Youth and Peacebuilding

In a period of tremendous change in parts of the world, we are asking USIP leaders, from board members to senior staff and experts, to explain the effects that events abroad and here at home will have on the United States, and the contributions the Institute can and does make. Steven Heydemann is USIP’s senior adviser for Middle East Initiatives.

With its secession from Sudan on July 9, 2011, South Sudan not only gained its eagerly-awaited independence, but also embarked onto the long road of state building. Over the past several months, the new country has begun to confront the myriad challenges it faces in sustainable development, good governance, and capacity building. In addition, the world's newest state is also coping with cross-cutting issues of managing resources, constructing a sense of nationhood, and contending with problems particular to youth and women. These reports begin to address some of the central challenges to statebuilding in South Sudan.

On November 10, 2011 USIP presented a screening of “The Boy Mir: 10 Years in Afghanistan” just ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Bonn Agreement. The screening was followed by a question & answer session with the film’s director, Phil Grabsky.

This report compares the results of parallel research projects carried out among impoverished, nonelite youth in postconflict Rwanda and Burundi. Arguing that the plight and priorities of nonelite youth should be of serious national and international concern, particularly in countries that have unusually youthful populations that are overwhelmingly poor and undereducated, it finds striking differences between the groups, with a significantly bleaker picture for youth in Rwanda.

Explore successful humanitarian assistance and longer-term needs for social well-being and development in fragile states. Analyze the links between social well-being—particularly health, education, environmental protection, and refugee needs—and security, governance, rule of law, and economic development.

The U.S. Institute of Peace is committed to cost effective strategies that leverage the capacity of local organizations and empower others to mitigate conflicts.  Recognizing the power of media as an instrument with enormous potential to affect public attitudes and perceptions, the Institute has worked globally to promote best media practices that strengthen tolerance and mutual understanding.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan, increased insurgent militancy has created a vicious cycle of violence, hostility and fear that has entrapped the population, particularly the youth.  While communities struggle to cope with violence and the spread of extremism, the school system offers limited opportunities for students to build the skills needed to challenge extremist ideologies and develop constructive approaches to conflict resolution.