Youth Participation in Peacebuilding: Evidence from Burkina Faso and Chad

Africa’s population is about 60% youth under age 25, particularly in conflict-affected regions. Since youth are often negatively portrayed as uninterested in peacebuilding efforts, the study examined whether they play any meaningful role in such in Burkina Faso and Chad. Data collected through interviews with youth, non-governmental organizations, religious leaders, and government officials, revealed the following; - that youth share peace messages through youth manifestos, youth councils, training, media campaigns, community dialogs, and peace networks. The study expands the African peacebuilding analytical focus beyond viewing youth merely as conflict perpetrators to potential decentralized peacebuilding actors capable of using locally embedded strategies.