experts as the first one did, so it must be a kind of warm-up event, and it is in the form of a Press Release:
February 29, 2016
Secretary Kerry Welcomes City and Local Leaders in the Strong Cities Network [readmore link takes one off the “ECA.state.gov” website]
Notice to the Press
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 29, 2016
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will host international municipality and non-government organization leaders at the U.S. Department of State on March 1, as part of the “Strong Cities: Building Community Resilience to Radicalization and Violent Extremism” professional exchange program.
The Strong Cities Network is a global network of local authorities united in building social cohesion and community resilience to counter violent extremism.
Secretary Kerry will be introduced by Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Sarah Sewall. The Secretary will speak at 8:45 a.m. in the Dean Acheson Auditorium of the Department of State. Following the remarks, there will be presentations from Strong Cities members from Montgomery County, Maryland. The participants are in the United States as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program.
Following their time in Washington, D.C., they will travel to Los Angeles, Denver, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Chicago to meet with state, city, and local leaders. The participants are arriving from Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Morocco, The Netherlands, Norway, Tunisia, Turkey, and The United Kingdom.
The program is a lead-up to the inaugural Strong Cities Network Summit May 11-12, hosted by Antalya, Turkey with support from the city of London.
The Secretary’s remarks will be open to the press. The remarks will be streamed live on www.state.gov.
In what version of the US Constitution is the Secretary of State supposed to be presiding over and engaging in forging political connections, emphasizing the international, with local MUNICIPALITIES within the various states? ??? And sharing tools to be applied on ALL residents (permanent or transitional) of the cities, and their children — but only cities who join (for free — not including what freedom of the residents is sacrificed in the process, without their consent…).
So I think you can see about what direction my reporting might be going in…. from a blog reporting on technical assistance and training materials in a different context, as well as the not-for-profits (NGOs) that, working with governments, seek to institute these to defuse domestic violence, intimate partner violence, child abuse, and so forth, within the USA.
To be honest, last week kind of wore me out working on the “SFFI – CFFPP – JustGive, Inc. – IronPlanet, Inc. – ZOPB – Texas DoT’s $1B GrandParkway Project – US Gov’ts Big Banks Bailout|SunTrust (while Fixing Fragile Families?)” & the “Do You Know Your Social Science PolicySpeak? Can You Name Some University Centers|Key Professionals |BIG Foundation Sponsors|Related Networked Nonprofits| and A Basic Timeline Since at least The Moynihan Report?” posts, and two days of updates to the first one. I have just about begun to dream in IRS-Form-990 and “copy and paste” from corporate filings mentality…after working, sometimes, a full day on a project.
[[and the one you’re reading now: “Munich,” and the Strong Cities Network [ISIL/ISIS aren’t the only ones who want to control the World]. (Published 7/29/2016) (WP-generated, case-sensitive shortlink ends “-42b”) comment added 11/6/2017<~~]
ADDENDUM — and some Rhetorical Questions:
<>Another situation locally (in Northern California)– and within the family court reform field generally– has come to my attention which demands a prompt response on this blog.
<>Meanwhile, in Minnesota – for coverage of the latest mother convicted for felony parental interference (and only avoided jail on the spot because a contingent of supporters was in the courtroom and bail was raised — prior bail had been $1 million, outrageously) in Minnesota — see “Red Herring Alert” posts on the Grazzini/Rucki case. Sometimes I comment on those posts.
Disclaimer: I am following this case and blog (and related organizations/movements in Minnesota) for particular reasons, and referring to it is not a statement of agreement with any political discussions which may occur there separately, or all sites it refers to. Which is my way of saying, I’m not a Focus-on-the-Family, or in any other way, right-wing Republican, nor do I like what many organizations who are, tend to do, organizationally. I see progressive organizations (such as “JustGive, Inc. or CFFPP!) doing their own brand of the similar things, and I keep (stubbornly? foolishly?) hoping that enough of people might so see through it, that they start teaching others to track the nonprofits involved on their OWN side of any cause, so as to make good choice for “with whom to hang out on-line.”
Are mothers protesting violence and threats against their children (to the tune of continuing claims “false allegations!”) or in the presence of their children, REALLY “violent extremists” who need to be “countered” with threats of jail, jail, or bankruptcy through ongoing litigation, defamation in the press and in court, and complete destruction of any normalcy???
Should also anyone who offers solace, social/psychological/physical support to any mother whom the state or the local family court bureaucracy/officials have determined should be “taken down” (USA-style), be subjected to the same punishment, including felony charges as these “dangerous,” dissenting from violence against themselves and their children mothers? Does the concept “civil disobedience” if necessary to preserve life and prevent injury NEVER apply to unmarried, or divorcing/divorced mothers? Not that this necessarily was —
In the Grazzini/Rucki case, parental interference DID take place, but an affirmative defense towards it in the state law (link posted recently over there) existed.
Meanwhile — although I did not go this route and do not recommend it — three other involved adults (and one of the Red Herring Alert bloggers) are themselves facing felony charges for felony parental interference. I instead made a point of obeying the family court orders to the letter of the law, and look where that has gotten me, and both my children, to date, when the other side wasn’t of the same “proclivity” and law enforcement (as to existing court orders) just wasn’t interested — and in a system for which fatherhood.gov (HMRF funding) and access/visitation grants were created to produce exactly the type of outcomes they are indeed producing….
One reason some of these programs (Strong Cities and its “International Visitor Leadership Program” skipping across oceans and this continent to learn “CVE” techniques from local “practitioners”) is so no one has to, really, deal directly with feedback IN THE USA from “the common man” (and woman)” on whom these techniques are developed and refined, or look them in the eyes.
//LGH, post intro updated & clarified July 30, 2016.
Today’s, July 29, 2016’s, Wall Street Journal, Print Version, page A8, under “World News” — in additon to the front page, has an entire page on terrorism, lead article with photo: “Merkel Stands Ground on Refugee Policy : German leader rejects calls to close border after Islamist attacks by asylum seekers.” by Anton Troianovski and Ruth Bender, Berlin (print version has more people in the photo, with caption ….after Sunday’s suicide bombing in Ansbach.”
