This page provides presentations and supplementary materials related to a 2008 conference marking the conclusion of a project on ‘Youth Exclusion and Political Violence’ co-funded by the World Bank ‘Trust Fund for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development’ (TFESSD) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project sought to identify ways to break the adverse relationship between youth bulges (large youth cohorts), marginalization, and political violence, and to engage large youth cohorts positively in development.

The Care and Protection of Children in Crisis-Affected Countries (CPC) Learning Network seeks to strengthen and systematize child care and protection through the collaborative action of humanitarian organizations, local institutions, and academic partners. Further, the CPC Learning Network aims to inform practice and policy though the use of evidence-based findings.

The occupation of Palestine and the conflict and violence that have attended it has had devastating implications for protection and livelihoods in the West Bank and Gaza. This Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Working Paper analyzes the relationship between protection and livelihoods in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Jason Wolfe (USAID) and Radha Rajkotia (IRC) are researching and writing an “open paper” aimed at outlining how the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and the Value Chain Approach can be used to improve the lives of youth affected by conflict. The open paper approach welcomes community input and feedback throughout the writing process – click here for more information. This post outlines the goals and structure of the paper.

Having decided to write about how sustainable livelihoods approaches and value chain approaches can be integrated for youth in conflict, we are left with a tough and intimidating question - how can sustainable livelihoods approaches and value chains be integrated for youth in conflict?

The Education Development Center has produced a cross-sectoral assessment of the Youth of Yemen, as part of a EQUIP3 USAID-funded initiative. The Yemen Stability Initiative (YSI) endeavors to address alienation among disaffected, disenfranchised, vulnerable youth ages 15–24. It addresses their difficulties through an array of activities and programs to increase their civic participation, life skills competence, health, violent extremism management and mitigation capabilities, and livelihood opportunities.

The study focused on key youth issues:

The Women's Refugee Commission is holding a three-day highly participatory workshop designed to bring practitioners from throughout the region to learn new techniques, share experiences, and collect tools designed to improve practice on the ground. Two days of the workshop will focus on findings from the Women’s Refugee Commission’s three-year research project on livelihoods in refugee, IDP, and returnee settings and will include practice sessions on usage of the newly released Livelihoods Field Manual.

Radha Rajkotia (IRC) and Jason Wolfe (USAID/MD) announce the launch of an open paper on economic strengthening approaches for youth in conflict, and invite you to participate in creating it.

A few months ago, we gave a joint presentation to the Washington Network on Children in Armed Conflict to examine the relative merits of applying sustainable livelihoods and value chain approaches to the needs of unemployed youth in conflict-affected environments. We found the discussion and interaction fascinating, and others seemed to be interested in both what we had to say as well as the questions we thought remained to be answered. In the afterglow of this event, the CYES folks somehow talked us into taking our collaboration forward and writing a paper exploring economic approaches for youth in conflict.

The Women's Refugee Commission has developed a first-of-its-kind field manual to provide humanitarian workers with important information and practical tools for designing and implementing more effective livelihood programs so that refugees can earn a living and support themselves and their families.

The WRC cordially invites you to attend a reception to celebrate the launch of Building Livelihoods: A Field Manual for Practitioners in Humanitarian Settings, with Dale Buscher, Director of Protection.