“The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.” — Hannah Arendt, The Banality of Evil As a 29-year-old peace activist who grew up under the shadow of UNSCR 541 and 550, I have always understood the urgency of peace and security. …
Image: FundacionLATIR The coming Youth, Peace and Security 10th anniversary has come as an ideal opportunity to reflect on how young people and youth allies – UN system, Member States, and civil society- have tirelessly worked towards a narrative that has placed them beyond victims, perpetrators or passive roles, but rather as crucial actors of …
Read more “Latin American and the Caribbean legacies on the YPS journey”
A Forest of Silence: Surviving the Anglophone War In 2019, in the early hours of the morning, on my way to school, I was kidnapped by some unknown armed men. With nothing but my books, dream and hope for a better future, my face was covered with a dress, thrown onto a motorbike and taken …
Image: Reuters Youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow—they are the catalysts of change today. Across the globe, their energy, creativity, and vision have the power to transform societies, yet their role in shaping peace and security is often underestimated. The adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace, and Security …
Read more “From Jordan to the World: Harnessing Youth Power for Peace and Security”
“We live in a world today completely dominated by energy. It is the bedrock of our wealth, our comfort, and our largely unquestioned faith in the inexorability of progress … energy has become the currency of political and economic power, the determinant of the hierarchy of nations … access to energy has thus emerged as …
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 …
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, …
“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”