There are plenty of maps of migrant movements available on-line. One: Mapping the Syrian Refugee Crisis Across Europe in Pictures (Sept. 2015, in “Wired.UK”), Sept. 11, 2015 by Katie Collins:
…There’s no doubt, however, that Germany has been leading the way when it comes to taking in asylum seekers — it is estimated the country will take in 800,000 refugees this year, and unlike many countries it is welcoming them with relatively, if not universally open arms. A map published by Germany’s Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development showing population decline across Europe goes some way to suggesting why this might be.
Both the Independent and the Washington Post point out that Germany has an economic motive for accepting new arrivals, given that the country’s population is slowly declining and also ageing. Germany’s Federal Statistical Office predicts that by 2060 only half the population will be of working age and tone in eight will be 80 or over. The overall population will likely have shrunk from 81 million from 68 to 73 million.
While many Germans may be welcoming refugees as a matter of principle, the reality of the situation is also that the country is lacking skilled workers and stands to benefit economically from welcoming newcomers, many of whom are young and educated. This is in contrast to the UK, which already has one of Europe’s most diverse populations and is set to become the continent’s most populous countries by 2060 due to fertility and immigration rates.
Another: this amazing map (interactive) from “Lucify.com/The Flow Toward Europe” takes a while to load. I put my cursor over the top-left “menu” to get the regional (Europe, North Africa, MiddleEast and some others) to load. It shows moving indicators throughout the region until you cursor over any single country (for example, Syria, Turkey, or any other) at which point the labels and (as you watch) numbers start moving. Data based on the UN sources, it says. Instructions:
The map below shows the flow of asylum seekers toEuropean countries over time.
Each moving point on the map represents 25 people. That corresponds to approximately one busload with every other seat taken… Hover over countries to show details. Click on a country to lock the selection. The counts shown on hover represent the number of people who have left or arrived in a country since 2012.
The line chart displays the total rate of asylum seekers over time. Hover over the chart to move the map in time.
Munich, Nice . .. other places recently….
A map, for visual reference — I know many people (myself included) can get geography-blind on relative size or even locations of these influential countries. For some reminders…(with Germany obviously not even shown on the top left, above France…).
TURKEY, SYRIA, IRAQ, IRAN,AFGHANISTAN, etc.
By Iakovos Aldhadeff 11/19/2015: “A New Role for Russia in Syria?”
A very nice article from the Wall Street Journal, about Russia’s new role in Syria, titled “U.S. Eyes Russia-Iran Split in Bid to End Syria Conflict”, November 2015. According to the article, after the Paris terrorist attacks of November 2015, there is an increasing pressure on the United States and Europe to cooperate with Russia in Syria against the Islamic State and ISIS. France is very active in diplomatically pushing for a coalition between France, United States and Russia against ISIS in Syria. (Further down on article)…
“U.S. Eyes Russia-Iran Split in Bid to End Syria Conflict”, November 2015. http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-eyes-russia-iran-split-in-bid-to-end-syria-conflict-1447895357Map 5 Oil (black) and Natual Gas (red) Fields. [in the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea Basins] (Legend reads “(black) OilField, (brown) Giant Oil Field and (red), Major Gas Fields)..
From wordpress blog “Ikal.files.wordpress.com/2015/11… Iakodos Aldaheff, posting.
Wall Street Journal, Friday July 29, 2016, cont’d…
Other articles on the same topic fill the rest of that same 7/29/2016 WSJ page A8, and similar titled articles (some dated Spring 2015, some fall 2015 re: Merkel’s stand) the search results: “Lapse Hindered Hunt for Church Attacker” …” French Media Balk at Showing Terrorists in Media ” …”and at the bottom, labeled “ANALYSIS” by Julian E Barnes in Brussels and Benoit Faucon in London, “Threat to Europe from Islamic State takes varied forms.” with call-out under the photo: “FBI Chief Says Defeated Extremists Could Flee to U.S.”
(citing an on-line 7/28 article, link as above:):
FBI’s Comey Warns ISIS Fighters Could Spread to U.S., Western Europe If Defeated in Middle East ‘Greater than any diaspora we’ve seen before,’ director says of possible outcome
By NICOLE HONG July 28, 2016 5:47 p.m. ET 73 COMMENTS**
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey warned of a potential consequence of a future Islamic State defeat in the Middle East: a migration of the group’s fighters to Western Europe and the U.S.
In a speech at Fordham University on Wednesday, Mr. Comey said counterterrorism officials are focused on the prospect of hundreds of Islamic State fighters surviving the battlefield and flowing into Western Europe to commit attacks like the recent ones in Brussels and Paris. The ease of travel would also make the U.S. vulnerable to this threat, he said.
“This is an order of magnitude greater than any diaspora we’ve seen before,” Mr. Comey said. “A lot of terrorists fled out of Afghanistan in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This is 10 times that or more.”
Mr. Comey said violence inspired and directed by Islamic State is the greatest current threat to the physical safety of Americans. Trying to stop such attacks is even harder than finding a needle in a haystack, he said.
“We have to figure out which pieces of hay may become a needle because there are troubled people consuming that propaganda all over the world,” he said.
**Most comments critical or sarcastic. One said, “Good thing we didn’t attack the Nazi’s in Europe or they might have all come over here..” ..
Nov. 2015 “House Homeland Security Committee Review – Preliminary Findings” on Syrian Refugee Flows: Security Risks and Counterterrorism Challenges: (11-page pdf incl. 48 footnotes. I am referencing, and did not read past Background and Summary, although I did notice they use the term “ISIS” not “ISIL.”
