August 26, 2016
August 22nd-26th, 2016
Political Scientist Manuel Feldmann discussed security policy topics with Yan St-Pierre on Twitter and here is the recap of the discussion (Hashtag: #MOSECON).
Manuel Feldmann: Yan, tell us something about you. What is your job?
Yan St-Pierre: I’m the company’s counter-terrorism adviser. That means my job is to know and analyse terrorist groups and attacks. Many in era of ISIS & AQ interpret this as “djihadi expert”, it’s not. I must cover the full spectrum of terrorist activities. After my analysis, it’s also my job to recommend real time & practical counter-terrorism strategies to our clients.
Manuel Feldmann: What is your advice for people, who are a bit afraid because of the current terrorist attacks in Europe?
Yan St-Pierre: 1st, use your common sense. How many attacks hit your country or area? Is terror the main source of insecurity? 2nd pay attention to what’s going on, not just the headlines. Which areas are mostly affected & why? Facts provide better understanding. 3rd, be aware of your surroundings. Awareness allows you to notice what stands out & be able to react to it in time if things go wrong. And exceptionally 4th, fear is based on perception, interpretation & experience. If you are afraid, make sure you actually know why.
Manuel Feldmann: We saw many people talking about the terrorism problem in the past months. But what is a MUST HAVE to become a real terrorism expert?
Yan St-Pierre: That’s a tough one. Must be Wednesday, but here goes: For me, two things are key: Experience in extremist circles & conflict zones; ability to read between lines.
Manuel Feldmann: How important is education in your opinion, knowledge about culture (e.g Muslim)? Sometimes I have the feeling that people are called terrorism experts even if they don’t have a lot of real knowledge about it?
Yan St-Pierre: Education is part of it. Knowledge & experience must feed of each other to be effective.
Manuel Feldmann: You are also a Political Scientist: So what are the main reasons why there is political apathy in Germany?
Yan St-Pierre: Political apathy is a western issue going back 20+ years. One reason is that many believe voting changes nothing. Another reason is awareness of many issues which parties cannot cover & that limits voter identification to a party or program. Absence of polarizing, “simple” issues plays a role. While elections have lower turnout rates, referenda attract more voters, and that is a sign that if the issues are clear and very important, people will vote. But that’s exceptional.
Manuel Feldmann: What are your plans for the future of your company? And do you think we can solve the terrorism problem soon?
Yan St-Pierre: Terrorism unfortunately will always exist. But I believe we can reduce its scope, damages & the pain it causes. Sadly it won’t be soon. We must think long term & work hard reducing root causes of terror to ensure future generations are not as vulnerable. As for MOSECON’s future, we hope to help save more lives with our work & continue building on what we have, especially in Nigeria & the UK.
Manuel Feldmann: Thank you very much, Yan, for being part of our 5 days Twitter discussion. I wish you all the best!
About the author:
Manuel Feldmann is a Political Scientist with focus on Islam and Politics, South Asia and Political Communication. Moreover he is a PR Consultant FJS. Besides he got specialized in Social Media Marketing, Digital Marketing, Digital PR and International Marketing by various universities. He is also preparing his PhD in Political Science.
As a mentor for three Digital Marketing courses by the University of Illinois he also supports learners on Coursera. Since 2015 Manuel is Ambassador for Hootsuite and since August 2016 Community Ambassador for the Digital Marketing Specialization by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.