Overview of Youth Development Perspectives in the Eastern Democratic Republic Of Congo

The conflict in the Kivu provinces of the DRC can be characterized as a mutually reinforcing dynamic in which various actors benefit from weak governance structures, combined with larger ethnic, international, and economic forces. As long as various domestic and international actors continue to hold a vested interest in the status quo, one can assume that the conflict will endure in eastern DRC at least for the medium term. Meanwhile, during this time of instability and political and economic uncertainty, the region is undergoing a major demographic transition, with youth populations on the rise. As more young men and women come of age, they are likely to continue to face threats to physical safety, economic insecurity, and barriers to education and civic engagement well into the future.
 
In spite of the many obstacles, however, youth in the eastern DRC demonstrate enormous energy, entrepreneurialism, and desire to engage in their economies and societies. They express a will to improve their own circumstances and that of their families and communities. At the same time, there is a robust network of experienced and dedicated civil society organizations and an enormous international aid presence in eastern DRC with the capacity to support youth development through their sectoral programs. While youth programs may not be able to minimize conflict or stimulate immediate transformation in the short term, they can nevertheless offer opportunities for young people to overcome -- or at least minimize the impact of conflict on their own lives. Existing development efforts in the eastern DRC should therefore take advantage of this demographic dividend, leveraging one another’s work to help to strengthen the foundation for peaceful transformation in which youth are active positive contributors to social, economic, and political life in the DRC.