Background:
Beginning in December 2014, the Majority Staff of the House Homeland Security Committee began investigating security concerns regarding the Syrian refugee crisis. This report provides preliminary Findings of the review and is based on Congressional hearings; meetings with officials from multiple departments and agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Counterterrorism Center; national security briefings; overseas travel throughout the Middle East, Mediterranean, Balkans, and Western Europe to examine counterterrorism screening and refugee flows; meetings with foreign partners and non-governmental organizations; extensive document review; and additional outside consultations.
Summary:
More than four million Syrians have fled the conflict zone in their home country, contributing to the largest global refugee crisis since World War II. According to statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than half a million of them have traveled to Europe to seek asylum or are attempting to resettle elsewhere in the West, including the United States. In response to the crisis, the Obama Administration has announced plans to “surge” admissions of Syrian refugees into the United States, including admitting at least 10,000 over the course of this fiscal year.
A review by the Majority Staff of the House Homeland Security Committee concludes that the Administration’s proposal will have a limited impact on alleviating the overall crisis but could have serious rami cations for U.S. homeland security. Additionally, widespread security gaps across Europe are increasing the terrorism risk to our allies and present long-term implications for the U.S. homeland.
You can quickly see what direction this document is going from its findings: (OCR copy & paste tends to omit the letter combos”ff” or “fl” or “fi”combo. Read for context or check original pdf if anything is uncear,).
- Finding 1: Islamist terrorists are determined to infiltrate refugee flows to enter the West—and appear to already have done so in Europe.
- Finding 2: While America has a proud tradition of refugee resettlement, the United States lacks the information needed to con dently screen refugees from the Syria conflict zone to identify possible terrorism connections.
- Finding 3: Despite security enhancements to the vetting process, senior o cials remain concerned about the risks and acknowledge the possibility of ISIS infiltration into U.S.-bound Syrian refugee populations.
- Finding 4: Surging admissions of Syrian refugees into the United States is likely to result in an increase in federal law enforcement’s counterterrorism caseload.
- Finding 5: Europe’s open borders are a “cause célèbre” for jihadists.
• It is no secret that refugees have found it remarkably easy to enter Europe. Border security along the European Union’s frontiers is weak, and Committee staff found that despite calls for tighter controls, some countries were still willing to “look the other way” to allow refugees to enter en masse in hopes they would pass through and seek asylum elsewhere
- Finding 6: European governments face substantial obstacles to information-sharing and are stymied by a lack of internal border checks in their efforts to keep track of terrorist suspects.
- Finding 7: Glaring security gaps along refugee routes into Europe—especially lax security screening of travelers—make the pathway highly susceptible to terrorist exploitation.
- Finding 8: Mediterranean and Balkan countries risk becoming a new “terrorist turnpike” into the West due to particularly poor information sharing and weak vetting systems.
- Finding 9: Syrian refugee populations in Europe have already been directly targeted by extremists for recruitment, and in the long run certain communities in which they resettle are likely to become “fertile soil” for violent radicalization.
- Finding 10: America’s security is put at risk when partner countries fail to conduct adequate counterterrorism checks on refugees and are unable to cope with the radicalization challenges created by mass migration.
• When our allies overseas are unable to effectively weed out suspects with terrorist ties from
refugee flows, those individuals represent a long-term danger to U.S. security.
[Ten out of the ten Findings (emphases mine) and some of the recommendations, below, added to post one day after this post’s publication. There were 48 footnotes, diverse sources, 18 of which were marked “ibid.” (the same source as previous footnote].
Some RECOMMENDATIONS from these “Findings” of this report:
5. U.S. government departments and agencies should ramp up e orts to assist our European partners in building the capacity to conduct robust, consistent counterterrorism vetting of refugees and migrants going forward.
6. U.S. government departments and agencies must also work with European and Middle Eastern partners to close information-sharing gaps and improve intelligence and law enforcement cooperation related to Syrian refugees.
…………………
These three links are from my follow up on some terms unfamiliar to me, from a May 2, 2016 on The Global Campaign Against ISIL (quoted below).
24 http://hayatcanada.webs.com (retrieved May 30, 2015)
25 http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32539638 (retrieved May, 30, 2015)
26 http://www.girds.org/projects/mothers-for-life-network (retrieved May, 30, 2015)
or http://www.facebook.com/mothersandlife (retrieved May, 30, 2015)
Strange to say, many things can still be learned by, when reading, when you don’t understand a term or vocabulary word, DO SOMETHING about that ignorance. Find out where the unknown may (or does) relate to something known. Over time, things come into better focus, but only over time…This should be fun, not tedious, and it should be habitual. I have a strange feeling it isn’t and am concerned about just how brainwashed what percent of the US Citizenry has become over time. For example, from that Global Campaign speech, there was a term “CVE” which I gather referred to this:
At last year’s White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism {{“CVE”}} and the Leader’s Summit at the United Nations, Americans gained from the experiences of our foreign partners, including representatives from Hayat here in Berlin and the Amadeu Amadeo Institute’s “Lola for Lulu” program. Both are great examples of Germany’s strength in providing civil society support to combat extremist ideologies of all stripes, whether it’s Hayat’s work against Islamist extremism as part of the BAMF family counseling referral network, or Lola for Lulu’s work in schools to turn young people away from right-wing extremism. There are many other examples within Germany’s strong community of NGOs.
So there’s another term, unknown to me, “BAMF,” but family counseling to deter VIOLENCE — now that’s something we have some experience with in the US. Government partnering with “NGOs” (another name for non-profits in our terminology, USA) — that too; we are talking public/private partnerships. And of course whatEVER the cause is (including abstinence, fatherhood or marriage promotion, or preventing dating violence), the groups will want access to the children in the schools. I also don’t know what “Lola for Lulu” is, but I did note that the Ambassador’s speech below WAS pushing also the Strong Cities Network (SCN).
The Munich shooting happened (last) Thursday evening, but by the time I learned about it, I had already written a full post on International Institute for Peace (at Rutgers) and by way of that, reviewed the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) as well as re-visiting (maybe not for this blog, but for myself) the Institute for Strategic DIALOGUE which is the City of London-based charity running the Strong Cities Network.
