Sub-title:
Fostering the untapped potential of Myanmar’s youth
Description:
"In January 2017, State Counsellor Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi gathered 18 young people from across
Myanmar for a Peace Talk in Nay Pyi Taw. These
youth, representing a range of ethnic identities,
shared their fears, hopes, and insights on how to
transform conflict into peace, and how to build
trust between, and within, communities. While the
Peace Talk was considered by some to be symbolic
rather than substantive, the meeting brought the
issue of youth inclusion to the fore and reaffirmed
previous statements delivered by State Counsellor
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi calling for greater
engagement of youth in peace.8
Throughout Myanmar’s history young men and
women have been active at the community level
in activities ranging from youth-led social affairs
groups (Tha-yay Nar-yay ah thin) to supporting
social and community projects such as free funeral
and wedding services, cultural activities, blood
donations, among many others. In the more formal
peacebuilding sphere, youth have supported and
sustained peacebuilding processes but have rarely
featured in formal, influential public decision-
making roles. In the lead up to the partial signing
of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA)
in October 2015, young men and women were
the backbone of Government and Ethnic Armed
Organisation (EAO) coordination structures,
but were never selected as formal negotiators.
Furthermore, key documents guiding formal
peacebuilding efforts in Myanmar — such
as the NCA and the Framework for Political
Dialogue — do not contain provisions related to
youth inclusion. These documents also do not
consider youth as a cross-cutting issue across
thematic discussions. In other words, speeches
and statements articulating the importance
of youth inclusion have yet to be matched by
inclusion strategies and structures that secure the
meaningful engagement of young people in the
future of their country.
While low levels of youth inclusion in public
decision-making persist, there is an opportunity to
capitalise on nascent youth policy commitments
and harness the contributions of youth leaders,
innovators, facilitators, and policy-advocates to
increase the likelihood of reaching sustainable
peace in the country. Global evidence shows that
broadening public participation – including to
young people – in peace increases the prospects
for it lasting.9
Empowering young peacebuilders
has also been shown to create active citizens for
peace, to reduce violence and to increase peaceful
cohabitation.10 With the passing of United Nations
Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 on
Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) in 2015, there
is also potential for Myanmar to lead globally
and set good practice for sustainably increasing
the involvement of young people at all levels of
decision-making, policy-making and peacebuilding.
Myanmar youth are contributing formally and
informally to a host of peacebuilding initiatives;
leveraging these contributions, often innovative
and catalytic in their approaches, can support the
multiple transitions the country is undergoing.
Bringing the role of young people to the forefront
of Myanmar’s transition also builds on Myanmar’s
history where students and youth movements
have influenced the trajectory of the country.
This Discussion Paper provides a starting point
for understanding the status of youth inclusion
in peacebuilding in Myanmar. In Section 1, this
Discussion Paper assesses the involvement of
youth and inclusion of youth perspectives in peace
at both national and sub-national levels since 2011.
Section 2 analyses the challenges young women
and men face to their substantive involvement in
peacebuilding. Section 3 draws upon national and
international good practice, articulating a strategic
framework for action to overcome obstacles
discussed in Section 2. (For a detailed overview of
the methodology used to inform this Paper, see
Annex 2.)
opportunities and challenges to young men. Other
identity factors often supersede age-related
identity. Thus, when discussing youth in Myanmar,
it is critical to understand other elements of
identity that intersect with age, such as: gender,
ethnicity, religion, class, disability, Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Questioning
(LGBTIQ), migration, nationality, drug use, among
others..."
Source/publisher:
Paung Sie Facility, UKaid, SWEDEN, Australian Aid
Date of Publication:
2017-01-00
Date of entry:
2021-05-12
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Countries:
Myanmar
Language:
English
Local URL:
Format:
pdf
Size:
1.86 MB (72 pages)
Resource Type:
text
Text quality:
- Good