IDM has recently started an advocacy process with central government institutions on religious radicalism and violent extremism in Albania. In the framework of this process, on October 9 and 13, 2015 IDM organized two information and discussion sessions with representatives of different central government institutions. The first session gathered representatives of different ministries and institutions such as Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth (Youth National Service), National Center for Stocktaking the Cultural Treasure, Institute of Cultural Monuments, Ministry of Economic Development, Tourism, Trade and Enterprise, State Committee on Cults, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry for Local Issues (the Agency for Implementation of Territory Reform). The second session was organized with representatives from institution’s sectors responsible for security issues and law enforcement such as: Ministry of Interior, State Police, Parliament (Parliamentary Commission on National Security), Ministry of Defense, State Intelligence Service, General Prosecutor Office, Presidents’ office.
Based on the findings of the study, the participants highlighted several problematic issues such as: the need for close collaboration between
institutions, promotion of the value and importance of inter-religious coexistence especially among young people, increase the knowledge on religious radicalism and violent extremism. Preventing of this phenomena has been the core of the discussions between the participants who suggested several provisions such as addressing the issue on illegal religious objects, greater cooperation between religious communities, State Committee on Cults and other local and central government institutions, undertake the necessary measures to monitor the propagators and recruiters of this phenomena, involve other state institutions beyond state security sectors and raise awareness on the importance of this collaboration, monitor the religious curricula in the religious schools.