FYI, I catch enough news to realize there have been more disturbing events meanwhile. Expect this type of events and coverage of it to accelerate — but this posting will have to stand in for symbolic of the overall situation…
We should be asking ourselves, WHY are some people so focused on CITIES and not COUNTRIES, or the STATES WITHIN COUNTRIES?
No question global changes will be accelerating this summer and fall, particularly with the Presidential Candidates down to now only Two, and both sides hating the others as extremist, a position much of the US seems to take also when discussing the other political party. That is perhaps one reason I wish to focus on the NGOs (Private tax-exempts) vs Public (Gov’t) networks within this country and from this country internationally.
The hate-Hillary, Hate-Obama talk has a real ugly tinge to it. On the other hand, she has been in the Department of State, which is promoting the SCN as best I can see, and as to the other Clinton, it was on his watch that 1996 PRWORA was passed on false pretenses as if in the public interest and for the purposes of reducing public debt burden, reliance on government by welfare recipients, and poverty. As most “polemics” go, whatever is claimed, typically the actual truth lies in the opposite direction.
Because of the type of studies I’m doing, including curiosity about such things as why the United States Department of Justice does not provide for the public a functional Grants Distributed database (there appears to be some disjunct, inflexible pages listing grants by year AND by title or type — but nothing comprehensive or really functional for the public to study any of the various funded programs, so many of them aimed at PREVENTING violence).
Since this is an added section to my post, I’ve given it the different background color you can see starting with the first article. Below that background color is the previously-written post on the Rutgers Institute for International Peace “Partners Page” with the material I’d added on Strong Cities Network last night, as a matter of general public interest.
Speaking of Strong Cities, and Munich, this post written yesterday 7/21/2016 revisited “Strong Cities Network” only because I got two of the similar but not identical sounding international institutes for strategic studies and peacemaking dialogues for a more sustainably developed world presided over by — of course — the UN (Anglo/American/European primarily) ….and both of these were headquartered in a London-based charity as well…
“The SCN is made up of mayors, municipal-level policy makers and practitioners united in building social cohesion and community resilience against violent extremism in all its forms. The global network is currently made up of 56 cities with membership set to grow to around 200 by the end of 2017. Membership is completely free of charge.”
One of the things I learned about “SCN” is that copying any of its links immediately has your computer taken over long enough to re-format the link according to their preferred framework — not mine. Which takes up a lot of space and obscures the URL which sometimes, I like to show. I also am looking RIGHT AT the html code for the above link — and it lacks the usual indicators to make the code active and has NO instructions for setting aside a wide space, or formatting the text – so all of this must have happened and be controlled (and remain so controlled) at a sub-level of instructions on this blog or any other blog. I cannot shrink the size or in any way change the above display other than eliminating it. NOT appreciated …
The SCN International Visitor Leadership Program
The U.S. Sate Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs organised the first Strong Cities Network IVLP from 27 February to 19 March, 2016. Exchange visitors travelled to Washington, Los Angeles, Denver, Columbus, Indianapolis and Chicago where they connected with U.S practitioners and gained insight into local CVE strategies.
The link showing this IVLP (under “Activities”) is not active.
SCN Membership is fee but it MUST be at the “City municipality or sub-national level.” Essentially, they aren’t into national borders when creating their policies and instituting “community cohesion.”
According to this website, the only city within Germany which has membership is Dresden. Here’s that list and these are the benefits of membership. I notice that the US cities (and other countries’) are listed WITHOUT reference to their states. Not only is this group less than interested in countries, they are not too fond of policy-making organization involving “States” which is a less than subtle declaration of intentions to undermine STATE-based legislation (and protections) in the US, too. The US also has counties — they don’t want counties, but at the SMALLEST level of political unit (but some of the larger cities around).
Also interesting — the City of London hosts the involved charity (ISD), but only two British Cities listed are “Birmingham.” and “London.” The City of London (NOT the same thing) is not listed. Elsewhere on the site under Activities, as to hosting, the wording was “The City of London.” Similarly, in the US, Washington D.C. isn’t listed, either.. Hmm.
Benefits of SCN membership
As members continue to face an evolving set of community dynamics and extremism-related challenges, the SCN provides an important framework of support for sharing best practice and maximising international learning at the local level. Benefits include:
Here are the US Cities showing at the network as of the “day after” Munich (not a member) went on lockdown:
- Atlanta, United States
- Aurora, United States (a click to find out whether this is Colorado, or Illinois, or elsewhere is met with a “You are not logged in” message).
- Chattanooga, United States
- Denver, United States
- Los Angeles, United States
- Minneapolis, United States
- Montgomery County, United States (so, a “COUNTY” can be a member. Alabama — or is it Pennsylvania? or ??)
- New York, United States
That’s EIGHT cities (and the website doesn’t indicate it’s all of them). Only Africa other representative continent seems to have so many, even Africa. ….Cameroon – 4; Nigeria – 2, Kenya – 1; Mauritania – 1; Senegal – 1; and Tunisia – 1.
This is an announcement from “De.USEMBASSY.gov” I believe the website would be US Department of State.
I’ve quoted it also further below.
U.S. Embassy Berlin Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Travel Alert Europe
June 1, 2016
As part of the State Department’s continuous efforts to provide Americans travelling abroad with information about relevant events, we are alerting U.S. citizens to the risk of potential terrorist attacks throughout Europe, targeting major events, tourist sites, restaurants, commercial centers and transportation. The large number of tourists visiting Europe in the summer months will present greater targets for terrorists planning attacks in public locations, especially at large events. This Travel Alert expires August 31, 2016. ……
And now that “MUNICH” has happened, an addendum at the bottom of this US State Dept. message (latest update, 21:33 presently, shows at top of page; I switched the only other one on there, “19:52”, to first place).
