Extremely Together is the name of a Kofi Annan Foundation initiative co-financed by the EU to tackle violent extremism. Its main deliverable is a guide, developed for young people by young people.
The initiative was unveiled in Brussels on Tuesday 28 March by EU International Cooperation and Development Commissioner Neven Mimica and former UN secretary general, Ghanaian national Kofi Annan, at an event organised with young people on the connection between promoting democracy and the key role that young people can play in achieving the universal sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The initiative unites ten of the world's leading young counter-extremism experts, to tackle and prevent the rise of violent extremism within their communities and across borders and cultures. In the guide, the ten young leaders share their experience and ideas, "in the hope of helping 1.8 billion young people to build a future, free of violent extremism", Kofi Annan stated.
"Violent extremism is a sad reality that we all have to face within our societies today. For too long too many young people have been victims or even instruments of terrorism. 'Extremely Together' is about turning the tables and empowering young people to become agents of peace, tolerance and hope" , Mimica said. The guide can be consulted online at http://www.extremelytogether-theguide.org/. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)