AMMAN -- King's College in London, in coordination with the University of Pennsylvania, has selected the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy's Regional Centre on Conflict Prevention (RCCP) as a partner in the organisation of an international conference on terrorism to be held in London early next year, the RCCP announced.
RCCP Director Yasar Qatarneh said the project seeks to bring together leading international experts and policy-makers from around the world to brainstorm on ways to bring an end to the global problem of terrorism.
"The starting point of this initiative is a recognition that while terrorism as a phenomenon may be with us for some time, individual terrorist campaigns can be brought to an end as a result of their strategic failure or their supporters finding other, more legitimate means to pursue their objectives," Qatarneh said, citing the conference rationale.
"I truly believe the project is of great importance. It not only provides the RCCP with an opportunity to establish its reputation within the academic and policy making sphere in Europe and North America, but it also provides Jordan with the opportunity to bring to the forefront its current efforts in the `War on Terrorism'," Qatarneh said in a statement to The Jordan Times.
"In practical terms," he added, "our interest will be in exploring the options for encouraging these legitimate processes through political means addressing root causes and traditional counterterrorism actions such as better intelligence and disruption of fund-raising."
His Majesty King Abdullah has on more than one occasion said Jordan has identified a long-term anti-terrorism approach that is based on education and addressing the root causes of terrorism.
"We do have problems in the Middle East whether it's the Israeli-Palestinian issue or that of Iraq that allows these [terrorist] groups to use, unfortunately for us, Islam as a cover to hide behind and to carry out these attacks against innocent people," he told the BBC last summer.
King's College London is considered the world's leading war and conflict studies institution. Its War Studies Department is a multidisciplinary institution devoted to the study of all aspects of war and conflict. The department's approach relies on a diversity of research interest, disciplinary approaches, opinion and background that reflect the variety and complexity of the issues raised by war and related issues, according to the college's website.
The RCCP was established in 2004 as a non-profit research organisation located in the premises of the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy.
The centre, which has since then held several activities to address regional conflicts and terrorism, approaches conflicts through practical and research-oriented activities that contribute additional insight into the issues addressed, and help stimulate and further advance other related aspects of conflict prevention and assist policy-makers and practitioners with concrete suggestions for the improvement of their conflict prevention and early warning policies.
A major related activity planned by RCCP this year is the October "Advanced Research Workshop on Terrorism," which will focus on "Islam and the West: Mutual Threat Perceptions."
"With the new phenomenon in suicide bombings in Europe, and the increased tension and hostility towards the Muslim communities in Europe as a result, a cycle of violence and uncertainty has spilled over to the region," the RCCP director said.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
By Mahmoud Al Abed
© Jordan Times 2006
