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Image: Felix Wong Youth engagement in politics, society, and the economy is one of the most important challenges facing the United Kingdom today. We are a generation that has grown up connected to the world, but increasingly disconnected from power and therefore increasingly disenfranchised. Whether through politics, creative work, or entrepreneurship; young people today find …

Read more “About25 and Community: A Generation’s Story of Hardship and Resilience”

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Shakespeare wrote these words over 400 years ago, yet they still ring true today. In the last few decades, our politics has seen the emergence of politicians whose role is to paint themselves as a figurehead that both defies the status quo …

Read more “Smoke & Mirrors: Why young people no longer participate in politics and how we can change this”

Image: Y7/Future Leaders Network There is often much discussion about how to effectively represent, include, and safeguard young people’s voices within politics. The act of embedding their perspectives and participation into formal decision-making processes is commonly referred to as youth institutionalisation. In a political context, this means ensuring that young people are not merely consulted, …

Read more “Beyond Participation: Building Lasting Structures for Youth Engagement in Policy”

Image: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images Young people today are not only the largest emerging demographic (under 25s make up almost half of the world’s population) but also the most impacted by the global challenges shaping tomorrow’s world, yet their voices remain underrepresented in politics and diplomacy. The jobs they will hold, the environment they will inherit, …

Read more “Youth and Foreign Policy”

“Without the participation of such a large portion of society, peace is harder to achieve..” Andy Rabens, former Special Advisor on Global Youth Issues for the U.S. Dept of State Youth in Global Discourse – A New Phenomenon?  The inclusion of younger generations in pushing a nation’s security interests is not a new aspect of …

Read more “Finland’s Pioneering Role in Youth, Peace and Security”

When the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security in 2015, it formally recognised that young people are essential partners in the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security. This acknowledgment reflected what many young Filipinos, especially in Mindanao, had already been demonstrating: that youth are not merely witnesses …

Read more “The Rising Peacebuilders of the Philippines and the Story of the Bangsamoro Youth”

‘The old Lie: Dulce et Decorum est, Pro patria mori.’ This is the end to Wilfred Owen’s famous poem about the First World War. The Latin phrase is a reference to a Roman poem that says ‘It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country’. While I may have discussed the Roman idea of …

Read more “The Old Lie: A Wakeup Call”

Photo Credits: OSCE/Markku Pajunen In December 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS). This moment was far more than a technical policy development; it was the first time the Council recognised that young people are not merely bystanders in conflict but central actors in building peace and …

Read more “Not the Future, the Present: Understanding the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda”

Welcome to the British Institute of Global Affairs’ first thematic series! This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda and the passing of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 (UNSCR 2250). In the build up to the day of the 10th Anniversary, the BIGA team has been collaborating with key …

Read more “Finding Peace and Security in Youth”