There is a critical link between youth and conflict. Increasingly, researchers and ‎development professionals are predicting that our global future depends on how youth ‎view themselves and how they interact with their peers, their families and their ‎communities. ‎Research done by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) indicates that youth ‎are more likely to choose peaceful resolution of conflicts if they have more solid ‎connections with their own communities as well as a sense of empowerment to make ‎decisions affecting their own future.‎

This Theme focuses on channeling youth’s energy, passion and creativity toward building healthier, more peaceful and productive communities. Youth can be both the victims of violence as well as the perpetrators of violence ‎themselves.‎ Conversely, they can play a significant role in creating a culture of peace by consciously ‎selecting alternatives to violence.‎ This Theme challenges young people to imagine a world of peace and to make it real; to ‎strive for a Utopian transformation through every tangible means; to transform their ‎societies and in the process transform themselves.‎ The theme focuses on enhancing peace building efforts of young people by sharing best ‎practices to inspire them to become socially involved; deepening their understanding of ‎the impact of violence on their lives; and building relationships with each other for ‎collaboration across borders.‎

The period of youth and adolescence is characterized by the burst of energy that has to be effectively channeled and used. This is the time when imaginative projects are designed, latent talents are discovered and management and organizational skills are put to use. Organizing different projects that can utilize the various talents of youth in different areas would be of great value to their communities. In addition, it will develop in them the sense of ownership, pride and fulfillment. Youth internship and apprenticeship programs are examples of avenues that contribute greatly to their identifying the career they wish to pursue. The confidence of youth is greatly enhanced when they called upon to ensure the security in their neighborhood, launch security initiatives with their communities and align themselves with law and order.

The SMWIPM’s International Youth Forum will present an opportunity for participants to build the partnerships and mobilize the resources that will enable them to implement their objectives for peace. We invite youth attending the Forum to think of innovative ideas for projects to “Building Peace in our Communities ” throughout global societies. These ideas will be presented and discussed during the Forum sessions, where participants can agree on the possibility of implementing these projects in their respective communities. It is a chance to break free from the “status quo”, look outside the box and think of new and innovative ways together to achieve our common objectives for peace and prosperity. Participants wishing to present their projects should kindly fill out the SMWIPM Youth Project Idea.

Youth need opportunities to participate in decision-making processes, not only because they will be the leaders, facilitators and stakeholders of our future but because they can also play a central role in shaping our present. Today, in all parts of the world, young people are playing decisive roles within their families, schools and local communities. They are channeling their energy and imagination into tackling the root causes of violence, rallying behind social and humanitarian causes, and building bridges of tolerance and understanding across ethnic lines and cultural barriers. For all these reasons, it is imperative that they be involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of programs that impact their lives.

TThe creation of student councils, youth parliaments and networks is an effective means of helping youth to voice and integrate their ideas into national policies. It is also a means of encouraging more young people to appreciate their potential as change-makers. Civic responsibilities, once formed, tend to be durable and expand into the broader community later on.

Youth is the period when people begin to be heard and recognized outside their families. They establish their identities as individuals while they begin to interact independently with the broader community. Simply by being community members, they receive rights as well as obligations. During this phase of one’s life, young people learn how to tolerate people from different ethnic or religious groups. The right to vote is granted during this phase too. The willingness and ability to exercise such a right and other duties of citizenship are formed early in life and, once formed, tend to be durable. Without opportunities for productive civic engagement, young people’s frustrations may boil over into violent behavior and lead to economic and social instability.

Youth also need opportunities to participate in democratic decision-making processes within their families, schools and local communities, which in turn would encourage them to abide fully by the subsequent decisions that they have made. Consulting young people and drawing on their perceptions, knowledge and ideas are essential to both the development of effective public policy and the achievement of positive outcomes. Formal political participation and involvement in social organizations are, in turn, necessary for private investment and growth. They broaden access to economic opportunities, especially among previously excluded groups, most obviously women.