OWN IT Conference looks to tackle extremism in Calgary's youth

Members of Calgary's Muslim community are determined to understand what motivates some young Canadians to become radical extremists.

Several Calgarians have gone to fightand in some casesdie in the MiddleEast.

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The OWN IT Conference is probing the root causes of radicalization, said AbdulSouraya.They are gathering over the next four days tofigureout why some youth are so vulnerable to extremism.

"What we want to do is have all those actors within society from an educational, legal, socialand other backgrounds to work together to further understand this so we can develop preventative measures," saidSouraya.

He hopes that a clear understanding of the problem will also help them develop preventative measures to stop the radicalization process within their community.

Christianne Boudreau was a guest speaker at the conference. Her son Damian Clairmont was recruited, radicalized and killed in January fighting with ISIS.

Now Boudreau is turning her grief into action.

"I can't let him die in vain," she said. "I've got to have something positive come out of this terrible thing."

5 Calgariansjoin foreign fighters

CBC has learnedthere have beenat least four other Calgary men who have radicalized and left.

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• Farah Mohamed Shirdon of Calgary, fighting for ISIS, dead in Iraq, reports say
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Conference organizers say that's why thesummit is taking place in Calgary.

"We thought that we had to address this in a pro-active, deliberate, well-thought-out way," saidSouraya.

The University of Calgary, Muslim Council of Calgary and Calgary police were all in attendance.

"What you're seeing in this room is people who are action-oriented," said police Chief Rick Hanson."It is to look for a solution. And I know that's what's going to come out because that's what this city is known for."