“The Missing Peace” – towards participatory inclusive research with young people.

• In Event: Education, youth, peace and security - lessons from the “The Missing Peace: Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security.”

Proposal

This paper will focus on the process, methodology and key findings of the ‘Missing Peace: Independent Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security’ – with a focus on education. The process of how this study was undertaken is just as important as the outcomes it produced. The study used an inclusive and participatory research approach by undertaking regional, sub-regional and national consultations with young people across the globe; conducting and receiving country case studies; commissioning focus-group discussions with “hard to reach” youth; and drawing on a survey-based mapping of the work done by youth-led peacebuilding organizations. Effort was made to reach out beyond easily accessible and elite youth, to young people who would not ordinarily have a say in these sorts of global policy processes. Given the challenge of young people’s increasing distrust in their governments and the multilateral system, it was essential to work with credible civil society organizations with strong trust-based relationships with youth on the ground (UNFPA, 2018). This paper will present reflections, lessons learned and possible pathways for partnering with young organizations, practitioners and research institutions in the global south and global north to expand this field of study and practice.

Author

• Graeme Simpson, InterPeace