Political Violence Organized Crimes Terrorism And Youth

Whatever the cause or source of violent behavior may be, children who are subjected or witness to violence can be physically or psychologically damaged. Denied their right to develop, as a result of failure to protect them from violence, such children are unlikely to realise their potential as mature adults.

Whatever the cause or source of violent behavior may be, children who are subjected or witness to violence can be physically or psychologically damaged. Denied their right to develop, as a result of failure to protect them from violence, such children are unlikely to realise their potential as mature adults. The toll of individual suffering is untenable for any modern society. The costs to the state in terms of wasted talent and human resources are immeasurable. Violence against children can best be portrayed as a pyramid, with all but its tip buried in the deep sands of adult ignorance, self-

Whatever the cause or source of violent behavior may be, children who are subjected or witness to violence can be physically or psychologically damaged. Denied their right to develop, as a result of failure to protect them from violence, such children are unlikely to realise their potential as mature adults. The toll of individual suffering is untenable for any modern society. The costs to the state in terms of wasted talent and human resources are immeasurable. Violence against children can best be portryed as a pyramid, with all but its tip buried in the deep sands of adult ignorance, self-deception and apathy. The tip represents the tiny proportion of violence which comes to official notice. States have the obligations to do all they can deter and prevnt violence and to create the necessary conditions to protect children from violence wherever it occurs. To fulfil these obligations, states are required to develop clear legislation which prohibits all forms of violence against children, including all coporal punishment; to ensure appropriate and effective enforcement of the law and to take all other necessary measures -educational, social and administrative- to prevent and eliminate violence.

While it could be arguably stated that West Africa has achieved remarkable and sustainable progress in the areas of democratic governance and economic growth, the sub-region, over the past few years, has been challenged by terrorism and other transnational security threats. Innocent civilians are continuously killed; security operatives and providers of humanitarian assistance targeted; properties and infrastructure wantonly destroyed; thus culminating in significant displacement of people and acute poverty. If these developments are not carefully and timeously addressed, they are capable of eroding progress so far recorded. It is against this background, that this Thesis undertakes a study of the different manifestations of terrorism and related transnational security challenges in West Africa, to explore the internal and external sources and drivers of instability; establish the linkages between terrorism and transnational threats; examine the various steps taken in recent time to strengthen the sub-region’s capacity to prevent and address the menace of terrorism and other security challenges, and make necessary policy recommendations based on comprehensive best practices.

During the last ten years an increasing number of government and media reports, scholarly books and journal articles, and other publications have focused our attention on the expanded range of interactions between international organized crime and terrorist networks. A majority of these interactions have been in the form of temporary organizational alliances (or customer-supplier relationships) surrounding a specific type of transaction or resource exchange, like document fraud or smuggling humans, drugs or weapons across a particular border. The environment in which terrorists and criminals operate is also a central theme of this literature. These research trends suggest the salience of this book which addresses how organized criminal and terrorist networks collaborate, share knowledge and learn from each other in ways that expand their operational capabilities. The book contains broad conceptual pieces, historical analyses, and case studies that highlight different facets of the intersection between crime and terrorism. These chapters collectively help us to identify and appreciate a variety of dynamics at the individual, organizational, and contextual levels. These dynamics, in turn, inform a deeper understanding of the security threat posted by terrorists and criminal networks and how to respond more effectively. This book was published as a special issue of Terrorism and Political Violence.

In the post-9/11 era, the nexus between organized crime and terrorism has raised much concern and has been widely discussed in both academic and policy circles, but is still largely misunderstood. This critical book contributes innovatively to the debate by distinguishing three types of nexus—interaction, transformation/imitation and similarities—and identifying the promoting factors of each type.

Considering an under-researched dimension of political violence, this interdisciplinary collection provides an extensive examination of terrorist victimisation. It explores how individual and public experiences of victimisation are constructed and how they are shaped by existing dynamics of violence.