12. Unique Potential of Youth Associated with Non-State Armed Groups (YANSAG): Case in Indonesia and the Philippines

This chapter explores the unique potential of youth associated with non-state armed groups (YANSAG) in the Philippines and Indonesia to become agents of peace. While peacebuilding efforts and the Youth, Peace and Security agenda have gained global traction, YANSAG remain largely excluded, often framed solely as security threats. Drawing on original field research, including semi-structured interviews with former members of the Maute Group in the Philippines and Jamaah Ansharut Daulah and Mujahidin Indonesia Timur in Indonesia, the chapter highlights their motivations, experiences, and post-conflict aspirations. The findings reveal a significant number of YANSAG expressing hope for the future and willingness to contribute to peace, despite facing social stigma, economic hardship, and institutional neglect. The chapter argues for shifting perspectives from threat-based approaches to empowerment-oriented frameworks, and proposes tailored reintegration strategies that align with the sustaining peace agenda. By recognizing YANSAG as an overlooked but vital constituency, this chapter calls for unlocking their potential—not only to rebuild their own lives, but also to heal fractured societies and ignite new pathways toward lasting peace.