Within this essay, I will answer the question as to why it is important to empower youth in post-conflict societies. In order to do so, I will first engage in the theoretical framework, for example the definitions of youth and peacebuilding. After that, I will make the case in favor of the empowerment of youth by looking at 1) the very nature and characteristics of the social category that is youth and 2) the practical considerations that speak for empowering youth. In order to illustrate my argument, I will then point out why it is important to focus on youth in the exemplary case of post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Lastly, in the concluding remarks, I will consider what implications the findings might or should have for the future of youth in post-conflict societies.
On the 9th of December 2015, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted a resolution. With that, the UNSC did not only acknowledge the potential of young people as active and positive contributors to peace and stability; it also tried to open up more possibilities in order to further empower youth to take part in the political processes within their respective countries.
While so far young people have often been marginalized in post-conflict settings and their potential to contribute to the creating or maintaining of peace has mostly been overlooked, Resolution 2550 sets a new focus and thus seems to mark a shift in the perception of youth. Youth’s potential in becoming active and positive agents of building peace remains untapped if they are marginalized both in the academic and political context. Thus, the main aim of this essay is to show why it is of crucial importance to change the perception of youth in post-conflict societies and empower them to make a difference.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Theoretical Framework: Definitions of Youth and Peacebuilding
On the Nature of Youth
Openness
Future-orientation
Practical Arguments
Counteract Negative Influences
Youth as the Future Generation
Example: Empowering Youth in BiH
Conclusion
Objectives & Core Topics
The main objective of this essay is to argue for the crucial importance of empowering youth in post-conflict societies by moving beyond the perception of young people as mere victims or troublemakers and recognizing their potential as active agents of peace. The research examines how the specific nature and characteristics of youth make them uniquely suited for reconciliation and peacebuilding.
- The theoretical shift from viewing youth as a "problem to be solved" to "potential peacemakers."
- The analysis of inherent youth attributes: openness and future-orientation.
- Functional arguments for youth empowerment: counteracting extremist influences and ensuring long-term stability.
- Case study of post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) regarding educational segregation and economic challenges.
Excerpt from the Book
On the Nature of Youth
“Youth are more idealists, adults more realists. […] Youth may be more open, adults more closed. Are these two different points or two different ways of saying the same thing? To be young is to have less past and more future, less trauma suffered and inflicted and more hope. That means a combination of less knowledge and less experience, in principle making youth more free to dream ideals and less impeded by useful knowledge and less experience that adults. But knowledge can also harden into inflexible mind-sets, and experience can harden into inflexible habits. Moreover, adults may simply have given up, setting at a low level of ideas and ideals. But as we grow older, generalizing from experience may gain the upper hand.”
A lot of arguments that stand in favor of the empowerment of youth in post-conflict societies can be traced back to the specific nature of youth, to the specific characteristics youth as a demographic possess. As I will point out throughout this chapter, young people in their very nature are predestined to take on an active role in peacebuilding because they possess qualities that are “particularly conductive to peacebuilding.” I will focus on two key attributes commonly and widely ascribed to youth within the literature: openness and future-orientation, and connect them back to the four dimensions that John Paul Lederach deems crucial for peacebuilding.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter introduces the UN Resolution 2250 and highlights the demographic significance of youth, establishing the need to shift from viewing youth as a threat to seeing them as contributors to peace.
Theoretical Framework: Definitions of Youth and Peacebuilding: This section explores the conceptual challenges of defining youth and peacebuilding, advocating for a social construct approach over a purely age-based one.
On the Nature of Youth: This chapter analyzes how inherent characteristics of youth, specifically their openness and future-orientation, align with the core requirements of the peacebuilding process.
Practical Arguments: This section presents functional reasons for youth empowerment, focusing on preventing the radicalization of young people and recognizing their role as the future generation responsible for long-term reconciliation.
Example: Empowering Youth in BiH: This chapter illustrates the practical implications of the previous arguments using Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically addressing the negative impact of segregated school systems on reconciliation.
Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the essay’s findings, reaffirming that empowering youth is a strategic necessity for the sustainable healing of war-torn nations.
Keywords
Youth empowerment, Peacebuilding, Post-conflict societies, Resolution 2250, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Reconciliation, Youth agency, Social construct, Openness, Future-orientation, Conflict transformation, Radicalization, Educational segregation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the vital role that young people can and should play in peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts within post-conflict societies.
Which demographic is categorized as "youth" in this study?
The author rejects a rigid age-based definition and instead follows an approach that treats youth as a social construct representing a transitional stage between childhood and adulthood.
What is the core argument for empowering youth?
The core argument is that youth possess specific inherent qualities—namely openness and future-orientation—which make them uniquely capable of overcoming past resentments and driving societal change.
Which methodology is used to support the author's claims?
The paper utilizes a theoretical framework analysis combined with a descriptive case study of Bosnia and Herzegovina to illustrate the practical barriers and necessity for youth inclusion.
What is discussed in the section regarding "Practical Arguments"?
This section outlines functional imperatives for empowerment, specifically the need to protect youth from radicalization by violent groups and the necessity of investing in the generation that will hold future societal responsibility.
What are the primary themes characterizing this work?
Key themes include the shift in academic and political perception of youth, the importance of inclusive policy-making, and the challenges of overcoming legacies of conflict in educational settings.
How does the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina support the author's thesis?
It serves as a practical illustration of how segregated education and economic stagnation hinder peace, demonstrating that without structural empowerment, the cycle of conflict is likely to persist.
What implication does the author suggest for future policies?
The author concludes that governments and international organizations must move beyond marginalizing youth and actively provide them with ownership of political and social processes to ensure long-term stability.
- Quote paper
- Jannike Riesch (Author), 2017, The Case for the Empowerment of Youth in Post-Conflict Societies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/462238
