'With the participation of the youth in contemporary peacebuilding processes, we face two main challenges. First, young people are often seen as a problem or potential agent of conflict, and second, even if their potential as an agent of peace is recognized, the basis of their participation is often tokenism at best. This is why Youth and sustainable peacebuilding is a must-read for researchers and practitioners, as this volume tackles both challenges head-on with excellent contributions on a myriad of critical issues, processes, and cases.'
Alpaslan Ozerdem, Dean of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, George Mason University
'How do young people participate in both formal security spaces and in informal processes? What do we learn from perspectives that pay attention to peoples views? To what extent are the complexities of the Youth Peace and Security (YPS) agenda are captured by official institutions and community practices? In this exciting and inspiring volume, these questions are addressed in creative and thoughtful ways.
The aspirations and lived experiences of young people are at the heart of this book. Rich in detail, the compelling and fresh interpretations unmask both tensions and possibilities of the YPS agenda. Contributors reveal underlying injustices, oppression, and co-optation of young lives. We learn how inherently securitised, environmental, and economic stresses marginalise young people.
The empirical evidence persuasively tells us that collective sharing of knowledge and a radical vision of youth participation and inclusion are prerequisites in the transformative practices of peace.
A must-read for academics and practitioners of youth, sustainable peace, and justice.'
Bina DCosta, Professor of International Relations, Australian National University
'In focusing on youth-centered activism and approaches to peace, this volume challenges - and potentially contributes to changing - what experts and policymakers believe they know about peacebuilding.
This agenda-setting volume offers a rich contribution to the Youth and Peace and Security (YPS) agenda at the intersection of policy, practice, and scholarship, as well as in the ways that local YPS practice can sophisticate and define global policy.'
Graeme Simpson, Principal Representative (NY) & Senior Peacebuilding Adviser, Interpeace. Former Lead Author of the Independent UN Progress Study on YPS: The Missing Peace
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