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KEY ARGUMENTS Youth exclusion and vulnerability stall development and entrench insecurity Unemployment is not the real issue nor is employment a panacea The “youth bulge” offers an opportunity as well as a challenge for development and security Perception of youth only in negative ways – extremists, violent, radicalized – is damaging for development
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YOUTH VULNERABILITY AND YOUTH VULNERABILITY AND EXCLUSION IN AFRICAEXCLUSION IN AFRICAGOVERNANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL, SOAS-CDD, GHANA 09/0513Presentation by ’Funmi Olonisakin
MEANING/USE OF KEY MEANING/USE OF KEY PHRASESPHRASESYouth in Africa – people between 15 and 35
Youth bulge – predominance of young people in the population.
Exclusion – “left out” or “kept out” from a range of activities and spheres in mainstream life; relegation to the “edge of society”
Vulnerability – a risk of falling into disadvantaged, or “dangerous” places, relegation or slide into oblivion
KEY ARGUMENTSKEY ARGUMENTSYouth exclusion and vulnerability stall development and entrench insecurity
Unemployment is not the real issue nor is employment a panacea
The “youth bulge” offers an opportunity as well as a challenge for development and security
Perception of youth only in negative ways – extremists, violent, radicalized – is damaging for development
KEY MESSAGESKEY MESSAGESYouth: Engage socially constructed definitions
Some solutions lie at the “edge” of society
Unemployment does not offer adequate explanation for YOVEX; comparable access, living standards, participation in decision-making; societal recognition are also crucial
Global assessments of youth in sub-Saharan African must be placed in context e.g. see The Economist, 27 April 2013
KEY MESSAGESKEY MESSAGESWarning: Dangerous intersections between youth bulge, youth exclusion & violence
Youth radicalization thrives at these intersections; radicalization here, is not necessarily constructed as a bad thing
Narratives that promote and sustain youth radicalization is led by dynamic non-mainstream voices; and doesn’t always produce violence
KEY MESSAGES CONTDKEY MESSAGES CONTD
Formal leadership lacks real understanding of the challenges of youth & transformation paths
The opportunity for transformation lies at “THE EDGE” of society outside of mainstream life
TRENDS: YOUTH BULGETRENDS: YOUTH BULGE
Africa’s youth population will keep rising until 2050
Population of 15-24 year olds will rise by more than 1/3rd to 275m by 2025.
(Source: UN DESA/Pouplation Office)
National planning in many cases: misses rapid population rise
TRENDS: YOUTH TRENDS: YOUTH EXCLUSIONEXCLUSIONResultant pressure on systems – creates exclusion of youth: poor access to education, health, decent jobs; lack of societal recognition
Youth seen “as risk” a threat to be addressed rather than a group “at risk”
Many youth “pushed” to the “edge” of the state
State approach is “top down”
TRENDS: LIFE AT “THE EDGE”TRENDS: LIFE AT “THE EDGE”
The “edge” offers limitless possibilities opportunities & challenges
Informal processes and activities are the heartbeat of life at the edge: networks of social security, trade, creativity, risk
Mainstream and officialdom ignore the “edge” at their peril
RESPONSE PATTERNS: WHO RESPONSE PATTERNS: WHO CARES?CARES?
State policies/ responses: More of the same: focus only on formal and mainstream; dismissive of the “informal” and of discourses at “the edge”
Reactive, defensive and unimaginativeThe neglect of the important “intangibles”
Pitches one group of youth against another
Condemns and fears the unknown “edge”
WHO CARES? WHO CARES? NARRATIVES /DISCOURSES AT “THE NARRATIVES /DISCOURSES AT “THE EDGE”EDGE”
Discourses at the edge: Challenge conventional wisdom with radical ideas
Articulate legitimate grievancesSee mainstream as the foePropose coping mechanismsCreate new/ alternative systems/ solutions
Promote creativity and innovation
Attract rogue elite; criminal networks – who hijack youth narratives of exclusion
WHY “THE EDGE” WHY “THE EDGE” MATTERSMATTERSThe bulk of African society now gravitates toward the edge – and relishes its authenticity and opportunities
Informality at the edge captures the intangibles that hold solutions
But the value and strength of the edge is also its weakness: It is home to the “hijackers” of well intentioned, radical edge-thinking
It transmutes innocent radicalization into violence and brutality – sheer terror
““THE EDGE”: AN THE EDGE”: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSFORMATIONTRANSFORMATIONAny serious effort to prevent violent extremism among Africa’s youth must seek to “demystify” life at the edge
Officialdom must travel to the edge, embrace the edge and its talents, decriminalize the edge
Knowledge of “who and what thrives at the edge”, whose narratives influence, counter the narratives that promote violent extremism is key
DEMYSTIFYING THE EDGEDEMYSTIFYING THE EDGEThe hope for increased levels of stability social capital, trust and political participation requires:◦Genuine connection between the formal and informal; tangibles and intangibles; and mainstream and edge – avoiding parallel systems
◦Societal recognition for genuine leaders at the edge
◦Demobilizing “youth veterans” at the edge through credible and meaningful “national service”
◦Commitment of the elite to invest in such a plan