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Outside the Box: Amplifying youth voices and views on YPS policy and practice

The Counterstrike Generation

This policy brief presents an analysis of the dangers and challenges posed by the “securitization” of the YPS agenda, addressing both hard counter-terrorism approaches that target youth in the name of countering violent extremism (CVE), and the increasingly pervasive influence of ‘softer’ securitization through the guise of preventing violent extremism (PVE). It draws attention to the fact that instead of cultivating and investing in the role of young peacebuilders, young women and men are still subject to forms of ‘policy panic’ which result in them being endangered not only by terrorist organizations, but also by the counter-terrorist strategies of their own governments. This brief concludes with recommendations for how stakeholders supportive of the YPS agenda can confront the  securitization of young people, and strategize to protect the rights of young men and women at both the drafting and implementation stages of counterterrorism policies and programs.

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Authors

Ali Altiok
Ali Altiok is a doctoral student in Peace Studies and Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. His research examines political inclusion and securitization of young people in the context of peacebuilding processes. Ali previously worked as a researcher, policy officer, and coordinator for several international peacebuilding organizations in New York. As an in-house research consultant at the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office, he supported data analysis and narrative development of The Missing Peace: Independent Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security, mandated by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250. He is co-author of the policy paper, We Are Here: An Integrated Approach to Youth Inclusive Peace Processes for the UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth. Ali is a former member of the United Networks of Young Peacebuilders and the founder of the Youth, Peace, and Security Research Network.
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