Europe is entering a period marked by geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty and rapidly evolving security threats. Young people across the continent consistently express a desire for peace, stability and a secure future, yet they remain largely absent from the structures where security is debated, shaped and implemented. Their interest is high, but their involvement is often informal, fragmented and disconnected from institutional processes. Youth perspectives are welcomed as reflections rather than as contributions with the potential to inform policy or guide decision-making.
This article examines the barriers that limit meaningful youth participation in security, the shifting threat perceptions among Europe’s younger generations, and the emerging models capable of transforming youth engagement from symbolic consultation into genuine influence. These dynamics ultimately prompted the creation of Youth Security Europe as a structured platform designed to help bridge this gap.
Redefining Security for a New European Generation
In many public discussions, “security” is still interpreted narrowly as military defence, which can make the field seem distant or unrelatable to young people. Youth Security Europe works from a broader understanding, one that includes societal, environmental, economic, informational and community resilience as integral components of security in the 21st century. YSE believes that change must begin with rethinking the concept itself, recognising that military security is only one dimension alongside human security, environmental security, societal security and more.
Recent studies show that young Europeans view terrorism, cyberattacks and climate change as the most prominent threats. Many also feel uncertain about how they would engage in national defence or broader security matters, reflecting a wider hesitation driven by limited information, unclear pathways and inconsistent opportunities.
How Young Europeans Perceive Today’s Threats
The invasion of Ukraine in 2022 served as a reminder that no region is immune from war. As the conflict continues, emerging data suggests that the initial sense of unity is weakening. Proximity to the front lines, inflation and cost-of-living pressures shape how important the war feels. While young people remain normatively supportive of Ukraine and back measures such as sanctions or military aid in principle, hesitancy grows when these imply higher prices or ambitious rearmament packages. Solidarity remains widespread at the level of sentiment, yet translating it into financially costly action is uneven and difficult to sustain.
Across Europe, however, one trend is clear, young people are deeply engaged in conversations about security, defence and Europe’s future. They discuss disinformation in classrooms, cyber threats on social media, climate security in youth councils and the war in Ukraine in university corridors. Interest was never the issue, structure was. Despite thousands of motivated young people, no central platform existed where their ideas, skills and perspectives could connect. Instead, youth initiatives remained scattered in isolated pockets: a local student group here, a short-term project there, a youth coalition across NGOs, or a national effort surviving year to year. These activities rarely cooperated, rarely exchanged knowledge and rarely influenced anything beyond their immediate surroundings.
Meanwhile, traditional security institutions face the opposite challenge. They seek youth engagement but struggle to do so in a sustained or meaningful way. Invitations to events existed, but not the continuity, roles or pathways required for young people to shape agendas or contribute to solutions. The absence of such a system also meant there was no shared space where young Europeans could collaborate across borders, learn from one another or exchange knowledge, whether on disinformation trends in their own countries or on emerging security challenges across the continent. There was no framework for development, no network for coordination and no platform connecting youth interest with institutional needs. Just as importantly, there were no accessible pathways for young people to learn about security topics, gain inspiration to pursue a career in the field or connect with the organisations that could offer a first step into the sector.
It was in response to this structural gap that Youth Security Europe was founded, to build a united, professional and accessible organisation where young people can learn, participate and contribute at the local, national and European levels. Its core premise is simple: the next generation should not only be present in security conversations but able to contribute meaningfully to them.
Creating Structures for Youth Participation in Security
Across the continent, states invest heavily in conferences, panels and high-level dialogues, yet young people are rarely given roles that lead to sustained or structural influence. They are asked for opinions but not offered pathways into decision-making. They are invited to speak, but not to participate. Youth Security Europe was created to help address this gap. It provides a platform that feeds youth expertise, analysis and practical insight into Europe’s broader security ecosystem, working with governments, institutions and the private security sector while building the next generation of talent. It offers young people concrete opportunities to gain experience, explore new fields and develop the competencies needed in an evolving security landscape. YSE advances this mission through five operational pillars:
First, by working simultaneously at the European, national and local levels, YSE builds a coordinated ecosystem where youth-led initiatives reinforce one another instead of remaining fragmented. Local projects, national debates and cross-European cooperation inform and strengthen each other.
