A conference co-organized by the Africa Fragile States, Conflict and Social Development Unit of the World Bank and the Centre for the Study of Civil War (CSCW) at the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (ÌÇÐÄÍøÒ³°æ).
Funded by the World Bank 'Trust Fund for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development' (TFESSD).
Background
Some recent academic scholarship suggests that large youth cohorts, or ‘youth bulges’, under conditions of social, economic and political exclusion, increase the risk of political violence. But large youth cohorts may also represent a significant resource that can boost development, in the form of so-called ‘demographic dividends’.
This conference marks the conclusion of a project on ‘Youth Exclusion and Political Violence’ co-funded by the World Bank ‘Trust Fund for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development’ (TFESSD) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project sought to identify ways to break the adverse relationship between youth bulges, marginalization, and political violence, and to engage large youth cohorts positively in development.
The conference gathers invited experts, international organizations and donors to discuss and identify new and emerging strategies to engage youth in the development process. Specifically, the aim is to discuss advances in the research on youth and political violence in relation to developmental policies targeted towards youth inclusion, such as education reform, social protection, employment programs, urban development strategies, micro credit schemes and reintegration programs for displaced youth or former combatants. A specific focus will be on at-risk youth in Sub-Saharan Africa.
**Dates:**4-5 December, 2008
Place:
Thursday 4th December: Folkemuseet (The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History)
Friday 5th December: ±áÃ¥²Ô»å±¹±ð°ù°ì±ð°ù±ð²Ô Conference Centre
Contact: For further information please email Kristian Hoelscher
Program
Click on links for further information about presentations
Thursday 4 December
Folkemuseet, Bygdøy
General introductions: Youth bulges, political violence, and development
Henrik Urdal (ÌÇÐÄÍøÒ³°æ): . Link
Bo Malmberg(University of Stockholm & Institute of Future Studies): Youth as a driver of development: When can states realize demographic dividends?
Dimensions of youth ‘exclusion’
Scott Gates (ÌÇÐÄÍøÒ³°æ): .
Aderoju Oyefusi (University of Benin, Nigeria): . Link
Maya Christensen (University of Copenhagen): Youth exclusion and remobilization in Sierra Leone.
Sabine Kurtenbach (Institute for Development and Peace (INEF) & German Institute of Global and Area Studies): . Link
Youth in development strategies: Current practices and priorities
Jane Hobson (Department for International Development, UK): .
Naseem Awl (UNICEF): .
Jaikishan Desai (World Bank): .
Youth policy development: Experiences to date
Mary Kraetsch (Brookings Institution’s Middle East Youth Initiative): . Link
Markus Pilgrim (Youth Employment Network, ILO): Link
Friday 5 December
±áÃ¥²Ô»å±¹±ð°ù°ì±ð°ù±ð²Ô
Challenges relating to urban and rural youth populations
Morten Bøås (Fafo, Oslo): . Link
Krijn Peters (Swansea University): Rural development, youth, and conflict in West Africa.
Marc Sommers (Tufts University): . Link
Henrik Urdal (ÌÇÐÄÍøÒ³°æ): .
The role of education in conflict settings
Bilal Barakat (Vienna Institute of Demography): Does education mediate the relationship between youth bulges and political violence?
Kendra Dupuy (ÌÇÐÄÍøÒ³°æ): .
Elisabeth King (Columbia University):
The challenge of developing youth livelihoods and providing opportunities for young people I
Sarah Michael (World Bank): . *Cindy Horst (ÌÇÐÄÍøÒ³°æ): . ***Marie Besancon (American Sudanese Partnership & Harvard University): .The challenge of developing youth livelihoods and providing opportunities for young people IIJim Pugel (George Mason University & CSCW): .Paul Francis (World Bank): .Strategies for mainstreaming youth into development policies: what have we learned, where are the research gaps? Other resourcesRichard Curtain (UNICEF Consultant): .
