WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SAYING OCtober 2005 no. 18 Young people in Conflict and recovery: Untapped potential Over one-third of the world’s countries were directly affected by conflicts since 1990 and, of these states, nearly two-thirds experienced armed conflicts for seven or more years during the post-Cold War period. Young people living in these situations are targeted for violence, abuse and exploitation, and are often recruited by armed forces and separated from their families. Girls are especially vulnerable, and are at high risk of sexual violence, abuse and exploitation, as well as related health problems including HIV/AIDS. Despite their extreme vulnerability in unstable situations, young people also represent an important untapped resource as countries move toward recovery and rebuilding. OVerview Young people have always been concerned about the impact of conflict on their lives. Participants on Voices of Youth have posted more than 1400 messages on conflict in the last year alone. They consistently express a desire to be heard, and have offered hundreds of creative solutions to violence and conflict. Young people are keenly aware of the reasons adolescents become involved in conflict, and they are aware of the constraints they face in helping to contribute to peace in the wake of instability. Still, they ask, again and again, “how can we help?” Showing an impressive understanding of the political context around conflicts in dozens of countries, participants on Voices of Youth point out that knowledge and the proper skills are the most important step on the road to a more peaceful world. Young people know that they have the ability to contribute in a meaningful way to recovery and rebuilding after conflicts, and they are asking for our help and guidance in doing so. Together, they say, we can make a real difference. Malaysia "Children make up almost half of all war victims around the world".… This is true but have we ever thought of why it is so? Let’s put aside for a moment the other issues … and think of the children.” boy, 21 The following is a summary of what young people are saying about conflict. We have to remember that the voices of many adolescents and young people who live in the most challenging conditions—in the DRC, in IDP camps in Darfur, and in rural villages in Iraq or Sri Lanka, for example—cannot be heard and are not present here. We need your help with ideas on how to reach these young people and make sure that their voices are heard. Join the discussion today! For more information contact: Amber Oliver, Coordinator, voy@unicef.org The impact of conflict Members of Voices of Youth are concerned about the effect that conflict has on the lives of young people around the world. They recognize that in conflict situations, young people are often forced to take on “adult” roles, and as a result their young lives are disrupted, or even robbed from them. Conflict deprives young people of their rights and opportunities, including rights to education and protection from violence. France “Young people, if they fail to get an education, or play too big a part personally in the conflict, may lose all chance of ever reintegrating into society. In this way, young people, who grew up knowing only conflict, can be far more devastatingly impacted than old people.… War is not a good baby-sitter or role-model, and conflict means hatred.” girl, >21 Iraq “Terrorism is all around us in Iraq now. I think a lot of people know that either from TV or a newspaper and so on … it’s really affecting my life and my friends’ lives in many aspects. For example, I’m 18 now and I can’t go out alone! Also, because of terrorism, I lost my one and only chance of studying in a safer place for NO WRONG done by me.” girl, 18 VOY members also recognize that when young people are victimized by conflict, their frustration sometimes leads to violent and destructive behaviour. Many agree that conflict fosters hatred, and that because young people are the future, we must address the issue of children in conflict if we ever hope to see a better tomorrow. Nigeria “Many youths are affected more emotionally and psychologically than physically. As a result, some develop different mind sets—some to leave their homeland, some to destroy the cause of their pain, and the more selfish ones to seek for their own safety by joining the winning side or the side that can care for them, regardless of what that group might be doing to their own people, or regardless of where the group stands in the war.” girl, 20 Australia “I am a pacifist and I think that violence of all sorts is terrible. Often it happens because the person has had violence done to him, or is depressed or has no hope. I don't think that governments going to war set a good example either. I think using violence as punishment is also a bad thing because it just sets a pattern for the next generation to be violent as well. I think we all need to learn to be able to solve problems in peace.” boy, 17 Participation in the Community Because young people are affected by and sometimes involved with violence during conflicts, it is critical to include them in humanitarian and peace building efforts. There is a growing recognition internationally that young people are a crucial component of any peace building initiative. Participants on Voices of Youth have suggested many programs to involve young people in peace building, including advocacy, peer-to-peer counseling, sports, education and vocational training. INDIA “Youth will be able to help in the rebuilding in a very positive way. For one, they can help people of their own age group as they can relate to them. Their knowledge will play a very valuable role here. The youth will be able to introduce rehab measures for affected victims, like sports, education, art programs, counseling, etc. The children will also respond better to people who have been in their place and can understand their problem from their point of view and accordingly find solutions. But the youth must be given more opportunities, which they are not getting now.” boy, 16 Young people who do not live in countries where conflict has occurred say that they also have a role to play – they can be involved with advocacy work, or donate their resources and services to help those who do live in countries of conflict. Philippines “Being a member of Voices of Youth, we have the ability to rebuild our society in our simple ways. Like helping those victims of floods and terrorism or by giving food to those who are hungry; giving shelter to those who need it. Then we can be satisfied that youth can help rebuild society.” girl, 17 Viet