It is essential that youth, the future leaders of their nations, understand what their rights are, and are able to exercise them in their daily lives, whether it be in their host communities or when they have returned home.

RET projects that provide Peace Education and Human Rights courses discuss international, rights-based topics such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), ensuring that the beneficiaries have a good understanding of their rights. Activities in such programmes focus on appreciating difference, cooperation, combating prejudice, increasing self-respect and confidence, the principles of gender and child rights, conflict prevention and management, and reconciliation and rehabilitation.

In some places where RET projects are in operation, it is necessary to protect children and youth from being recruited into armed gangs or militias, thus a knowledge and understanding of their rights and community principles is especially valuable in protecting them from harms way. Responsible citizenship training is undertaken in RET projects in Burundi, Chad and parts of Latin America, facilitating repatriation and reintegration and ensuring youth have the relevant knowledge to become leaders in their communities. The information and understanding that is given to these youth is then transmitted by them to other, less direct beneficiaries such as their family and friends. It is important that such opportunities are given to refugees and IDPs to acquire skills for a harmonious and peaceful development, giving them an understanding of responsibility and protection, as well as a general education that is conducive to a peaceful conflict resolution.