Week 8: Children in conflict

Question 1

Landgren

Answer 1

(2005) - Protective Environment Framework (camps)

2 points:

1. Child protection responses = more curative (dealing with symptoms) than preventive (dealing with underlying systems)
2. Suggestion: PEF - 8 components (government, culture, participation, monitoring etc) all need to interact

Question 2

Shepler

Answer 2

(2005) - Sierra Leone and West

7 points:

1. Western construction of children as “innocent” and “apolitical” = strategic –> depoliticises youth?
2. = Discourse of “abdicated responsibility” (used for child soldiers)
3. Mustn’t see children simply as victims
4. Complex = child soldiers = simultaneously perpetrators and innocents/ victims = different meanings/interpretations
5. Foucault (1991): Governmentality
6. Response = top-down: conflicts between international HRs regime vs local understanding - Rs vs responsibility - Humility vs voice
7. Sierra Leone: state has less power than NGOs = “transnational governmentality” (Ferguson and Gupta 2002)

Question 3

Haer

Answer 3

(2017) - Child soldiers

5 points:

1. Definition child soldier = vague - “18 years” conflicts with local views
2. Notion of childhood = culturally constructed
3. Reintegration programmes (DDR) = based on idea that children = innocent but sometimes = voluntary
4. Gender inequality in programmes
5. Combatants’ responsibility: Retributive model vs Restorative model

Question 4

Lecture

Answer 4

1. Different contexts of conflict - need to look at nature of conflict
2. Important to think about a child’s life course –> children = shaped by conflict
3. Need policy approaches (protection, reintegration etc)

Question 5

Extra

Answer 5

1. UNICEF debate
2. WHO (2008)
3. Seckinelgin (2012)