European Cities View Human Rights as a Means to Combat Radicalization

It is hard not to feel hopeless in the face of the devastating news from Brussels.  All responses seem either too little too late, or too naive.  But some folks around the world are developing ideas to combat the roots of terrorism.   In May 2015, a group of Council of Europe and city representatives came together in Graz, Austria to discuss the role of human rights implementation in the city.  At the end of their session, they approved the Graz Declaration on Human Rights Implementation.   The final two paragraphs of the declaration are pertinent today:

“The representatives of the Congress of the Council of Europe, in the presence of local and regional decision makers from 25 countries, coming together on the occasion of the international implementation forum “Focusing on Human Rights” on 28-29 May 2015 . . .

6.  Further remind national authorities of the repercussions that insufficient policy responses to social exclusion can have on radicalization, which impacts public security and the human rights of citizens and shall thus be a central consideration of any human rights policy;

7. Conclude accordingly that the point of time has come at which it is indispensible to respond to the threats to human rights and fundamental freedoms by means of enforcing the cooperation between authorities at all levels, exchanging best practises and assessing the outcomes of implemented actions in order to pursue a common strategy to enhance inclusion and make human rights a reality in Europe’s cities and regions.”