Description
In conflict-affected and post-conflict societies, youth are at the centre of hopes for a peaceful and prosperous future. Yet, both the liberal internationalism of past decades and domestic politics have frequently portrayed young people, particularly young men, as a source of instability. As the liberal peace paradigm fades and the development economy comes under strain, the question arises: how do international actors, government institutions, and civil society organisations reframe their understandings of youth and peace in policy and practice - if at all? Revisiting the case of Timor-Leste,
this paper examines how the role of youth in societal (in)stability and peace is defined and negotiated across these overlapping spheres in recent years. Analysing policy documents, such as the National Action Plan for Youth 2023–2027, and reports, the paper argues that young people are positioned in a complex and frictional peace order,
situated between international discourses and local expectations, with clear demands of national and community identity. By analysing these dynamics, the paper contributes to broader debates on reimagining peacebuilding beyond its liberal crisis toward more plural and relational understandings of peace.
