Youth as peacebuilders and spoilers in fragile states: the case of Nepal (2006-2013)

Abstract

Youth violence is a core component of instability and conflict in many fragile states, including Nepal. Yet young people can also play a positive role in peacebuilding: indeed their active participation is essential in developing a more democratic and less violent society. This thesis contributes to one main debate, the influential ‘youth bulge’ theory articulated by Heinsohn (2003) and others. Overall, the thesis acknowledges a general association between large youth populations and a high level of social violence, but argues that the usefulness of youth bulge theory is very limited in the absence of specific context analyses. While the theory focuses on the numbers of unemployed youth and their migration to cities as the drivers of reoccurring violence, this research suggest different variables were decisive in Nepal. The findings emphasize manipulation of young people by political leaders as the major factor leading them to violent actions, organised through the youth wings of political parties and embedded in a culture of political and social violence. The second research objective is to analyse the contribution of youth to peacebuilding initiatives in Nepal. The findings concludes that one should not generalize youth as a homogeneous category, but rather view them operating on a continuum stretching from violence to peacebuilding. Data were collected by participant observation, interview and analysis of documentation from three main sources: national NGO and government agencies; international NGOs; and young Nepalese themselves. The thesis shows how youth behaviours in Nepal are influenced by a range of factors. Some may lead them towards political or criminal violence; others encourage their engagement in peacebuilding activities. It also notes that probably the largest cohort of youth are ‘silent’ politically, i.e. they engage neither in violence nor in peacebuilding. However this cohort also plays important social roles, for example youth emigrants’ remittances are an important source of income for many very poor families. The overall findings of this research are that a combination of youth unemployment, a legacy of violence from the civil war, and manipulation by political parties are the main factors promoting their engagement in violent crimes; while active programmes developed both by Nepali government and the NGO/INGO sector can promote peacebuilding.