Youth, peacebuilding and the role of education

This  thematic  paper  outlines  key  debates  and  insights  on the  role  of  education  in  relation  to the  UN Security  Council  Resolution  2250  (SCR  2250)  and  the  Youth,  Peace and  Security (YPS)  agenda.Its objective  is to provide stimuli for  the YPS Progress Study and,   at  the  same  time,   to   serve   as  a  discussion  piece for policy-­‐makers, practitioners  and  scholars interested  in  the  role of education in relation  to  YPS.  Both authors are members of the Inter-­‐Agency Network  for  Education in  Emergencies   (INEE), and  part  of  the  Education Policy Working Group of  INEE.     After  outlining  the  main  rationale  and  relevance  of  the  paper  (section  1)  and  the   conceptual  and  methodological  approach  (section  2),  we  reflect  in  section  3  on  ways   in  which  education  systems  (formal  and  non-­‐formal)  and  actors  are  related  to  the   five  pillars   that  constitute  the  basis  of   SCR  2250:  participation,  protection,   prevention,  partnership,  and  disengagement  and  reintegration.     In  sections  4  and  5,  we  provide  an  overview  of  the  most  recent  insights  from  a  range   of  resources,  including  academic  and  programmatic  literature,  youth  voices  as   expressed  in  the  YPS  survey  data,  and  findings  from  youth-­‐oriented  participatory   research.  Here  we  outline  key  drivers  of  violence  and  inequality   within  and/or   fostered  by   education  before  moving  on  to  a  discussion  of  the  transformative   potential  of  various  educational  spaces.     We  draw  on  recent  case  studies  and  evaluations in  order  to  provide  concrete   examples  of  the  various  challenges  and  pitfalls  as  well  as the potential  of  education and  educational  Transformation  in  supporting  young People  in  endeavors to  address   conflict  and  build  peace.  The  paper  concludes  with  a  reflection  on  the  key  steps  that   lie  ahead  in  Terms  of  Policy  and  practicalimplementation  for UN,  governmental and non-­‐governmental actors at multiple levels, focusing both on formal  education systems and on non-­‐formal mechanisms for  learning and transformation.