FORWORD
The Bina Program was established by the Libyan Program for Reintegration and Development (LPRD), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the Statistical, Economic and Social Research Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC). The Bina Program is a state-building initiative that aims to support Libya and fragile conflict- affected countries in rebuilding their institutions. The Bina program has three important pillars one of which is research development. Research is essential for analyzing the current situation in Libya and providing Libya’s decision-makers with recommendations, policies, and solutions to overcome the challenges of state-building. One of the main challenges that the Libyan people face in their endeavor to rebuild Libya’s institutions is the security issue. Libya as many other countries in the region has been suffering from violence and terrorism caused by extremist groups such as DAESH. For this reason, Bina has launched its research project on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE). The main goal of the CVE research was to analyze the root causes of violent extremism in Libya and recommend solutions for preventing and countering the spread of violent extremism in the country. The research looked into the deep root causes of violent extremism (VE) in Libya and how to overcome these causes. The perspective of the study is based on a peacebuilding approach which aims to strengthen the involvement of local actors as well as strengthening societal resilience. The CVE approach adopted by the research team was in accordance with the Bina Program’s vision of the combination and intersection of peacebuilding, state-building, and “nation-building.”
Another important objective of the Bina research project is the transfer of knowledge and international best practices to the Libyan side. Bina chose to partner with SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research seeking to learn from the Turkish and international experiences in tackling VE by dealing with its root causes. The project team was formed in a unique manner where Libyan, Turkish, and international researchers worked together for months to conduct good quality research that suggests clear policies and solutions.
The policies and solutions that are suggested to the challenges of the Libyan case benefitted from the Turkish and international experiences on CVE. Even though the team members were researchers and practitioners from different countries the coordination, enthusiasm, and information sharing amongst them led to a successful research project. I was honored to be a member of the team observing how well the Libyan and Turkish researchers worked together in a harmonious and friendly manner.
After months of hard work, I can confidently claim that Bina has succeeded in providing the Libyan decision-makers with a roadmap that describes the root causes of CVE and provides clear solutions to its root causes. It is a road map that fits well into a wider strategy of peacebuilding and state-building. I must also thank and congratulate the research project’s team from SETA and the Libyan side for their noteworthy efforts.
Mustafa Elsagezli
General Manager, LPRD
