Conflict resolution must be youth centred - Sri Lanka High Commissioner

“Ironically, in most conflict situations, it is our youth who are at the very centre,” she pointed out, citing some 800,000 young people worldwide involved in armed conflict both with non-state actors and as recruits into military forces.

In many situations, they are the source and origins of conflict, while at the same time, they are the inheritors of a changing world and integral to rebuilding lives and societies in post-conflict situations, she said.

Mrs Senewiratne was addressing delegates at a policy briefing on the eve of the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting, which takes place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 27 to 30 April 2008 on the theme ‘Youth and Peace-Building’.

“The forthcoming Youth Ministers Meeting has zeroed in on its identified theme, partly recognising that peace-building initiatives globally have hitherto failed to integrate a youth perspective.”

She added that the focus of the meeting in Colombo will be about how the Commonwealth Youth Programme can involve young people affected by conflict in a meaningful and practical way, towards peace-building in areas of conflict throughout the Commonwealth.

But, she cautioned against believing that peace-building was only the preserve of war-torn countries and those in the developing world. “Even the most economically and socially stable of our member countries are grappling with issues of social breakdown and violence, including drug-related crime and terrorism,” she said.

“Peace-building has therefore become a vital part of nation-building in the widest sense; where sustainable peace is secured by building political cultures, institutions and economies that are fully inclusive of young people of all ethnic and social backgrounds.”

Mrs Senewiratne was speaking at the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit in London.

Secretariat Links:

• Commonwealth Youth Programme
• Country Profile: Sri Lanka