Youth, Peace and Security
The purpose of this research cluster is to develop a knowledge base from which to draw strategies for countering the narratives that sustain conflict and violence among young people in Africa. This work is especially pertinent as it draws on the intellectual contributions of young African scholars that are central to the work of the ALC. The intersections of youth bulge; socio-economic and political exclusion; and violent or simmering conflict can thus present major challenges to security and development. This has in turn led to the exclusion of large populations of young people from mainstream life and their resultant relegation to the margins of society where other narratives and alternative governance systems prevail. This research cluster aims to shed light on these issues and to proffer policy solutions through an examination of youth exclusion and vulnerability in spaces ‘at the edge’ that can be susceptible to conflicts that risk transmuting into violence. It builds on existing research at the ALC on youth vulnerability and exclusion in Africa; and youth, militancy and violent extremism in Africa.
