Analysis of UNICEF-supported peacebuilding programs with a focus on youth & education approaches

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

Proposal

This paper provides a review of peacebuilding programs across 28 countries, supported by UNICEF in collaboration with other UN partners and centered around the thematic areas of adolescent participation, education, child protection, social services. The paper accesses how education strategies and approaches – formal and non-formal – across the life cycle from early years into youth – have been employed in these programs to support participation and agency of children and young people. The review seeks to understand the extent to which these programs serve young people as key contributors to peaceful, inclusive societies. The specific questions addressed include: do these programs address the needs of young people? Are the programs targeting relevant outcomes, from the perspective of young people? What is the level of participation by young people? The review is focused on the objectives and approaches of these programs, their relevance, and intended outcomes and how these were measured. The study combines document analysis - project documents, progress reports and evaluations - and key stakeholder interviews to contextualize/validate findings in select countries. Finally, the paper provides reflections on how peacebuilding approaches can be enhanced considering findings and recommendations of the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security and how youth organizations, researchers and academic partners can help strengthen the learning and evidence drawn through their implementation.

Author

• Anna Azaryeva Azaryeva, UNICEF