ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the book’s theoretical framework, exploring technical constraints and policies and their impact on youth civic engagement, community development, and local peacebuilding and how these can be understood. Its three sections – civic engagement, community development, and local peacebuilding – speak clearly about these definitions and concepts in reference to the existing literature. It discusses youth in the MENA region and provides some up-to-date information from the countries mentioned in the book, including figures from relevant UN agencies, reputable research groups, and international organizations about the status of youths in the MENA region. How do the region’s cultures and backgrounds perceive youth and their engagement in local politics? To what extent has youth civic engagement contributed to local peacebuilding and development processes?
