Preventing and Responding to Violence in the 21st Century: Exploring Alternative Approaches

We would like to share the latest policy paper developed by our Country Focal Point in Nigeria, the Centre for Sustainable Development and Education in Africa (CSDEA), to which the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS) and its membership have provided support. 

Through case studies focusing on Afghanistan, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, France, Germany, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, United Kingdom, United States and Yemen, this paper aims to inventorise key policy recommendations to be taken into account when planning, implementing and evaluating programs aimed at preventing and responding to violence. This comes as a necessity given the present challenges to local and global actors engaging in inclusive peacebuilding and statebuilding.

The paper emphasizes the need to strengthen the social contract by prioritizing the role of citizens, in particular the youth, who should be incorporated into plans to ensure sustainable solutions to the challenges of violence. It builds upon the 2015 United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 urging member states to increase the representation of youth in decision-making at all levels and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by UN Member States the same year, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.