Teach soldiers about diversity to counter violent extremism, report warns
Soldiers should be taught the value of equality and respect in order to counter violent extremism, a report has suggested.
The paper, Defending Our Defenders: Preventing Far-Right Extremism in UK Security Forces, by the Royal United Services Institute think tank (RUSI), found that more diverse and inclusive workplaces in the military and police would counter ultra Right-wing activity.
It calls for “continuous, well-structured training programmes” to address “hypermasculinity and racism in order to foster a culture that counters stigma around mental health”.
Such a focus would be “crucial” in reducing radicalisation risks, it said.
The authors found that while the Army has stated that far-Right ideology is “completely at odds” with its values, a number of high-profile incidents suggested a longstanding sympathy for far-Right causes within elements of the military.
It said “similar concerns” existed within the police that were “potentially conducive to far-Right extremism”.
In order to address these concerns, the report’s authors suggest a strengthening of “values based education”.
Not only does it suggest focusing training on “emphasising the importance of diversity, inclusion and values such as respect, equality and tolerance”, it implores senior ranks to “actively participate in the training to set a positive example and promote a culture of inclusivity throughout the service”.
The recommendations come at a time when a diversity row is engulfing the Armed Forces.
Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, warned in February that a “woke” and “extremist culture” had infiltrated the British Army after it was revealed the military was considering ways to relax checks to promote ethnic diversity among officers.
A number of retired officers wrote to The Telegraph in February to warn that “the Russians, Iranians and Chinese will be observing our descent into self-hatred and obsessing over diversity and inclusion with glee” and that “woke” defence policies are leading to a “moral disarmament” in the military.
A review is now underway into the Ministry of Defence’s ethnicity, diversity and inclusivity policies.
Promote culture of ‘critical thinking’
However, the RUSI paper argues that there should be training for personnel that “encourages questioning of stereotypes, biases and extremist ideologies”, as this in turn will promote “a culture of critical thinking and challenging extremist narratives”.
It adds that educating the security services on gender dynamics, stereotypes and biases would foster a “more inclusive and respectful environment”.
The authors also suggest including “discussions on the intersectionality of gender with other identities, such as race, religion and sexual orientation, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of diverse experiences and perspectives”.
They also call for more scrutiny of tattoos on potential candidates.
This can be achieved, they say, through issuing more specific guidance on political symbols, iconography, references or proscribed images.
In turn, this helps those vetting spot individuals with tattoos that have overt and covert extreme rightwing iconography.