nam “What we can do is like in this forum: share each mind and each heart to make us understand each other, once we know what our mind needs we can find the way to our hearts because the most damage is damage in the heart. It takes more time and hard time to recover from than any damage in society. Once our hearts recover, it's the time for us to rebuild the other.” girl, 19 Participation in policy Beyond participating on the community level, young people recognize the need to become involved on the policy level. Members of Voices of Youth express the desire for opportunities to assist in policy planning, and suggest using such forums as the media to share innovative ideas. Nigeria “First of all our capacity has to be built again to help us rebuild. Secondly those involved in VIOLENT conflict should be made to draft a work-plan on conflict resolution and facilitate the program. Then the government can come in to make some or most of them policy makers in such areas. This will help start the building process.” girl, 19 United Kingdom “[Il faut avoir] l'attention de la communauté internationale et des jeunes comme nous … pour que l’histoire ne se répète plus jamais.” boy, >21 Romania “Certainly young people lack the opportunities to rebuild society post-conflict. After a conflict ends, nobody thinks of young people, and the political and social instability makes it impossible for youth to participate in decision-making. Mass-media should offer space for youth projects and every good initiative should be put in practice, by funding young people’s ideas and helping them achieve their goals. And the politicians should allow a number of youth members in the Parliament or other important political structure ... these young people shouldn’t necessarily be members of any political party, just activists.” girl, 17 Ecuador “Cuantas veces creemos que el mundo no es justo cuando vemos como miles de niños mueren o sufren debido a las guerras. A veces queremos criticar a este o aquel gobierno por ello. Pero si exigimos que el gobierno cambie, que los adultos cambien. Nosotros demos el ejemplo. Somos la juventud "futuro de la sociedad", pero sobretodo y mas importante PRESENTE de la sociedad. Si somos nosotros quienes cambiamos nuestras actitudes, nuestras formas de tratar a las personas. Entonces notaremos un cambio…” girl, 18 Constraints to participation Before young people commit to participating in rebuilding their society, they must be assured of their safety. United States “I agree that governments should get more involved! But unfortunately, some governments are in the midst of civil war, or are being distracted in some other way. Other governments will say that they are going to do something about violence against children, but never ratify a law against it, as was the case with child soldiers/child recruitment. Personally, I think that the UN should have a bigger hand in preventing violence against children. Sending security forces to areas of high incidence, or simply providing more schools could drastically lower violence against children!” girl, 16 Personal safety is not the only constraint that participants on Voices of Youth mention. They consistently point to a gap in guidance on young people’s participation during and after conflict. Adults must understand that young people are not part of the problem, but part of the solution. India “Youth certainly have the capacity, but what is needed is guidance. Definitely the youth have tremendous energy but that has to be guided well. There are many examples where they have been misguided!” boy, >21 The burden of rebuilding society must not be placed on young people, but rather they should be supported in their participation efforts. This means that they should be equipped with the necessary skills to participate and be informed of their rights. As with many discussions on Voices of Youth, members recognize that education is an important tool for creating a better future. Sierra Leone “After conflict, young people must be educated about their human rights. To attain peace and retain it is the most important thing after conflict. With education, they know that ballot must be considered instead of bullet.” boy, >21 Nigeria “I think that young people’s biggest needs during and following conflict are: 1. Survival is uttermost on their minds 2. Food for strength 3. Health for assurance that you will live another day 4. Love and understanding from people around the world who are aware of these conflicts and support from international organisations 5. Assurance that … their homeland will always be theirs and peaceful 6. Hope for tomorrow—a chance be someone in life, possibly one of those who will help the land.” girl, >21 Conclusion Young people are eager to become a part of recovery and rebuilding efforts following widespread societal violence or conflict. Given the capacity, they can play a positive role in peace building. For more information, read past newsletters from Voices of Youth: August 2005: The Millennium Development Goals June 2005: “Tsunami Terror: Rethinking the Aftermath” April 2005: “Young People Call For Equal Rights For All” Resources supporting young people’s participation in peace building efforts There is a growing interest among partners in development in recognizing both the negative impact of war on young people, and the need for young people’s involvement in the recovery and rehabilitation of their countries. The following is a selection of documents from organizations that promote young people’s participation in community development and peace building in post-crisis situations. Youth as a Catalyst for Peace Academy for Educational Development http://www.aed.org/ToolsandPublications/upload/Youth_Catalyst_Peace.pdf Adolescent Programming in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/Adolescents_conflict_lores.pdf Map of Programmes for Adolescent Participation During Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/emerg/files/Map_of_Programmes.pdf Youth and Violent Conflict: Society and Development in Crisis? Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery/UNDP http://www.undp.org/bcpr/ Youth in War-to-Peace Transitions Yvonne Kemper, Research Centre for Constructive Conflict Management. www.berghof-center.org/publications/reports/complete/BR10e.pdf 2005 World Youth Report Youth at the United Nations http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/wyr05.htm Untapped Potential: Adolescents affected by armed conflict Women’s Commission www.womenscommission.org/pdf/adol2.pdf The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF Response UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_25262.html