To de-escalate the conflict and to promote peaceful governance, we need to maximize the political participation of the region’s majority population — youth — through changes in mandatory military service, the education system, and civil society support.

The implementation of international human rights protections such as UNSCR 1325 and 2250 and the Responsibility to Protect doctrine is more than an obligation if we are to attain justice, peace, security, and democracy in the region; it is the future.