The Alliance has been established with the view that any effort to combat extremism must first and foremost establish an understanding of the political issues that give rise to it.

This is particularly true in the context of relations between Western nations and predominantly Muslim populations, where the causes of tension and violence are often assumed - wrongly - to be primarily cultural or religious in nature.

A key action point on the agenda of the Alliance of Civilizations is to draw attention to the political and economic grievances responsible for breeding resentment and radicalism in the world at large and, more particularly, in the relationship between Western nations and predominantly Muslim populations.

Long-standing political grievances are likely beyond the Alliance's capacity to resolve. Nevertheless, the origins of the Alliance, the commitment of the co-sponsoring governments, the composition of the High-level Group, and the support of the UN Secretary General enable the Alliance to draw attention to these political issues and propose constructive responses.

In this regard, the Alliance recognizes that generating the political will and popular momentum necessary for a substantial and lasting improvement in relations between predominantly Muslim populations and Western nations requires the enlistment of key actors across all sectors of society. The other themes on which the Alliance is focusing - education, media, youth, and immigrant populations - have been prioritized with this understanding. Action items developed by the Alliance in each of these areas will be aimed at generating this momentum and will be informed by the analysis of the political factors that feed extremism.