Article
Exploring the role of youth in reconciliation and conflict transformation
IntroductionThe youth population has
been growing in staggering proportions across the developing world. The
world is getting younger. Today, one in every four people is below the age
of 25. From the Arab Spring to the 2008 elections in the United States, young
people are active and engaged change-makers. Youth across the world have taken
many steps towards creating movement to promote positive change in their
communities. Yet history has revealed time and time again the propensity of
youth towards violence. Young people have been manipulated by extremist
factions to demonize an entire group of people and choose violence as their
only option. Young people have been brainwashed, used as tools of violence, and
left with futures ruined. Even today in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Myanmar, and
Ukraine extremist groups attempt to brainwash and manipulate vulnerable youth.
President Herbert Hoover once said “Older men declare war. But it is youth that
must fight and die.” Can the pendulum shift? Is it possible for youth to
declare peace and lead their communities towards non-violence and
reconciliation? Do they have the credibility, the resources and the social
capital to positively influence their society? In conflict zones across the
world is it possible for youth to set the standards for new ways to engage in
dialogue, non-violence and development? This research seeks to answer these
questions by exploring the work of youth activists and movements in conflict
zones across the world. The key question this research pursues can be summed up
as; can youth play a pivotal role in conflict transformation and
reconciliation? This research will also explore the challenges and victories of
youth movements that are working towards positive change in war-torn
communities. This ongoing research seeks to listen carefully to young
voices in conflict zones across the world, to understand the capacity and
challenges involved for youth when they take an active role in leading efforts
for reconciliation and conflict transformation.DefinitionsReconciliationReconciliation is defined by
its Hebrew root word ‘Tikuum Olam’ which means a three-part process of
HEAL, REPAIR AND TRANSFORM. In order to HEAL the impact of tribal or ethnic
division, civil war and violence, a process of acknowledging the evils that
have been committed is essential. History has proven that grievances ignored
will eventually destroy the potential for a sustainable peace. Authentic
reconciliation and healing is not possible without justice and equality. This is
a fundamental requirement for reconciliation.REPAIRING the structures
involves ensuring that those wounds do not re-occur in today's society and
ensuring resistance towards structural violence. TRANSFORMATION lies in the
process of creating a national identity and a sense of belonging for all. An
environment where no one is placed in a situation in which they feel they are
‘second class citizens’ because of their ethnicity, religion, gender, or
socio-economic standing.Can, and have, youth
conflict zones contributed to this process of HEAL, REPAIR AND TRANSFORM? Are
they bringing their communities together in a journey towards reconciliation?Conflict
Transformation"The strategy behind
the concept of Conflict Transformation is to comprehend and respond to the ebb
and flow of social unrest, transforming it into life-enhancing opportunities to
create constructive change. The ultimate goal of this process is to reduce
violence, increase justice in direct interactions and social structures, and
respond to real life problems in human relationships."(Lederach,
14*)Are youth in these conflict
zones reducing violence, increasing justice in direct international and social
structures? Are they responding to issues of human relationships in their
communities?YouthThe definition of
adolescence and youth varies from culture to cultures. The important fact to be
consider in this case is the age bracket for highest levels of peace activism
or violent engagement. Therefore this research will look youth activists
between the ages of 15 and 30. MethodsInterviews will be conducted
in Uganda, DRC, Sri Lanka and Northern Ireland to explore the question: ‘Can
youth play a pivotal role in conflict transformation and reconciliation?’ These
nations have been selected based on their possession of the following: a strong
and growing youth population, a history of violent conflict in its past, with
youth at the forefront of violence, developing economies, and a shared, yet
varied, version of colonial history. While there are many unifying similarities
between these countries and their struggles, there are differences in the
nature of the underlying issues. For some the struggle is related to ethnic,
religious, or tribal differences and strife, while for others it is conflict
related to resources, as well as to drug-based violence and wars. The countries
selected will represent a wide range of geographical diversity spread across
four continents. This research will seek to explore the opportunities and the
challenges inherent in the effort to empower youth to engage within their
society. The methods used to do this will take the form of ethnographic
research to understand the qualitative components of the conflict and
engagement, coupled with quantitative methods to help identify specific areas
and approaches of engagement. The research will also seek to interview the
youth of various subcultures within these societies to further understand the
context in which they would navigate their way as agents of change. The youth
