Oppgave Martin Meggele Sjøen.Pdf (2.686Mb)

Oppgave Martin Meggele Sjøen.Pdf (2.686Mb)

Reintegrating young combatants in the Kivus What former child soldiers say By Martin Sjøen Supervisor: Christian Webersik May 2012 The master thesis is carried out as a part of the education at the University of Agder and is therefore approved as such. However, this does not imply that the University answers for the methods that are used or the conclusions that are drawn. Martin Sjøen Master Thesis University of Agder Department of Development Studies Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences University of Agder A conceptual study on the socioeconomic reintegration of former child soldiers in the Kivus, DRC The above photo is of former child soldiers participating in an intervention program in the outskirts of Bukavu, South Kivu. It was taken by Ole Kåre Eide, and is reprinted here with kind permission. i Martin Sjøen Master Thesis University of Agder Abstract The use of child soldiers to perform violent acts is one of the most condemned and emotionally disturbing practices globally. Child soldiers are with contextual variations believed to partake in most protracted social conflicts. International media, policy-makers and humanitarian actors have in recent years pushed the issue of child soldiering forward, making it one of the most recognized humanitarian issues. Yet the complexity of this issue is constrained by a lack of veritable knowledge. This thesis identifies common traits of former child soldiers who have reintegrated back to their families and local communities. Socioeconomic effects of formalized intervention efforts are also assessed. The empirical investigation is based on the testimonies of twenty-four former child soldiers in the Kivu provinces, DRC. Considerable challenges affect the reintegration process. Few former child soldiers are able to establish sufficient economic livelihoods. Social reintegration is a strenuous task with varying occurrences of prejudice, discrimination and stigmatization. Intervention programmes seem incapable of addressing these challenges in a sufficient way. Nonetheless, child soldiers express considerable satisfaction with intervention efforts. The overall process of reintegrating former child soldiers is surrounded by ambiguity. Conventional approaches are preoccupied with assessing established socioeconomic variables. Contextual factors like family and social roles are important aspects related to a successful reintegration. Key words: Democratic Republic of Congo, Kivus, child soldiers, intervention efforts, socioeconomic reintegration. ii Martin Sjøen Master Thesis University of Agder Acknowledgements Many people have contributed towards this work in a great number of ways. I would like to start by thanking Aase and Thor Magne Kommedal for their invaluable assistance and hospitality. Their compassion and dedication serve as an inspiration to me and many alike. Secondly, I owe my deepest gratitude to Christian Webersik who supervised and supported me throughout this work. I am forever grateful for your insight and guidance. Further, I am indebted for the encouragement and endorsement provided by Professor Arne Olav Øyhus. I would also like to show my gratefulness to the entire staff at the Centre for Development Studies, my fellow students, and previous cohorts at the University of Agder for their inspiration, friendship and support. The fieldwork could not have been completed without a number of helpful organizations and institutes. It is an honor for me to thank the Pentecostal Foreign Mission of Norway (PYM), Christian Relief Network (CRN), the RAFTO Foundation, Centre for Intercultural Communication (SIK), and the German Development Agency (GIZ). Lastly, I would like to thank all the respondents in DRC. Your testimonies are the foundation of this work, and I thank you all for your participation. This thesis is written in a sincere effort to understand and contribute towards the peacebuilding DRC. iii Martin Sjøen Master Thesis University of Agder Table of content Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... iii List of figures ....................................................................................................................................... vii List of tables ......................................................................................................................................... vii List of appendices ................................................................................................................................ vii Abbreviations and acronyms ............................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Background ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2. Study area ................................................................................................................................ 2 1.3. Research objectives ................................................................................................................. 3 1.4. Research questions .................................................................................................................. 3 1.5. Methodology in brief ............................................................................................................... 4 1.6. Motivation for choice of topic ................................................................................................. 4 1.7. Thesis outline .......................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2: Theoretical background ..................................................................................................... 5 2.1. Child soldiers ........................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1. Defining child soldiers .................................................................................................... 5 2.1.2. Child soldiering, a contemporary phenomenon? ............................................................. 7 2.1.3. The global use of child soldiers ....................................................................................... 8 2.1.4. Increased international attention .................................................................................... 10 2.2. Causes of child soldiering ......................................................................................................11 2.2.1. Supply and demand for child soldiers ............................................................................11 2.2.2. Contemporary social protracted conflict ....................................................................... 13 2.2.3. Active agents or victims? .............................................................................................. 14 2.3. The impacts of child soldiering ............................................................................................. 16 2.4. Child soldier intervention ...................................................................................................... 18 2.4.1. Defining DDR-(RR) ...................................................................................................... 18 2.4.2. Assessing child soldier intervention .............................................................................. 19 2.4.3. The concept of reintegration .......................................................................................... 21 2.4.4. Reintegration framework ............................................................................................... 22 2.5. A cursory overview of trends in literature ............................................................................. 24 2.5.1. Notable research gaps .................................................................................................... 25 2.6. Contextual background .......................................................................................................... 26 2.6.1. Brief political history ..................................................................................................... 26 2.6.2. Historicity of the Congolese Wars ................................................................................. 28 2.6.3. First Congolese War (1996-1997) ................................................................................. 28 2.6.4. Second Congolese War (1998-2003) ............................................................................. 29 iv Martin Sjøen Master Thesis University of Agder 2.6.5. Sub-conflicts of the Congolese Wars (2003-Present) .................................................... 30 2.6.6. Child soldiers in DRC ................................................................................................... 31 2.6.7. Choice of sites ............................................................................................................... 33 2.7. Theoretical framework .........................................................................................................

View Full Text

Details

  • File Type
    pdf
  • Upload Time
    -
  • Content Languages
    English
  • Upload User
    Anonymous/Not logged-in
  • File Pages
    137 Page
  • File Size
    -

Download

Channel Download Status
Express Download Enable

Copyright

We respect the copyrights and intellectual property rights of all users. All uploaded documents are either original works of the uploader or authorized works of the rightful owners.

  • Not to be reproduced or distributed without explicit permission.
  • Not used for commercial purposes outside of approved use cases.
  • Not used to infringe on the rights of the original creators.
  • If you believe any content infringes your copyright, please contact us immediately.

Support

For help with questions, suggestions, or problems, please contact us