An interview with Marc Probst, Director of the Swiss Academy for Development (SAD)

swisspeace: Can you briefly describe SAD’s work?

Marc Probst: Since 1991, SAD has been promoting development opportunities for children and young adults in 19 countries, including Switzerland. SAD uses sport and play to sustainably transform the lives of disadvantaged and marginalized young people, enabling them to become engaged, healthy, educated and employed citizens.

How do you identify and efficiently target groups at risk?

Our long term experience in various countries allows us to affirm that it is crucial to work in a participatory way with, and through local partners at the grassroots level. Local partners are the most likely to notice behavioral and attitude changes in young persons or groups that might suggest a move toward extremism. This approach enables us to benefit from our partners’ understanding of local context and provide personal contacts to those groups most in need.

What are the risk indicators of radicalization?

We can say with some degree of confidence that a persistently high unemployment rate creates an opportunity for extremism to flourish. We know as well that a culture of blame and shame can push some individuals toward violence. However, radicalization processes are very complex and difficult to anticipate and predict, and reliable statistical data on this issue are still missing. Poverty and unemployment often can provide fertile soil for the radicalization of young people, but there are also violent extremists raised in families blessed with wealth and privilege.

It is crucial to look not only at macro-level indicators such as demography, crime rate, or unemployment, but also to examine micro-level indicators. What are the perceptions of young people? How do their perspectives, values, and norms shape their behavior? Often, it is their frustration, hopelessness, and lack of prospects that lead them to violent extremism.

How can vocational skills development (VSD) programs prevent young people from violent extremism?

I strongly believe that VSD programs must be customized, participatory, creative, and based on a close collaboration with local partners. VSD programs should also be part of a broader approach that takes personal and social development into consideration as well. They should include a better understanding of positive psychology that focuses on young people’s assets rather than on weaknesses and deviant behaviors. Finally, they should be rigorously monitored and evaluated in order to increase our knowledge and build on our success.