Since 2003, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has worked at the central and local levels to establish and consolidate state authority and foster national reconciliation and lasting peace. In 2006, UNMIL’s mandate was changed to include peace-building as an integral component of its mission, working with national and local leaders to identify root and potential causes of conflict in Liberia. One key issue that emerged was youth employment, empowerment and integration, with UN and Liberian stakeholders implementing several programmes to address these concerns. Nearly nine years out of war, however, Liberia is still wrestling with a fragile peace, as recent incidents have shown youth demonstrators colliding with state security forces and vandalising property in Monrovia following the country’s 2011 presidential and general elections. These events have precipitated the need for a critical reflection on previous and on-going initiatives by the UN and the Liberian government in addressing issues related to youth. UNMIL’s Transitioning Plan is underway, yet the agency’s peace-building programmes and policies have overlooked the structural causes of the Liberian civil war, namely inequality, exclusion, economic deprivation, and elite power politics, as evidenced by the recent incidents of violence involving disaffected youth. While some argued that Liberia’s 1960s economic ‘growth without development’ served as a catalyst for the war, we argue that the 21st century veneer of peace without youth development and economic integration is a similar recipe for disaster. In our paper, we question to what extent local peace-building initiatives have involved Liberians between the ages of 15 and 35, and how those marginal gains can be translated into operational models for sustained peace.
