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On 30-31 October 2017, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) held an Expert Group Meeting under the theme Youth, Peace and Security: Social Issues and Social Policies. The meeting brought together representatives from academia, Member States, United Nations entities, youth organisations and intergovernmental bodies to identify ways to promote young people’s positive engagement in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and sustaining peace.

The discussion revolved around the topics of youth marginalisation and socio-economic exclusion, which contribute to their vulnerability and their propensity to engage in violence, conflict and social unrest. The meeting also focused on the analysis of critical social and economic issues that hinder youth development and inclusive political participation at all levels.

As a result of the meeting, a set of key points and recommendations will be drawn by DESA jointly with participants, including FAO, in order to develop a comprehensive plan of action to support operational activities at country level.

Youth as drivers of change in fragile contexts

Over the past ten years, the number of violent conflicts around the world has increased significantly, in particular in countries already facing food insecurity, hitting rural communities the hardest and having a negative impact on food production and availability. The root causes of conflicts are complex and range from ethnic and religious differences, discrimination, poor governance and rapid urbanization to other factors such as poverty, hunger and youth unemployment.

"As well documented, youth are increasingly involved in war and conflict and are both the victims and the perpetrators of the violent societies they live in. Youth populations are increasingly defining countries and regions’ security environments" said during the meeting Francesca Dalla Valle, FAO's Youth Employment Specialist.

Today, more than 600 million youth globally live in fragile and conflict-affected territories and are at severe risk of violence, abuse and injury. "The drives of radicalization are also rooted in socio-economic factors, such as lack of social integration, economic opportunities and employment. Surveys, interviews, and focus groups conducted in fragile contexts suggest that poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and weak family structures make or contribute to making youth, in particular young men, extremely vulnerable to radicalization".

In order to prevent youth radicalization, FAO adopted a holistic approach which encompasses social, political and economic aspects. In particular, FAO works to increase youth employability in agriculture through skills development and strives to include young women and men in social dialogue processes, while strengthening local institutions and peacebuilding groups.

For instance, in Somalia FAO is contributing to the Joint UN-Federal Government of Somalia Programme on Youth Employment by working to expand public employment opportunities for young men and women in rural areas and supporting them in being drivers of positive change. So far, short-term employment opportunities have been provided to 3,490 vulnerable youth in Kismayo, Cabudwag, Beledweyne and Bosasso through the rehabilitation of 13 irrigation canals and over 20 water catchments. The infrastructure projects have increased water storage capacity and help over 1,500 farmers to channel water. Additional 1,600 short-term jobs were created for youth working on road rehabilitations in Berbera and Baidoa. Further, in order to broaden activities also to remote coastal areas and prevent youth joining piracy activities, FAO, is also implementing another project: No piracy: Alternatives for youth living in coastal communities.

In Palestine the fostering of youth workforce is one of the most important priorities and challenges in driving national development. In this context, FAO has implemented Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools (JFFLS) for local youth and assessments undertaken after the implementation of the activities have demonstrated that most of the beneficiaries are keen to progress further in education and study agriculture.

The JFFLS methodology has been used also within various national Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programmes, like for example in Sudan and South Sudan, in order to increase employment opportunities for disadvantaged and vulnerable youth amid the conflict and post-conflict situation, with a special focus on demobilized young soldiers, while giving them the required psychosocial support for a healthy reintegration into their communities.

In Tunisia, FAO supports vulnerable unemployed youth in setting up their agricultural activities, based on integrated systems of livestock management and olive and cereal production. FAO has also collaborated with the World Food Programme in providing cash-for-assets activities for Tunisian youth groups, with a focus on agricultural asset restoration and land erosion reduction. Further, just after the revolution, FAO piloted a complementary activity to enhance employment opportunities in the agriculture sector for young inmates at the Gafsa and Kef prisons (Sers and Eddir) and enable them to have better opportunities to find a job once released.