The governments of Southeast Asia region need to give more space to civil society organizations (CSOs) to help combat the spread of terrorisms in the region, a conference heard Wednesday.
Co-Director of the Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation Alistair Miller said that civil society played important roles on combating the terrorism including by raising public awareness.
"Civil society groups can help promote dialog, tolerance among civilians, people and religions," he said in workshop on counter terrorism strategy among the civil society in Southeast Asia, on Wednesday.
"Governments must give them (CSOs) more space to do so."
The two-day conference was jointly organized by the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, and the US-based Center on Global Global Counter-Terrorism Cooperation.
The workshop, attended by about 90 CSOs, was part of efforts to implement a 2006 UN resolution suggesting the use of a global and holistic strategy to tackle terrorism, including through the involvement of civil society groups.
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