Nearly 600 million young people between the age of 10 and 24 live in fragile and conflict-affected settings. In the chaos during and after humanitarian crises, protective family and social ties often erode. Opportunities for abuse and exploitation multiply as security systems unravel.
“How all young people across gender, ethnicity, nationality, disability status and educational attainment status transition through this period and are supported, has a lasting impact on the future of societies,” says Sophia Kousiakis, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) global youth specialist.
Through the work of education staff across the globe, NRC supports tailored youth programmes where young people are supported with multiple learning pathways and opportunities to take their role as active and engaged members of their communities.
Getting lost in the gaps
Young people often get lost in the gaps between protective humanitarian programming for children and programming which engages older adults. Transitioning from childhood into adulthood without the safe space to do so, risks isolating a whole generation.
“Young people are not a one-size-fits-all demographic group, meaning they have wide-ranging capacities and unique needs,” says Kousiakis. But closed doors are a reality across the board, whereby youth inadvertently becomes a problem label. Today there remains an insufficient investment in the developmental and protection needs and rights of youth
“As a collective we need to ensure that youth find themselves in safe and inclusive environments where they can engage and learn creatively and collaboratively,” according to Kousiakis.
What is a safe space?
NRC works to create enabling, safe and protected environments where youth can shape their knowledge, interests, skills and abilities.
“These spaces encourage and recognise youth and promotes their ability to thrive,” says Kousiakis.
A safe space can be everything from a physical classroom right down to those individual moments of emotional safety. A space can also be virtual, such as online digital platforms.
The role of safe spaces for youth is not only to help develop skills for life and the world of work. They are places where young people can come together, engage in activities that are relevant to their interests, express themselves freely and develop their sense of belonging.
Young people are not a one-size-fits-all demographic group, meaning they have wide-ranging capacities and unique needs.Sophia Kousiakis, NRC's global youth specialist
How we work with youth
In Iraq, our education team, in collaboration with the NRC’s innovation fund, has opened an ICT youth group for young women in Mosul. The most successful coders in the group will go on to create an app which will either support their local community or could support NRC’s programmes in the area.
In Iran, we have been supporting demand-driven training for a group of Afghan women between the age of 17 and 30 together with the government’s vocational training authorities. The women come together to keep traditional skills alive. With a new sense of community and friendship, the Zarghuna clothing and accessories brand was born.
Parastou, one of the young women in the group takes great pride in their joint achievements: “I’m really optimistic about the journey ahead and I’m very proud of our brand.” Derived from a Pashtun feminine name, Zarghuna means green, light and hope.
Read more about our youth programming in the new education strategy for 2018-2020 here.
To engage young people as agents of change, we must move beyond the talk of youth inclusion and participation by rooting our dialogue in action.
“Together with young people themselves, we need to build safe spaces for youth to navigate their own path,” says Kousiakis.
NRC is an active member of the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action, a call for United Nations Member States, the UN system, civil society, private sector, media, local authorities and youth-led organisations to join forces and guarantee the priorities of young people are addressed and their participation supported and facilitated.
To read more about adolescents, youth and education in emergencies, click here.