Global Safety and Terrorism and Large City Problems

In this chapter we reflect on the use of the Compram methodology for handling terrorism and large city problems. The special aspects of the Compram methodology discussed in this chapter focus on the idea that for handling complex societal problem theories of different disciplines are needed to understand the problem. The handling space will be discussed in relation with the role of the problem owner. Then we discuss a real-life project for increasing the level of living in a rural area in Turkey: the Balaban project. We continue with answering research question d: can one general methodology for handling complex societal problems support the problem handling process of different complex societal problems (expectation d)? Terrorism is considered on in this chapter from a social science point of view. Terrorism is regarded as a complex societal problem that should be handled according to the Theory of the Methodology of Societal Complexity and the Compram methodology. The Theory of the Methodology of Societal Complexity indicates that before finding interventions the problem has to be defined so as to avoid handling the “wrong” problem. Also the causes have to be analyzed. Otherwise only effects are handled and the problem will continue. Looking at the way governments in Western—Europe and the USA react on threats of terrorism, it seems more effort has gone into violating the rights of civilians, than on reducing terrorism. Analyzing “the war on terrorism”. The Bush Jr. Administration seems to support this statement. This “war on terrorism” resulted in a double threat for the people, that of terrorist attacks and that of their own government. In acting on the problem of terrorism several stages can be distinguished. The most important stage is the prevention stage: to prevent terrorist attacks. This can be done by focusing on the causes of terrorism. Shifting the main human energy, brains, power, and money to the stage of prevention will, in the end, help to reduce terrorist attacks. There are many causes for terrorism. Some of these will be discussed in this chapter, such as the relation between terrorism and identity. This subject will be approached by discussing large city problems. An example of trying to influence one of the causes of terrorism is a real-life project in Turkey to increase the standard of living in a rural area.