Significant numbers of youth are directly affected by conflict and fragility. The various challenges they face in such environments can exacerbate the risks of violence and conditions of fragility. These challenges include: economic and political exclusion, loss of education and divisive education, trauma and the loss of family and social networks. This helpdesk research report surveys key literature on peacebuilding and statebuilding interventions for youth populations, focusing on these areas.
In many conflict-affected and fragile environments, the state is either unwilling or unable to perform functions that are necessary for the personal development of children and youth. In such contexts, civil society organisations have stepped in and sought to complement and compensate basic functions of the state in order to address the challenges faced by youth. Despite the importance of addressing these challenges, few youth interventions are widely known and evaluated.
