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Supporting Peace by Broadening “Youth” and Attending to Their Diverse Development in Transitional Societies

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Transitioning to Peace

Part of the book series: Peace Psychology Book Series ((PPBS))

Abstract

Younger generations have been increasingly recognized as essential actors in transitional justice and peace building. Still, focus on young people in these settings remains limited and seldom involves young people in the processes that impact them. In this chapter, we argue for expanding how, who, and in what ways youth are considered in transitional societies, as well as how they initiate and participate in local processes of building cultures of peace. We begin by surveying predominant approaches in key areas where transitional processes interface with young people. We aim to identify trends in critiques of three prominent and developed areas of programming, namely, reintegration, education, and memorialization. We then describe everyday peace, which draws attention to how young people cope, respond, and build peace in families, peer groups, schools, and communities. This framework allows space for the contested and challenging complexity of peace in a transitional society. Building on everyday peace, we argue for a developmental approach with recognition of the varied ways that young people make meaning. This expanded focus includes applications for incorporating a broader range of youth and their perspectives and bridging gaps between national processes and young people’s local lives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Gabriel Velez

  2. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Michelle J. Bellino

  3. Taylor University, Upland, IN, USA

    Scott Moeschberger

Authors
  1. Gabriel Velez
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  2. Michelle J. Bellino
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  3. Scott Moeschberger
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Correspondence to Gabriel Velez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia

    Wilson López López

  2. University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Laura K. Taylor

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Velez, G., Bellino, M.J., Moeschberger, S. (2021). Supporting Peace by Broadening “Youth” and Attending to Their Diverse Development in Transitional Societies. In: López López, W., Taylor, L.K. (eds) Transitioning to Peace. Peace Psychology Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77688-6_14

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