being interviewed will span the spectrum, ranging from those who consider
themselves to be activists, youth who have decided to be passive observers, as
well as those who are pessimistic about change. The research will also seek to
interview a balanced representation of members from different genders,
socioeconomic status, both rural and urban environments, as well as the ethnic
and religious divides of each nation. In each country chosen for research, 100
subjects will be interviewed through surveys. Ethnographic methods will be
explored to offer a deeper insight into specific areas of challenges and
opportunities for youth engagement. Ten subjects from each nation will be
interviewed on this level of research and they too will be selected in order to
represent the various demographics of each nation. In total, this research will
have the input of 400 surveys and 40 ethnographic studies.Why focus on youth?A few statistics regarding
violence against youth in conflict zones:·
According to a UN report in 2002, since 1990, more than two million
children have been killed because of armed conflict in the preceding decade,
and more than six million have been disabled.·
One billion children today are living in areas affected by war or
conflict.·
Since the Spring of 2011 in Syria alone, it is estimated that at least
11,000 children have been killed during their violent civil warProne to be
involved in violenceAs research confirms,
violence is the growing cause of death among youth. It is in fact the number
one cause of death for youth around the world. Investing in youth to resist
extremist notions, make wiser non-violent choices, and invest their energy in
peace and reconciliation, is vital for change. If youth are not helped to
direct their attention to positive ends they too will end up being prey to
extremist groups who seek to utilize them for their own violent ends.Reconciliation:
A long-term journeyThe process of Heal, Repair,
and Transform is not an event or a goal, it is a lifestyle and a process.
Reconciliation takes a generation and is a long-term journey. Youth have the
capacity and life span to engage in the long run. Investing in a new generation
that will be future leaders in their countries can help break the cycles of political
deadlock, ethno-centric, adversarial, and competitive politics, and lead
nations to true justice and reconciliation.Not
crippled by hateMany youth in conflict zones
grow up in a context where they inherit prejudice and hate. Yet, most of these inherited
prejudices can be overcome by positive life experiences. For many of the older
generation the negative experiences of the past have left them jaded and
damaged by animosity. Youth movements that are working towards reconciliation
and conflict transformation are working to bring down the walls between
opposing ethnic groups. The longer society remains segregated and communities
live apart from each other, the deeper the hatred and greater the chance for
animosity to continue. Investing in the next generation will expand their
worldview, challenge flawed perceptions, broad assumptions, and stereotypes.
Increased interaction will help youth change their mindsets, have a broader
world view and be willing to judge people for their character and potential –
not by the community they belong to.Open to
alternate approachesAt an early age, youth can
be just as easily molded towards violence, as they can be molded towards
reconciliation. Reconciliation is hampered in a society where prejudices
and misconceptions across ethnic, religious and tribal lines thrive. Therefore
creating an environment where a new generation of leaders has an opportunity to
interact, understand, and grow with communities that were once viewed as
enemies helps expand their worldview and thus open to alternate approaches to
violence.Truly
grassroots in nature Violence is a
manifestation of a deeper problem and needs to be addressed from the bottom up.
Youth don’t find themselves in the halls of political power. Changing policy or
lobbying for political mandates for change is beyond their reach. Youth
activism is left with no option but a grassroots approach. The key is to
influence a wide range of social factors and create upward momentum for change.
This attribute of youth activism while a major challenge, also remains a
powerful asset. The strength remains in its ability to refine society while
striving for broader political change. Their influence begins outside
conventional and political realms of leadership, yet helps address root causes
and engages the broader society.Summary The importance of engaging
youth for the sake of representation is no longer a sufficient approach. Many
disgruntled youth from across the world are falling prey to extremist rhetoric
and are recruited for violence. The phenomena is prevalent in conflict zones
across the world. The opportunity cost of not giving youth the required
education and vocational opportunities, identity and purpose has slipped beyond
a missed opportunity. Rather it has morphed into a liability. Therefore
questioning a need for an alternate approach in dealing with youth seems a pertinent
question. Can youth play a pivotal role for reconciliation in conflict
transformation? This research’s focus on Sri Lanka, Congo , Uganda and Northern
Ireland will help uncover truth and make a case for a radical new approach to
turn youth from a dismissed demographic into the creators and ambassadors of
sustainable peace. * Lederach, John Paul. The
Little Book of Conflict Transformation. Intercourse, PA: Good, 2003. Print.Philpott, Daniel. The
Politics of past Evil: Religion, Reconciliation, and the Dilemmas of
Transitional Justice. Notre Dame, Ind.: U of Notre Dame, 2006.