Have you heard the theory that countries with a large youth population are more prone to conflict over peace? And do you have a sense of how many different actions young people are engaging in globally to foster peace in their home countries?
Generation Peace – a brand new podcast from the Centre for Peace and Security at Coventry University and produced by Research Podcasts – aims to bring these stories to life and shine a light on how those young people are affecting change.
Hosted by Dr Michaelina Jakala, academic lead at the Centre for Peace and Security, each episode of the podcast focuses on a different country or region, its history of peace and conflict, and the experiences and actions of its young.
Across the series we hear accounts from Bosnia, Colombia, Iraq and Algeria. We ask what we can learn from the experiences of child soldiers in Bosnia; from generation 2000, the Kurdish Millennials who’ve come of age and the aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq; and from the actions of young Colombians following the signing of the 2016 Peace Agreement.
Producing a podcast was a new experience for the Coventry team but one they have found to be hugely positive, as project lead and podcast presenter, Dr Michaelina Jakala explains:
“It’s really helped me to understand how our project flows together… As a project team, I think it has helped us solidify our ‘golden threads’ as there are 5 different case studies. It’s also provided an accessible and interesting means to disseminate our research that has much wider reach then an academic journal article or other form of academic output. We hear from the people that have been affected or have experienced X, Y, or Z and listeners are able to connect with the research and our guests on a human level.”
Dr Jessica Northey, a researcher at the Centre of Peace and Security and a guest on the podcast, continues:
“It was really good to get an insight into the process of production and what makes for successful communication. The discussions definitely helped reflect back on the importance of the findings and comparison across our cases.”
Generation Peace is publishing through to February 2025, but the team have been developing the series with Research Podcasts’ Senior Producer, Catherine McDonald, since September 2024 – and it’s a process that has worked, as Michaelina explains:
“It’s been really positive! Really well organised and taking us step-by-step through the process. Research Podcasts are extremely professional and it’s been great to see what goes into making a podcast.”
Jessica continues:
“We were able to produce high quality outputs in a short space of time, due to clear communication. The sessions were enjoyable. Catherine seemed to understand all the sensitivities of our work and also the pressures on us from other sources, and made the whole process very manageable.”
To any academics or research organisations considering making a podcast about their research, Michaelina has this advice:
“Don’t hesitate! A podcast is a great way to get people interested in your work and Research Podcasts guide you through the process. It’s a great experience with great people.”
Generation Peace is available now on all major podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple. But if you just want a taster, you can listen to the trailer below.