{"id":11354,"date":"2024-09-24T06:53:32","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T20:53:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/?p=11354"},"modified":"2024-09-24T06:53:35","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T20:53:35","slug":"youth-and-sustainable-peacebuilding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/youth-and-sustainable-peacebuilding\/","title":{"rendered":"Youth and sustainable peacebuilding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HELEN BERENTS<\/a>  | <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m thrilled to share that Youth and Sustainable Peacebuilding<\/a><\/em> is now officially published through Manchester University Press! Co-editing this volume with Professor Siobhan McEvoy-Levy and Professor Catherine Bolten over the past few years has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The journey has been marked by collaboration with a diverse and talented group of contributors, including academics from various career stages and geographies. We are especially proud to include several chapters authored or co-authored with youth peacebuilders themselves, bringing authentic and grounded voices into the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project holds particular significance for me. Nearly 20 years ago, Siobhan edited the groundbreaking volume<\/a> called Troublemakers or Peacemakers?: Youth and Post-Accord Peace Building.<\/a><\/em> It was one of the first efforts to seriously engage with the role of youth in post-conflict settings. As a postgraduate scholar at the time, her work had a profound impact on my own research, showing me that youth experiences of war and peace deserved serious academic attention. Now, working alongside both Siobhan and the exceptional Catherine Bolten (I highly recommend her book Serious Youth<\/em>), it feels like coming full circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The premise of our new volume goes beyond simply including youth in peacebuilding processes. Instead, it advocates for a fundamental shift in how we perceive young people as actors in security and peace. Drawing on case studies from around the world, our contributors explore why many states fear their young people and why official attempts to include youth in peacebuilding are important yet insufficient. More crucially, the book highlights how youth themselves are creating and nurturing peace on their own terms\u2014often working outside formal structures to build sustainable peace in innovative ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book addresses a critical disconnect between institutional expectations of youth as peacebuilders and the actual leadership and contributions of youth in fostering long-term peace. By taking a critical approach to peacebuilding with<\/em>, for<\/em>, and by<\/em> youth, we aim to provide valuable insights and guidance for bridging this gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key questions explored<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The international agenda on Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) has formalised the inclusion of youth in peacebuilding processes, which has shifted the landscape. However, it also raises new questions and challenges, particularly around tokenism and the concept of \u201cmeaningful\u201d participation. Our contributors engage with three major issues that emerge at this crucial point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n