[19:52] Media is reporting shots fired at the Olympia shopping mall in Munich, Germany, resulting in casualties. There are subsequent reports of shots fired in other locations in Munich. There is a major police operation underway. Mass transit around the city is also reported to be halted during the police operation.
[Update 21:33] Media are reporting that Munich authorities have declared an emergency using the city’s smartphone warning system. Residents have been warned not to leave their homes: For your own safety, avoid squares and streets: perpetrators are on the run. Train and bus transport suspended. Turn radio and TV on. Munich’s mainline railway station is closed, and mass transit remains halted.
U.S. citizens are advised not to come to the U.S. Consulate due to the uncertain security situation. Continue to shelter in place, contact your family members to let them know you are safe, and follow the instructions of police and emergency personnel. Continue to monitor local news stations for updates. Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security.
Since this was an added section to my post, I’ve given it the different background color you can see starting with the first article. Below that background color The previously-written post on the Rutgers Institute for International Peace “Partners Page” with the material I’d added on Strong Cities Network last night, as a matter of general public interest. — is now on a separate post. Some of this one may overlap with it.
Press and Some feedback on Munich mall shootings:
ABC News, “At Least 6 Dead, ‘Possible Terror Attack” Manhunt underway ”
Photo: Marc Mueller/Getty images. “Police officers respond to the shooting at the Olympia-Einkaufzentrum shopping center at July 22, 2016 in Munich.more +” in ABCNews.com
All subway services in the city were halted after reports that the suspect fled into the subway, and police are appealing to people to clear the streets as they hunt for the gunmen. ~ They are directing people to avoid Munich’s city center and shelter in place, after unconfirmed reports of further shooting. ~ President Obama has been briefed on the situation, and later offered sympathies and pledged support to Germany, which he described as one of America’s closest allies.
The shopping mall where the shooting took place is located in what was the Olympic Village for the 1972 Munich Olympics, during which 11 Israeli athletes were taken hostage and killed along with a German policeman.
I am not a “news” source, however I’m posting two links, one from the Telegraph.UK and the other from the Guardian.UK; I find these on-lines often have a lot of details in sometimes more coherent form than the big networks, ABC, CBS, CNN, etc.
The Telegraph: “Everything We Know So Far About Munich” by Rozina Sabur, time shows 7/22/2016 8:46pm (I am posting from across the pond and across the continent, major time difference):
Munich shopping centre shooting: live updates
What is happening in Munich?
Police say there have been ‘multiple’ deaths after gunmen went on a shooting rampage at a shopping mall in the southern German city.
Witnesses say “masked gunmen dressed in black” opened fire as they ran through the city’s Olympia Einkaufszentrum shopping centre….
The attack was the third major act of violence against civilian targets in Western Europe in eight days. Previous attacks in France and Germany were claimed by Islamic State and Munich police said they suspected the latest assault was a terrorist attack.
The shopping center is in the Moosach district next to the Munich Olympic stadium, where the Palestinian militant group Black September took 11 Israeli athletes hostage and eventually killed them during the 1972 Olympic Games.
Friday’s attack took place a week after a 17-year-old asylum-seeker wounded passengers on a German train in an axe rampage. Bavarian police shot dead the teenager after he wounded four people from Hong Kong on the train and injured a local resident while fleeing.
The incidents in Germany follow an attack in Nice, France, on Bastille Day in which a Tunisian drove a truck into crowds, killing 84. Islamic State also claimed responsibility for that attack.
Friday is also the five-year anniversary of the massacre by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway.
Breivik is a hero for far-right extremists in Europe and America.
The Guardian, dated FRIDAY 7/22/2016, 16:42 “EDT” from Janek Schmidt in Munich and Kate Connolly in Berlin:
Major police operation under way amid shopping centre evacuation and unconfirmed reports of shootings elsewhere in city.
I looked at the Financial Times to see how they’d post: “Equities End on Subdued Note;” says the financial markets didn’t react much to the shooting (see also Link Below) for the article.
Friday 17:30 BST. Stocks were ending the week on a subdued note, with a decline in the oil price, as traders reassessed the chances of more central bank support and Wall Street digested a batch of less well-received corporate earnings in a record-setting period.
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ef15e2cc-4fb9-11e6-8172-e39ecd3b86fc.html#ixzz4FAo2v2ZG
Curious whether Munich was a member of the “Strong Cities Network,” I found this blog post from last October 2015 on the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (which runs it, and which I initially had confused with the “International Institute for Strategic Studies” discussed below). There’s a definite focus in this blog on the “Rothschild” factor, something I’m not real comfortable. I learned about this from a different angle. Blog is labeled “Fellowship of the Mind” and admits to being “take back America” conservative; I see also some religious. However, he is pointing out how easy it will be now for Americans (US citizens) to be considered dangerous terrorists. My problem with conservatives is the pretense that this started with Obama or even “Hillary” or the Clintons. There’s a convenient Bush-blindness….
So my posting this doesn’t indicate agreement with the blog, which I haven’t read the rest of. It’s a convenient reference to “SCN.”
In the name of better fighting “violent extremism in all of its forms and manifestations in their local contexts,” the Obama administration has joined a global effort called the Strong Cities Network, which was launched 20 days ago on Sept. 29, 2015 at the United Nations.
Note: Speaking of “violent extremism in all of its forms and manifestations in their local contexts,” recall my post of yesterday, “Obama’s DOJ considers ‘racist’ and ‘anti-government’ Americans to be domestic terrorists“. That means the Strong Cities Network, which will be governed by an international body (see below), can and will be directed against Americans deemed to be “racist” and “anti-government.”
The Strong Cities Network will have an International Steering Committee and an International Advisory Board. The latter is “run” by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), which means the Strong Cities Network, of which the United States is a member, effectively is “run” by this Institute.
So what exactly is the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD)?
(etc.).
