Results: First South Asian Restorative Justice Essay Prize
November 22, 2024
Background
Affirming the important roles that youths can play in prevention and resolution of conflicts in any society, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2015 adopted a Resolution 2250, a global policy framework that examines how conflict affects young people’s life, what has to be done to lessen those consequences, and how youth may contribute significantly to the development of peaceful communities. The UNSC 2250 includes five main pillars (participation, protection, prevention, partnership, disengagement and reintegration) of building a youth, peace and security together.
Several positive developments have happened since UNSCR 2250 was adopted, such as the release of Missing Peace, an independent progress report that was mandated by the resolution, and UNSCR 2419 (2018), which reiterates the significance of involving young people in peace efforts.[1] Likewise, the UN Security Council has also adopted another resolution 2419 in 2018 which places additional emphasis on the inclusive representation of youth for conflict prevention and resolution, including in the negotiation and implementation of peace agreements, building on the recommendations of UNSCR 2250 and addressing a particular context of peace processes. UNSCR 2419 specifically calls on relevant regional and sub-regional organizations to think about creating and carrying out youth-focused policies and programs and to encourage their positive engagement.[2]
Two years later in 2020, the UN Security Council also passed yet another resolution related to YPS: Resolution 2535. The Resolution 2535 highlights the importance of youth in minimizing and changing conflict, establishing and preserving peace, and it calls on Member States to involve youth in peace and security- related decision-making processes.[3]
Nepal’s context
In Nepal, youth participation in peacebuilding in far from ideal. According to the United Nations Peace Fund for Nepal (UNPFN, 2017), due to enduring patriarchal and hierarchical social norms that prevent young people in general and young women in particular from assuming positions of decision-making authority, only 33% of youth in Nepal are involved in activities promoting peace and development, and not always in a leadership capacity. In relation to UNSCR 2250, the National Youth Policy has suggested a number of strategic measures, including those related to youth empowerment and leadership development, engagement and mobilization, releasing young people involved in crime and violence, youth involvement in establishing sustainable peace and conflict resolution, and partnership. The youth of Nepal are referred to as the pioneers of the country’s economic, social, political, and cultural transformation, and it appears that they have made significant contributions to the country’s development as a result of their bravery, innovative thinking, enthusiasm, and high levels of self-confidence, all of which make them strong agents of change.
Despite the established policy frameworks, implementation is poor. Youth who participated in the conflict in Nepal invested years of their youth to the cause of social justice, but many feel mistreated and abandoned. Despite making all those sacrifices, they still feel helpless today as they did then.[4] Young people are extremely susceptible to radicalization, unemployment, and acts of violence since they live in an unstable environment. Young people do not have enough spots on which to present their ideas, and because their opinions are either ignored or not given much weight, they are not participating in decision-making. Apparently, youths have not been recognized a distinct entity in Nepal’s peacebuilding processes.
The workshop
The workshop aims to take a deeper dive into the status of YPS agenda in Nepal and through the participation of governmental and non-governmental actors, it will examine their roles in furthering the YPS agenda in Nepal and will specifically look into ways of including youths through various dialogues so that it reduces any forms of radicalization and violent extremism in Nepal.
The workshop is being organized by Nepal Forum for Restorative Justice, which has been working in the fields of restorative justice, dialogue and peacebuilding in Nepal since 2014.
The workshop is free and open to public. But to confirm your participation, please fill in the form here: https://forms.gle/UssdMCYn3nXmFgbU7
Flow of the workshop:
1pm Registration and tea
1:30pm Introductions and welcome
1:35pm Laying foundations on the YPS agenda
2:15pm YPS and the Nepali context
3pm Furthering YPS in Nepal
3:30pm Conclusion and wrap up
3:45pm Tea and departures
For more information, please contact: Nepal Forum for Restorative Justice, Hadigaun-5, Kathmandu, Nepal | Email: nfrj@nepalrestorativejustice.org | Tel- +97714540587
[1]Translating_Youth_Peace_and_Security_Policy_into_Practice_December_2020.pdf, p-27
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid, p. 30
