Introduction

Sri Lanka is a multicultural country that consists of several ethnic and religious groups. During the civil war, the structure of the governance of the country was ethnically divisive. This led to the population of Sri Lanka validating discrimination against ethnic minorities. In addition to that, there is a strong belief held that youth cannot contribute constructively towards solving any problem. In such an environment Youth, Peace and Security Consultation (YPS) offered a safe environment for youth to discuss their different opinions related to peace and security and also to help reshape the roles of the youth in peacebuilding processes. IYAP played a big part in the organization of this consultation, as our mission is youth empowerment. The United Nations Security Council initiated a Youth, Peace and Security Consultation (YPS).

Objective

This project is aimed to convey the views and thoughts of the youth participants. YPS also identify the challenges that are faced by youth when they initiate peacebuilding efforts. The consultations were held in 4 districts – Colombo, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi and Matara. The four major themes that were addressed were absence of violence or conflict, unity, justice, freedom. These consultations eventually contributed to a global study on the positive contribution of youth in peacebuilding by the UN.