YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON PEACE CONSOLIDATION: THE CASE OF METTA DISTRICT, EAST HARARGHE ZONE OF OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to investigate youth unemployment and its impact on peace consolidation in Metta District, East Hararghe Zone, and Oromia, Ethiopia. The specific objectives of this study are to investigate the life experiences of unemployed youths, explore factors contributing to youth unemployment, and investigate the impacts of unemployed youths on peace consolidation in Metta District. Accordingly, to frame youth unemployment under the lens of related literature, this study incorporated concepts of peace, youth, as well as two theories of conflict related to youth unemployment employed with other empirical examples. This study employed a qualitative case study research design by using tools of data collection such as in-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews, observation, and secondary data sources (official reports, theses and dissertations, journal articles, books, and academic literature). The participants in the research were selected based on purposive sampling techniques. The study exposed the life experiences of unemployed youths as dependent, hopeless, harsh, and careless. Additionally, it revealed the factors contributing to youth unemployment are structural problems (corrupted political system), low economic status, lack of financial support, lack of infrastructure, job preferences of youths, complex procedures to get funds, lack of institutional linkage, high population density, and lack of resources (lack of land). These all played vital roles in the challenging lives of youths, particularly, and society in general. Since they are facing psychological and socio-economic problems, they are participating in crime and conflict. As a result, this study revealed an absence of positive peace in Metta District. Finally, it recommended that governmental institutions, non-governmental institutions, Medias and researchers should play their roles by giving entrepreneurs training and organizing comprehensive job creation programs.