Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses the gendered experiences of fragility, violence and crime in the city of Jos in Plateau State and in rural Sierra Leone. It shows how young men and women navigate local insecurity and analyses the factors that contribute to non-violent acts of peace in everyday life.

Paper long abstract:

Using the framing of 'everyday peace' and 'everyday politics' this paper outlines the multiple ways in which non-violent youth response to adversity. Based on qualitative case study research in the city of Jos (Nigeria) and rural Sierra Leone, this paper discusses the subtle ways in which young men and women seek to bridge social divisions and start community development, but also engage in more political activities like vigilantism. The paper pays specific attention to the gendered experience of insecurity in these contexts, and gendered responses. It furthermore analysis the factors that are conducive to young people's non-violent strategies to make lives liveable, and even progress.