Switzerland unveils national plan to combat violent extremism

GENEVA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Swiss government on Monday unveiled a national action plan aimed at preventing radicalization and violent extremism that will mobilize local and regional communities.

Measures focus on early warning, reintegrating offenders, and training community figures such as teachers and sport coaches as the report notes that, "violent extremism is a concern for society as a whole."

The plan entails a five-year program that will have funding of 5 million Swiss francs (5.09 million U.S. dollars), Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said at a news conference in the capital Bern.

"If you want to stop terrorism, you cannot wait until it is at your door, and the police have to take action; you have to tackle it much earlier," said Sommaruga.

The strategy seeks to mobilize local and regional communities, with each of the 26 Swiss cantons called upon to establish a non-police authority, which can work with radicalized or vulnerable individuals and try to bring them back to mainstream society.

"This National Action Plan relates to all forms of radicalization and violent extremism. However, as the Annual Report of the Federal Intelligence Service for 2017 stresses, jihadist-motivated radicalization is currently regarded as the main threat," the plan says.

Switzerland has so far avoided any large-scale terror attacks of the kind witnessed in France and Germany in recent years, according to a report by Swissinfo, the website of the Swiss national broadcaster.

However, authorities remain vigilant. The Swiss Intelligence Service says that it is tracking 550 people judged to pose a potential risk, up from 497 at the end of 2016.

The report cites education as a key battleground. And the plan recommends developing more lessons and projects linked to violent extremism to reach younger individuals. Enditem