Focusing on Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, this paper recommends that it is imperative to massively invest in youth development in post conflict settings in order to prevent reoccurrence of crisis and to ensure that their energies are channelled towards sustainable development. Recommended areas of investment include:

• education, especially girls' education
• effective vocational counseling
• non-formal education
• youth entrepreneurship
• an enabling environment for thriving businesses
• policies that protect youth in the workplace