Troublemakers or Peacemakers? The Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda, 1961 to 2021

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

On March 10, 2020, the U.S. "Youth, Peace, & Security" (YPS) Act was introduced into the House of Representatives with broad support from international peacebuilding organizations. The bill is intended "to support the inclusive and meaningful participation of youth in peace building and conflict prevention, management, and resolution, as well as post-conflict relief and recovery efforts." But, is all of this attention on "youth" actually warranted? More importantly, is this attention good for young people both in the United States and globally? In order to answer these questions, this course will consider the historical context of the shifting politics of recognition related to youth/childhood over the course of the Cold War and its aftermath. We will explore which populations got counted as (vulnerable) children or (dangerous) youth in U.S. politics and foreign policy based on age-based, racialized, gendered, imperial, and other dynamics. Through examination of historical documents and tools of critical analysis, students will be prepared to evaluate the international youth, peace, and security agenda as well as monitor the mixed public responses to the U.S. YPS Act as they occur in real-time right now.