This publication is a collection of essays derived from a seminar on youth unrest in Sri Lanka, held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo, in October 1991. The topic was significant at the time in light of the events that had occurred in the previous year when security forces crushed a long drawn out youth rebellion in Southern Sri Lanka led by the People’s Liberation Front (JVP). Widespread perceptions at the time, that there was a steady rise of corruption in public life and a devaluation of democratic institutions over the years seems to have contributed to the loss of faith in the political establishment on the part of rebellious youths. All the indications were that militant youths would continue to play a critical role in public affairs in the country in the years to come. However, power-seeking individuals and groups committed to diverting the creative energies of discontented youths into campaigns had the potential to impede the entire process of social and economic development in the country. Therefore, this publication emphasises the responsibility of social scientists as to those who should draw the attention of policy makers to the underlying causes of youth rebellion and stress the need to formulate policies and programmes to help them.