- Promote young people’s participation as condition for peacebuilding
- Value and build upon young people’s diversity and experiences
- Be sensitive to gender dynamics
- Enable young people’s ownership, leadership, and accountability in peacebuilding
- Do no harm
- Involve young people in all stages of peacebuilding and post conflict programming
- Enhance knowledge, attitudes, skills and competencies of youth for peacebuilding
- Invest in integrational partnerships in young people’s communities
- Introduce and support policies that address the full needs of young people
Promoting the participation of young people in peacebuilding requires multiple approaches:
(1) A human rights-based approach, grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW ) and the World Programme of Action on Youth;
(2) An economic approach that identifies young people as central to the economic development of their country, and promote their access to economic opportunities as essential for their own development;
(3) A socio-political approach that connects young people to civil society and the political arena, and provides them with opportunities, training and support for their active engagement and participation in public life; and
(4) A socio-cultural approach that analyses the roles of young people in existing structures and supports dialogue, including an intergenerational dialogue, about these structures.
The principle of “do no harm” is fundamental in all instances, and requires an awareness and active avoidance of the negative consequences that interventions can inadvertently create. In addition, all participation should be based on free will.