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Analyzing the root causes of youth-led violence in West Africa and the Sahel Region


Generally analyzed through the lenses of “radicalization” or “violent extremism”, dynamics of young people engaged in new forms of violence is the focus of growing international scrutiny, especially in West Africa. However, as this interest grows, we realize that our current understanding does not allow us to fully grasp the phenomenon’s complexity. Furthermore, young people are rarely associated to this analysis and even less so to the solutions developed. Therefore, the solutions proposed can only be partial or ineffective. A Participatory Research led by Interpeace, together with its partners IMRAP and Indigo Côte d’Ivoire, supported by UNICEF, describes how societies and dynamics surrounding young people in Mali and Côte d’Ivoire structure the trajectories of some of the latter towards violence. Ideology (namely religious) appears less like a decisive motivation, but rather as legitimation discourse posteriori. Likewise, unemployment and greed, although they remain of importance, are not pivotal. They are rather illustrative elements of youth’s need to find their place in their society, to be recognized, valued and to feel like they are contributing.    


Other Initiatives from Mali

Supporting trust-building between communities and security and defence forces through women’s participation Read more   
Supporting the inclusive and participatory implementation of the Peace Agreement Read more   
Promoting conflict sensitive programming Read more   
Transforming peacebuilding in Mali through innovative partnership models and methodologies Read more   
Analyzing the root causes of youth-led violence in West Africa and the Sahel Region Read more   

Resources

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“I walk with the boys” Trajectories of young people towards violence: mirror of the gender dynamics of their society? A local analysis of gender roles and social pressures in Cote d’Ivoire and Mali

Publication

11 December 2017

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« Je marche avec les garçons » Trajectoires des jeunes vers la violence, miroir des dynamiques de genre à l’échelle de leur société ? Une analyse locale des rôles de genre et des pressions sociales en Côte d’Ivoire et au Mali

Publication

30 November 2017

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Panel Discussion: Beyond Ideology and Greed – Trajectories of Young People towards New Forms of Violence in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali

Publication

2 March 2017

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Executive Summary – Beyond ideology and greed, trajectories of young people towards new forms of violence in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali

Publication

10 November 2016

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Beyond Ideology and Greed – Trajectories of Young People towards New Forms of Violence in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali

video

10 November 2016

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Au-delà de l’idéologie et de l’appât du gain: Trajectoires des jeunes vers les nouvelles formes de violence en Côte d’Ivoire et au Mali

Publication

2 November 2016