More than 30 specialists from police, school administrations, local authorities and youth resource centers of Aktobe and Karaganda regions participated in a training organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan under the STRIVE Asia (Strengthening Resilience to Violent Extremism in Asia: a joint EU-UN partnership) Initiative. The STRIVE initiative aims at preventing and countering early signs of radicalization and violent extremism and is funded by the European Union. The implementing agencies include the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism (OCT), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The initiative emphasizes the role of a local community and front-line officers in prevention of violent extremism. They have the ability to serve as an early-warning network of specialists at the local level given their close interaction with local population, particularly young people, and to detect early signs of radicalization. 

During the two-day training, the participants studied the risks related to violent extremism, its drivers and circumstances, as well as preventive tools and measures. They also learnt about the importance of cooperation among relevant institutions, dealing with the needs and interests of the youth, as well as other vulnerable groups of the communities.

The STRIVE Asia initiative promotes a multi-stakeholder approach to address radicalization through engagement with governments, security actors, civil society and the private sector. In particular, it supports collaboration among municipalities, local civil society and communities in order to facilitate interventions that are designed and implemented as inclusive and responsive to the local needs as possible.