Conclusions: Youth and Peacebuilding Outcomes

This book’s main objective was to provide a new conceptualization of the role of youth as referents of peace at all levels from national to local, as the pejorative notions of youth as security threats still dominate the literature and practice of peacebuilding and DDR. We have been particularly encouraged by the fact that in many conflict-affected environments, youth have been at the forefront in the creation of hope for their communities through their tremendously important work in peace-building and reconciliation. There is clearly a growing impetus amongst the youth to redefine their participation trajectories in peacebuilding, in which they often need to deal with a number of major socio-cultural, economic and political obstacles.