BRIEFING PAPER #2 (a stray paper on-line from the StrongCitiesNetwork.org website, not really dated) on Refugee Resettlement talks about the role of municipalities, the importance of public/private partnerships and this about Munich, specifically. It references 2014 and part of the “url” (web address) reads “Upload 2016/05”
Key lesson: a combined approach which tends to all the needs of migrant communities can simplify integration into their new communities.
Munich: Siemens introduces sustainable programme for integrating refugees
Siemens is a global technology and engineering rm headquartered in Berlin and Munich. In Munich, the company provides practical support and donations totalling around €2 million o ering internships, accommodation facilities and the establishment of training classes for refugees. The six-month training programme focusses on, among other things, language courses and vocational preparation. As a further part of its programme, Siemens is o ering internships to refugees still in the process of applying for asylum.
Key lesson: private businesses are in a unique position to leverage their opportunities and funding to provide much needed access to education and work programmes often out of reach to refugees awaiting their formal asylum status.
That was Page 6; here’s from Page 4 of the Briefing Paper:
Communications & partnerships
An effective communications strategy is vital to ease tensions between communities and counter myths and mistruths. This includes both proactive and reactive strategic communications from local governments, as well as support for the creation of counter-narrative campaigns that tackle myths and encourage cohesion between communities.
Similarly, public-private community initiatives can be mobilised to bring communities together. For example, more than 40 companies have joined together in Germany to take part in the “Wir zusammen – Integrationsinitiative der deutschen Wirtschaft” (“we together – integration initiative of the German economy”) campaign (https://www.wir-zusammen.de/home) which aims to promote the integration of refugees into Germany. The campaign includes videos and showcases of integration initiatives from a variety of partners on their website, with the aim of inspiring more companies to take part.
I found a May 2, 2016 speech apparently at the German Embassy? By a US Ambassador. When I added the hyperlink to the title, the website automatically grabbed and reformatted the text and quote (!!): The website is “DE.USEMBASSY.GOV and appears to be the US Dept. of State (?)
Annual Meeting of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The Islamic State – A Global Threat
Berlin, May 2, 2016
Ambassador John B. Emerson
Dr. Maaßen, thank you for asking me to join you today to participate in this very important conference. From geostrategic challenges, to economic instability, to climate change, to metastizing terrorism, to the spread of disease, to sustainable development, the world faces very real dangers. And of course, as President Obama said in Hannover last week, the most immediate threat to the citizens of both our countries is ISIL. So allow me to focus on that at the outset.
ISIL poses an enormous danger to civilians under their brutal reign. It is horrifying to witness the extreme brutality of these twisted terrorists who slaughter innocents, crucify, behead, and immolate prisoners, enslave women, and rape children. And just in the past six months – in Paris, in Brussels, in Lahore, and elsewhere – we have seen the extent to which it poses a threat to people around the world.
Beyond that, ISIL is a destabilizing force in the Middle East and North Africa. The stakes are even higher when you consider the possible consequences of terrorists launching cyber-attacks on global air traffic control, energy grid or financial systems; or even worse, obtaining and using a weapon of mass destruction.
But let’s not forget, as the President emphasized last week, we have faced down and defeated much greater adversaries. This is not World War III or the much-hyped clash of civilizations. Indeed, as National Security Advisor Susan Rice points out, we alienate our Muslim friends and allies – and dishonor the countless Muslim victims of ISIL’s brutality – when people recklessly and wrongly cast ISIL as somehow representative of one of the world’s largest religions. ISIL is a network of murderers, and they must be rooted out, hunted down, degraded, and destroyed.
A 66-member coalition of nations (including all 28 NATO allies) against ISIL is mentioned, and then about Germany:
Germany is a key member of the Counter-ISIL Coalition. It has contributed lethal assistance, training, and non-lethal military equipment to the Iraqi Kurds, and has committed up to 1,350 troops to support allied military activities in Syria, Turkey, and Iraq. We recognize the significance of these contributions and value them highly. And since 2011, Germany has pledged more than €2.3 billion in assistance to Syria through 2018.
But even as European countries make important contributions against ISIL – Europe, including NATO – can still do more. And this was one of the topics that President Obama and Chancellor Merkel discussed with their counterparts from France, Italy, and the United Kingdom last week in Hannover; and it will undoubtedly be a topic at the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw.
I recommending reading ALL of this May 2, 2016 speech. Here are two more parts, the second notes that Dresden recently joined the “Strong Cities Network.” No mention of Munich. Interesting choice of words, in recommending this “successful model of integration” be built upon “four pillars”
The most constructive approach to the challenge of immigration is to replicate successful models of integration. In the United States, we believe that the more we do to help immigrants to achieve their American dream, the better off we are as a country.
I believe the foundation for successful integration rests on four pillars, each of which requires commitment from both our citizens and the immigrants.
The first pillar is linguistic integration. Access to English, or in this case, German, instruction enables individuals to prosper both academically and economically, and engage more fully in their communities. We must teach, and they must learn.
The second pillar is economic integration. Helping immigrants to fully realize their potential – making it easier for them to find work, providing job training, and in turn increasing their willingness to work hard – is a key aspect of our economic growth. Just imagine the consequences if the tens of thousands of military age males who have immigrated to Germany spent a year or more just sitting on their hands – a ripe recipe for Salafist recruitment.
The third pillar is the provision of a clear path to citizenship. This process requires commitment both by the government and the applicant seeking citizenship.
And that brings me to the fourth pillar – the civic integration which occurs when members of a town or a city are welcomed, feel that they belong, and are secure in their rights and responsibilities. Integration is not something immigrants and refugees can achieve in isolation. One of the most important factors in integration, and in countering violent extremism, is developing the potential for individuals to connect and work together with others on a community level. The challenges and opportunities of integration are met not by making ‘them’ like ‘us,’ but rather by creating a new, more inclusive sense of ‘we.’
AND last, the initials “CVE” apparently stand for “Countering Violent Extremism” and has practitioners, including application in where else — family counseling (“BAMF”) (==??) and in Schools.
