A ‘youth-ed’ peace? A framework for understanding youth peacebuilding

Young people are profoundly impacted by armed conflicts, yet their contributions to peacebuilding have not been fully conceptualised. Research often frames youth in peacebuilding through a victim-aggressor binary or under the umbrella of everyday peace, without exploring the full scope of their roles. This paper addresses this limitation by repurposing and expanding Gready and Robins’ typology of civil society, to understand how youth engage in peacebuilding–directly and indirectly. Using post-2016 peace agreement Colombia as a case study, the paper illustrates how youth navigate tensions between state-led efforts and their own peace ideals. Findings demonstrate that youth use a variety of overlapping strategies, including direct actions, influences on political processes, and internal reflective practices. We ask whether this represents a ‘youth-ed’ approach to peacebuilding and whether the framework has broader applicability. Ultimately, this article opens avenues for research and policymaking aimed at integrating youth into peacebuilding initiatives worldwide.