This study’s findings lend support to the further use of economic incentives and building social connections among youth across lines of division as pillars of peacebuilding programs in Kenya and similar contexts. Agencies engaged in peacebuilding efforts should seek to replicate or scale up several of the existing interventions that stood out as the most likely to improve stability. These include creation of both short and longer-term employment opportunities for youth, and support to collective action among interethnic groups of youth.
The research also points to the need to expand young people’s political and civic engagement in order to significantly reduce their risk of participation in violent movements, lending support for a cross-sectoral approach in youth and conflict programming. Several Mercy Corps programs in Kenya have already internalized this lesson and are working to create opportunities for youth to influence local governance issues, and to increase young people’s voice and representation in political arenas.