For this one, I’d like to ask our US Ambassador, “SO, how’s this “violence prevention” been going at home, when it comes to preventing violence against women by their spouses, partners, male relatives or people they dated a few times? Or preventing child abuse. Does training and telling people what’s right with one side of the mouth, while facilitating institutions which undo this training (such as the family courts) actually work? Do “Batterers Intervention Programs” actually work?
Or, are they there for another purpose?
At last year’s White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism {{“CVE”}} and the Leader’s Summit at the United Nations, Americans gained from the experiences of our foreign partners, including representatives from Hayat here in Berlin and the Amadeu Amadeo Institute’s “Lola for Lulu” program. Both are great examples of Germany’s strength in providing civil society support to combat extremist ideologies of all stripes, whether it’s Hayat’s work against Islamist extremism as part of the BAMF family counseling referral network, or Lola for Lulu’s work in schools to turn young people away from right-wing extremism. There are many other examples within Germany’s strong community of NGOs.
“BAMF Family Counseling” — Now they REALLY have my attention. A careful reading of just these few pages will show that yes, the attempt to influence the “affective environment” of the individual through his or her family is being tried (Footnotes show a Hayat Foundation in CANADA but with the training having happened the GIRDS, a German (institution), with BAMF being part of government.
This parallels — VERY closely — what’s already been tried (and failed — other than for those making a living at it) within the USA, at the recommendations of a network of court-connected or court-official-run nonprofits (internationally conferencing and membership) with the focus on BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS to POTENTIALLY LETHAL/INJURIOUS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (some of which amounts to Honor Killings — see Phyllis Chesler writings on Gender Apartheid and this topic for documentation!) and CHILD ABUSE (and other criminal behaviors).
Essentially we (women) are being told to just manage it ourselves, while the infrastructure putting pressure on US to stop reporting and stop seeking criminal prosecution where it would send a clear message that the behavior IS a crime. Some of them women in protecting their children are themselves being criminally prosecuted.
SO, here’s the one article I found (so far) on “BAMF” Counseling for de-radicalization, and just part of it. FIRST, he States the Problem. It takes several pages before an admission that the counseling program he’s recommending for Germany, he designed…. (“author-designed”).
This relatively short pdf has many footnotes, and many of them are links to news articles (even “Facebook”) “accessed May 30, 2015” giving it sort of a thrown-together look.
Using Family Counseling to Prevent and Intervene Against Foreign Fighters: Operational Perspectives, Methodology and Best Practices for Implementing Codes of Conduct
Daniel Koehler
Introduction
Western citizens traveling to fight in battlefields across the world are a serious concern for authorities and security agencies in almost every Western country. The so called “foreign fighters” who come from diverse national and demographic backgrounds are joining the fights in Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. The Syrian conflict has proven to be attractive to young, Western Muslims in a way that has been unparalleled in the last 20 years. The numbers of those who have traveled to fight in Syria may even surpass the numbers who traveled to fight in the Afghanistan War between 1979 and1989. Global jihadi networks skillfully use modern information technologies and social media to disseminate propaganda and real-time information about the “jihad” on the ground. Hundreds of groups and fractions strive for their various goals in a range of highly complex civil-war scenarios. A recent report released by the United Nations estimates that 25,000 fighters from more than 100 countries are involved in the conflict in Syria and Iraq.1 German authorities estimate that, on a national level, at least 650 individuals have left Germany to travel to Syria and Iraq since the outbreak of the war in 2011. Of those, at least 200 have returned, 85 have been killed, and about 50 have gained active combat experience.2
The main concern of authorities worldwide is that these individuals who are joining terrorist organizations and receiving training in camps will gain battlefield experience and return to their home countries (legally with their Western passports) to become sleepers or to directly engage in terrorist activities on home soil. As the attacks in Brussels in May 2014 and Paris in January 2015 (both of which involved returnees) show, these fears are not unfounded. This could even lead to a potential collapse of the responsible courts and security agencies. In Germany, there are currently more than 500 ongoing preliminary investigations involving more than 1,000 so-called Islamist “Gefährder.”34 In April 2015, German authorities claimed to have foiled an Islamist terrorist attack against a cycling race that was allegedly planned by a married couple5 that had met and consulted with returnees from the Syrian conflict.6 In general however, the number of returnees, and especially those involved in terrorist plots, remains remarkably small.
Parent meetings and groups to exchange experiences regarding radicalization within the family are also part of this methodology and can be highly effective. One initiative created by the author and the Hayat Family Support Foundation Canada24 (the staff of which were trained by the German Institute on Radicalization and De-radicalization Studies GIRDS, making them the first ones to receive that training course25) is called “Mothers for Life” and brings together mothers from eight countries (as of May 2015) who all have lost their relatives and want to help other families going through the same process.26
As a first step, counseling should address the question of whether or not a radicalization process is becoming violent and should be countered. The counselor should then—together with the family—introduce a specific step-by-step plan of action tailored to the individual case and family to reduce—as far as possible—any potentially problematic or dangerous factors within the family structure (as well as at work and school, and within other environments) and to educate and empower the family to work toward a self-reliant and positive relationship with the concerned relative.
According to the accepted code of conduct for this special field of family counseling, maintaining close cooperation with security agencies is essential due to the potentially high [next page..] security risks of some cases. This cooperation, however, must be maintained without compromising the privacy and safety of the family, as well as their trust, which is the very foundation of the counseling relationship. Thus, counseling programs should operate under clear guidelines and in close partnership with the authorities. If the situation requires government involvement, counseling providers must be very transparent about when and how security agencies will be brought in. Families must also be aware of the criteria the counselor uses to assess security risks and the illegality of any actions that might be committed. In those cases, the counseling program/provider should serve as a moderator between security agencies and the family to achieve the best outcome for both parties. Security agencies, in turn, must be able to trust the risk-assessment capabilities of the counselor and to recognize the value these programs add to their own work. Non-governmental organizations may be able to have an impact on the family and radical individuals in a way that security agencies cannot achieve.
