This book is based on the belief that young people are simultaneously "competent social actors" and "becoming citizens." The involvement of young people in social issues is a reflection of broader changes in citizenship conceptions that over the past few decades have altered the way in which each citizen serves in society. In this framework, young people have been redefined as active citizens, and as a result, they ought to take part in decision-making processes. 
The spirit at the basis of this book is the involvement of youth in the public sphere and the difficulties in making that involvement effective. Accordingly, all the contributions to this work are written by young people who attended the intensive international course, "Building Competencies and Awareness on the International Protection of Children Affected by Armed Conflict", which was sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and organised by Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict with the Institute of Political Studies “S. Pio V”. The Universities Network determined that the young trainees, who were called to express their opinions and beliefs on the crucial issues of how to protect children affected by armed conflict, should have written the course's outcomes, instead of their trainers. These students are from various countries around the world. Every cultural and social phenomenon has an unavoidable impact on how young people are viewed in terms of their social roles and how they see themselves in their communities. This book shows how the concepts concerning youth participation, that are broad and abstract and frequently originate in an international context, can spread locally and interact with other concepts and thus acquire newfound legitimacy. However, it also proves that programmes designed to involve young people from various nations in discussions about advancing youth rights provide a wide forum for debate on the approaches, justifications, and goals of effective youth participation and on the protection of their rights. Thus, the goal of this book is to give young people a voice regarding their hopes for a peaceful future while also making them aware and responsible of the major problems facing the international community, such as granting children's rights in armed conflicts. Adults should listen to the voice of these young people, because, as Antoine De Saint Exupery put it: “All grown-ups were once children”.The volume is avaiable here 👉 https://www.gambinieditore.it/catalogo/365-building-