TRIPOLI – 31 July – A group of 36 young men and women from across Libya participated in an online discussion on youth engagement in transitional justice with UNSMIL’s Director of Human Rights, Rule of Law and Transitional Justice, Suki Nagra on Wednesday. 

The workshop sought to explore how Libyan youth can support the process of transitional justice in their country. 

“Youth have a critical role to play in amplifying the voices of survivors, the marginalised and the excluded, they are a key part of any transitional justice or reconciliation process, and they need to be meaningfully represented. Their voices and ideas should inform how the Libyan authorities approach the issue,” said Nagra. “UNSMIL will take the recommendations from this meeting forward in our discussions with decision makers.” 

The young men and women in the workshop made the following recommendations: 

• A community-led approach is crucial for transitional justice to be successful. Discussions between community groups should be facilitated to build peace and foster understanding. 

• Accountability through documentation of violations and the strengthening of the judicial systems is needed. 

• More support needs to be provided to victims to address the prevailing lack of trust. 

• More protections should be put in place to safeguard civic space and enable young people to engage without fear. 

• Terminology around transitional justice should be explained to a broader audience to ensure the intentions of those using it are not misunderstood. 

The group also discussed the positive and negative role social media can play, particularly the rise of hate speech, and how this can prevent many from engaging due to threats against themselves and their families. 

“Social media can be used to raise awareness of violations and make complex issues more accessible through online campaigns and virtual events,” said one of the participants. “Educating people on the meaning of specific words and concepts is important,” added another, suggesting that speaking to communities, youth councils, and their leaders to let them develop the approach and terminology would help. 

The discussion was the first online workshop to take place as part of UNSMIL’s new youth strategy – YouEngage, which aims to engage with 1,000 young men and women by May 2025 through workshops, trainings and advocacy sessions. Many more sessions are organized and are communicated using UNSMIL’s youth groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

“I really liked the discussion, it felt like a safe interactive space to address our concerns and opinions regarding youth and transitional justice,” said Jummah Alsilenni, 27, from Zliten who participated. “I am looking forward to more initiatives like this one.”