Era of youth

• UN Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security

By Thevuni Kotigala  

Young people worldwide are rising as agents for change, demanding their rights to freedom and opportunities, as they are in a need to accomplish their aspirations for better lives. 

In December 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, recognising the important and positive role young men and women play in sustaining and promoting international peace and security. Until this significant moment, the contribution of young people to peace and security processes has largely remained unrecognised, invisible and undermined. 

This historic moment instilled the belief in nations that young people are a force for peace, democracy, equality and good governance. Such global beliefs become influential for effective participation of young women and men in the development and social transformation processes, as it paves the way for youth engagement in decision making.

Today, there is a significant youth bulge in many countries, which makes it more vital than ever that we engage in practical actions that match the sense of urgency and impatience of younger generations. In such circumstances, it is important to engage youth in shaping durable peace in their communities, especially in a post-conflict context. But there are many practical and structural difficulties existing in both national and international levels, as youth and their opinions are not highly regarded and quickly dismissed. 

Developing meaningful mechanisms for youth participation and decision-making from the local to national and then international level is essential, as it will increase recognition and support to the critical role youth play in conflict prevention. 

Despite the fact that most youth are not involved in violent extremism, youth have been labelled both nationally and internationally as radicals and troublemakers. It is an undeserved label for youth who are actively involved in the peace-building and transformation processes worldwide. This is where Resolution 2250 plays its vital role by challenging the existing negative perception of youth and recognising them as positive agents for change and catalysts for peace.

In an era of social media, the world is very connected for some and very disconnected for others. Lately, social media has been used as a platform to spread extremist voices that trigger the moderates to join extremism. In order to make youth a part of the solution and not the problem, it is important to get them actively involved in a positive peace-building processes. 

Young lives are integrally connected with social change, and are therefore exposed to constant vulnerability. For this reason, youth must commit to building a participatory environment that benefits them and the world. It is evident that many extremist groups today use youth to propagate their mandates. Therefore, commonalities in youth grievances must be used as a platform to engage young people from different walks of life, reducing their vulnerability to recruitment by extremist groups. Youth opinions and experiences must be used as a tool to counter and prevent violent extremism, and build sustainable peace.

Today, many young lives endlessly toggle between ‘no hope’ and ‘false hope’. As a result, youth are driven into violent extremism – perhaps because non-violence is not as appealing to them. Yet the path of violence brings only temporary results, becoming the cause of many future problems. 

Youth generally look for exciting goals to work towards that bring out immediate results. But more often than not, addressing peace and security issues are met through processes and procedures which are slow and stagnant while young people are seeking quick solutions to the issues they face. On the other hand, for solutions to be steady and stable, a thorough and holistic system must exist. Therefore, striking the right balance between the time and the quality of the solution still remains a challenge when engaging youth in peace and security processes.

Coming from a war-torn country, I have realised the importance of youth voices being heard and considered important. The longer youth are kept away from decision-making, the more youth unrest will be encountered by the world. Being a young woman in a country going through a post-war phase, my prime purpose is to represent the many unheard voices of youth, especially those who have been direct victims of the brutal war. Giving a voice to the voiceless and bringing grassroots level issues to the decision-making table is what drives me as a member of the advisory panel. 

I have come across many individuals as well as local and international organisations, which have been making tremendous contributions to the peace, reconciliation and security processes for many years. I believe all those scattered and isolated efforts must come together to create a superior force over violent extremism. Moreover, I am committed to identifying such collaborations, models, systems, processes and procedures that would direct the world to counter and prevent violent extremism. 

Making a collective effort to bridge the gap between grassroots and policy levels requires the consistent support of many individuals, institutions and organisations. Therefore I urge both individuals and organisations to join hands and contribute to the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security – it is a remarkable opportunity to create a space for youth. Bear in mind that, creating opportunity for youth engagement is indeed creating opportunity for a better future.

(UNLOCKED is a space for Sri Lankan youth to express their views and opinions on development with the aim of creating positive change in the world. The views expressed in the blogs are solely those of the authors. UNDP Sri Lanka and Daily FT does not represent or endorse the views expressed in these blogs.Read more about the UNLOCKED initiative www.lk.undp.org.)

(The writer is a final year undergraduate of University of Sri Jayawardenapura, specialising in Business Statistics. She acquired a Diploma in International Relations at BCIS and a Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs at BIDTI. She has served Sri Lanka Unites, a youth movement for hope and reconciliation, as a volunteer, national committee member and a staff member. She currently serves in her position as a member of the Advisory Group of Experts for the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security mandated by the UN Resolution 2250. Her passion is to create a positive change in the world through empowering youth for Peacebuilding and Reconciliation.)