The available
body of literature addressing the roles of young people in armed conflict
provides evidence of extensive child and youth involvement in warfare (Obaje
and Okeke-Uzodike, 2013). For instance, Ukiwo
(2003) draws attention to the role of young people as key actors in the
escalation of violent conflicts in Nigeria’s Plateau State city of Jos, while
other scholars emphasis the notorious use of violence by youths during
Europe’s political crises and conflicts of the 1930s. Therefore since youths
are at centre stage of most conflict in Nigeria, their incorporation into
peace-building processes is bound to facilitate the realisation of sustainable
peace in society, by redirecting the energies of young people to the
implementation of constructive peace projects. Furthermore, incorporation and
utilisation of youths in peace-building processes would facilitate their
transformation from agents of violent conflict, to agents of peace in their
societies.
According to 2012 National
Baseline Youth Survey Report of National
Bureau of Statistics (2013), more than five million youths
indicated they were involved in conflict resolution at one level of governance
or the other. “But the response of the youths shows that most of them are
involved in conflict prevention at the community level representing 64.9
percent, while 30.9 percent are involved at the ward level. “Only 1.6 per cent
are involved at the state level. This is a clear alienation of youths from
participation on issues that concern them.
A study by the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bureau for Crisis Prevention and
Recovery (2005:9) states that: There is an automatic tendency to problematise
youth as a factor in violent conflict while overlooking their many positive
contributions to a society, including their potential role in sustaining the
social fabric and peace, as well as their survival in impossible environments.
Therefore it is pertinent to
stress that a conflict situation or violent
conflict cannot be brought to rest, managed or transformed, without adequately
exploring how the energy of its primary agents could be redirected for the
attainment of sustainable peace in a society or country. Hence, enhancing
structures that promote the participation of youths in peace-building processes
will actively contribute to young people’s engagement with decisions and
activities that affect their wellbeing. Policies and institutions that enable
investment in children and youth to succeed at the micro and macro levels
should be encouraged. These could take the form of full multi-sectoral
programmes that target youth in specific areas of activity, such as employment
creation and/or peace-building projects (Hilker and Frazer 2009).