24 http://hayatcanada.webs.com (retrieved May 30, 2015)
25 http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32539638 (retrieved May, 30, 2015)
26 http://www.girds.org/projects/mothers-for-life-network (retrieved May, 30, 2015)
or http://www.facebook.com/mothersandlife (retrieved May, 30, 2015)
Emphases in next quote, mine. Notice how the author-designed family counseling methology as a “deradicalization tool” WAS included in BAMF in 2011 and 2012. (Self-promotion). Of course without this being further studied, coordinated, and standards of practice defined, who’s going to know how effective it’s been? He is promoting his connection with BAMF and for simply being in a country where “arguable one of the most well-known cases” comes from. (And now in July 2016, possibly another, who knows?)
Notice the key goal he’s going for is the NGO counselor to step in between the family or individuals involved, and the “security agency” (government). SOUND FAMILIAR? Then the government is supposed to keep track of how competent the service-provider NGO counselor is.
…This highly complex situation has led international researchers and policy makers to increasingly focus on intervention and prevention programs in order to counter this development.9 However, most of the programs developed have not yet become coordinated or widely-applied initiatives. Although several state and non-state programs have gained some experience in working with families of members of radical groups (both Islamic and right- wing extremist) especially in Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, arguably one of the most well-known cases comes from Germany, where the author-designed family counseling methodologies as deradicalization tools were included in 2011 and 2012 in the German family counseling network and hotline.
The German Counseling Network
Among European states, Germany has one of the highest numbers of citizens that have traveled to the Syrian/Iraqi battlefields. However, even before the foreign fighter problem became widely evident, Germany had developed one of the most innovative approaches to tackling homegrown radicalization. T
The German model, implemented in 2012, relies on a strong public-private partnership hosted and financed by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugee Affairs,10 which is part of the Ministry of the Interior,11 and involves running its own nationwide phone hotline for families and concerned persons (e.g., teachers, employers, social workers). The BAMF hotline provides free-of-charge and anonymous first-line counseling before referring the case to a local non-governmental partner within its own network, which currently includes four NGOs that specialize in the field. These NGOs are then responsible for the actual counseling.
SOUND FAMILIAR YET to the USA? (FYI, there is Marriage/Fatherhood programming already being run targeted tor refugees and funded by HHS). This is starting to read like a page out of the United States Family Courts + Violence Prevention rhetoric:
This was posted at “MEI.EDU” which is “Middle East Institute” — a US (NGO) in Washington D.C. since 1946. I just looked at Staff, International Advisory, Board of Governors, and “Experts” and don’t see Mr. Koehler’s name. Good organization to know about, though.
For 70 years, the Middle East Institute has operated as one of the preeminent centers for Middle East research in Washington, DC. The Institute was founded in 1946 by a group of prominent scholars and statesmen who recognized the need for accurate, rigorous scholarship in a rapidly changing post-War environment, and who sought, as they put it, “to increase knowledge of the Middle East among citizens of the United States and to promote a better understanding between the peoples of these two areas.” They established a library, sponsored research, taught language classes, hosted conferences, and began publication of the first scholarly journal to focus exclusively on the region: The Middle East Journal.
At the center of this group of scholars and statesmen was George Camp Keiser, an architect by training and a student of Islamic architecture. His associates were Christian A. Herter, a congressman from Massachusetts who would go on to become Dwight Eisenhower’s secretary of state; Ambassador George Allen; Harvey Hall, a former instructor at the American University of Beirut; and Halford L. Hoskins, an academic who directed what would eventually become the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
Keiser and his associates saw political neutrality as a crucial element of MEI’s identity. The Institute’s purpose was to provide accurate information and objective analysis, not to lobby Congress or engage in advocacy. Beginning in the late 1960s, as Middle East think tanks and publications proliferated and policy organizations shifted their focus toward the region, this commitment to neutrality became increasingly important. Where other organizations focused on influencing policy decisions, MEI concentrated on ensuring that these decisions were based on sound data and a thoughtful consideration of differing points of view
….
These are among the closing paragraphs of the DE.USEMBASSY.GOV May 2, 2016 address, and as you can see, here come the “practitioners” and the appeal to get more Geramn cities into the “Strong Cities” Network. IF Munich had not already joined, then the attack on Munich is definitely interesting in this context, as well as in the ones cited in the mainstream news above.
Also I still do not get this continued use of “ISIL” by the Administration and “ISIS” by the press and basically, most others…
The Global Campaign Against ISIL, ….continued
Annual Meeting of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The Islamic State – A Global Threat Berlin, May 2, 2016 Ambassador John B. Emerson
We are strengthening German-American exchange programs between practitioners – those working directly in communities and with young people and their families to push back against the growth of extremist ideology. At the Embassy, we are actively involved in fostering these exchanges, so both sides can learn from each other’s best practices. Last week, a group of 10 German CVE practitioners returned from an exchange visit to Washington, D.C. and Boston, where they met their U.S. counterparts at the federal, state, and local levels. Next month we are co-sponsoring a best practices session in NRW; and this fall, we are planning a best practices conference, as a follow-up to the President’s Refugee Summit at the UN General Assembly in September.
One final example. Dresden recently joined the Strong Cities Network, {{They provided a Twitter link!}} which currently includes 38 cities from around the world, bringing together mayors and sub-national authorities to share expertise and build capacity to develop localized CVE strategies. It aims to strengthen strategic planning and practices among municipal-level policy makers, and builds the capacity of local practitioners to prevent the spread of violent extremism in all its forms. We welcome and encourage more German cities to join, and hope further German representatives will participate in meetings such as next week’s upcoming Strong Cities Network Summit in Antalya, Turkey.
[END, section on the Munich Shootings].
Let's Get Honest! Absolutely Uncommon Analysis of Family & Conciliation Courts' Operations, Practices, & History 
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daveyone1
July 30, 2016 at 4:03 pm