Second, using research and policy work to produce data and analysis that can be developed into policy briefs, offering evidence-based insights for institutions seeking to understand youth perspectives and contribute to practical solutions.
Third, YSE facilitates dialogue and awareness initiatives through cross-border roundtables, consultations and the mapping of youth perspectives, creating a clearer understanding of how young people view and experience security challenges across Europe.
Fourth, it organises events, workshops and panel discussions covering topics such as cyber awareness, crisis communication, disinformation response and peacebuilding. These provide young people with practical tools to engage meaningfully in security issues.
Finally, YSE collaborates with existing structures rather than replacing them. Partnerships allow youth input to become part of ongoing institutional processes rather than isolated moments.
Collectively, these pillars create a replicable framework for youth engagement that moves participation beyond symbolic consultation, toward structured and meaningful involvement in Europe’s security landscape.
Youth Peace and Security in the European Context
YSE’s work aligns with the global Youth, Peace and Security agenda under UN Security Council Resolution 2250, recognising that YPS applies not only to post-conflict contexts but also to the everyday conditions that shape Europe’s stability. For European youth, this includes developing the capacity to
identify and understand societal threats, strengthening digital literacy in an era of algorithmic manipulation, and rebuilding civic participation at a time of fragile democratic trust.
The endeavours of YSE are guided by the idea that youth-led diplomacy is essential for fostering peace and security, especially in a world that is becoming increasingly polarised. Yet young people often lack direct roles in shaping the policies that will define their future. By offering pathways to participation
through community-driven inclusion efforts, YSE enables young people to bring fresh perspectives, raise awareness on critical issues and contribute to dialogue that crosses borders. In this way, YSE aims to encourage engagement that is not only inclusive but also constructive.
To reach a wider public, YSE envisions National Chapters and Local Chapters as hubs where young people can collaborate and advocate for meaningful involvement with their national governments and local districts. These hubs serve as platforms for young voices, allowing them to connect with institutions and policymakers and ensuring their perspectives are considered in broader security discussions in line with the principles of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda under Resolution 2250. From this perspective, youth engagement becomes a powerful community-driven action that expands beyond a
single aim and, in YSE’s case, even beyond borders, as a Europe-wide network with shared understandings.
A New Generation for a New Europe
Leaving leadership solely to older generations places the future of younger Europeans at risk. Youth should not be viewed only as the leaders of tomorrow, but as leaders of today, because Europe’s direction is being shaped by decisions made right now. The challenges confronting Europe today will be defined by
the generation capable of either building peace, or watching the continent fracture along its divides.
YSE believes that when youth organise, policy follows. By creating platforms for young people to engage with political structures, YSE aims to ensure that youth are not passive observers but active architects of peace. The YSE’s goal is to prove that when young people are empowered to lead, their contributions
shape the political landscape. Just as importantly, we believe direct engagement for a better unifying cause can serve to ease political tensions and polarization, as a prosperous, safer, and happier Europe for future generations is a better Europe for everybody.
Europe’s future cannot afford to exclude youth voices. A Europe where young people are not just watching from the sidelines, but are directly contributing to the policies that will affect their world, is more resilient. This is the core promise of Youth Peace and Security: building a Europe where youth are the
builders not the bystanders.
About the Author
Youth Security Europe is a new organisation dedicated to strengthening security, democracy, and resilience. Through collaboration, research, and active engagement, Youth Security Europe empowers young leaders to shape policies and solutions for a safer future. Find out more about their work here.
References:
Consolini, Michele. “Support for Ukraine Still High among EU Citizens but Some Fall off Apparent among Certain Groups.” Europa.eu, 24 Mar. 2025, www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/publications/all/support-ukraine-still-high-among-eu-citizens-some-fall-apparent-among? Accessed 26th Nov. 2025.
IE University / Airbus Defence and Space, “Next Generation Security: A Study on How Young Europeans Perceive the Defense Sector” 2024.
https://www.ie.edu/cgc/news-and-events/news/new-report-reveals-significant-disconnection-between-theyouth-and-the-defense-sector/?utm_source Accessed 27th Nov. 2025