Youth, Peacebuilding and the Role of Education

This thematic paper outlines key debates and insights on the role of education in relation to the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 (SCR2250) and the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda. Its objective is to provide stimuli for the YPS Progress Study and, at the same time, to serve as a discussion piece for policy-makers, practitioners and scholars interested in the role of education in relation to YPS. Both authors are members of the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), and part of the Education Policy Working Group of INEE.

After outlining the main rationale and relevance of the paper (section 1) and the conceptual and methodological approach (section 2), we reflect in section 3 on ways in which education systems (formal and non-formal) and actors are related to the five pillars that constitute the basis of SCR 2250: participation, protection, prevention,partnership, and disengagement and reintegration.

In sections 4 and 5, we provide an overview of the most recent insights from a range of resources, including academic and programmatic literature, youth voices as expressed in the YPS survey data, and findings from youth-oriented participatory research. Here we outline key drivers of violence and inequality within and/or fostered by education before moving on to a discussion of the transformative potential of various educational spaces.

We draw on recent case studies and evaluations in order to provide concrete examples of the various challenges and pitfalls as well as the potential of education and educational transformation in supporting young people in endeavors to address conflict and build peace. The paper concludes with a reflection on the key steps that lie ahead in terms of policy and practical implementation for UN, governmental and non-governmental actors at multiple levels, focusing both on formal education systems and on non-formal mechanisms for learning and transformation.