Children and Youth as ‘Sites of Resistance’ in Armed Conflict: Volume 34

This volume transcends the traditional portrayal of children and youth as mere victims or combatants, highlighting their participation as agents of change and resistance. Through compelling narratives and empirical studies, the contributors examine ways in which children and youth engage in, and influence, the socio-political landscape in armed conflict. Emphasizing resilience, contributors to this volume detail how young people navigate the complexities of armed conflicts, contributing to peacebuilding and community reconstruction efforts. Through case studies spanning different geopolitical regions – including Sudan, Ukraine, Georgia, South Ossetia, and Pakistan – scholars highlight the multifaceted experiences of these young people. With a focus on these intersecting aspects, this volume amplifies the voices of affected children and youth, informing policies, and implementing programs that prioritize their well-being and rights in post-conflict societies.

The Lost Boys and Girls attempted to escape from the war in Sudan on foot, most often traveling together, separated from their families, and they survived extreme conditions by taking care of each other. However, limited research has focused on their relationships with one another during both flight and resettlement. This chapter explores the connection between the hardships faced by Lost Boys and Girls, alongside the relational experiences forged and the sense of community they developed with one another. To do so, we examine a set of qualitative interviews and a focus group with Lost Boys and Girls who resettled in the Global North and analyze them under the light of the kinship hypothesis, which connects hardships and interdependence in relationships. Drawing upon young people’s direct narratives and voices, our data reveal that the bonds that Lost Boys and Girls forged with one another during flight often remained strong after resettlement, highlighting agentive forms of resistance, resilience, and capacity. Findings further reveal high mutual support and high willingness to sacrifice for one another. The significance of these findings for how the experiences of unaccompanied minors are understood, especially for children and youth affected by war and displacement, is discussed.

This chapter explores the impacts of war on children’s education and psychological development, with a focus on the experiences of displaced Ukrainian children. Through the lens of Veronika, an eight-year-old Ukrainian student who came to the United States, it illustrates the challenges and resilience of children in adapting to new educational environments. The narrative explores the significance of supportive educational strategies that address the unique needs of displaced children, emphasizing the importance of individualized learning, compassion, and positive school culture as tenets for facilitating, language learning, integration, and healing. Drawing on the educational philosophy of Vasyl Sukhomlynsky (1976, 2016), a Ukrainian pedagogue and scholar, the chapter advocates for a holistic, child-centered approach that addresses the academic, emotional, and social dimensions of learning for children affected by war. It emphasizes the critical role of teachers in creating inclusive, nurturing environments that enable displaced children to thrive.

In societies divided by armed conflict, young people often develop conflicting memories and interpretations of the violent past. Relying on interview and focus group discussion records from a study conducted in Georgia proper and its breakaway region of South Ossetia/Tskhinvali in April–June 2021, this chapter examines what Georgian and Ossetian youth remember about the conflict in South Ossetia, and how their memories influence their views on the other group and the future of the conflict. By analyzing the stories Georgian and Ossetian young people tell about the root causes of the conflict and its dynamic, I argue that youth in conflict-divided societies develop contradictory memories of the conflict that mirror prevailing public and political narratives on each side of the conflict divide. These conflicting memories – and the lack of interaction between the two societies – foster negative perceptions of the out-group on each side, which in turn affect how the youth assess the war-related trauma experienced by each side.

This chapter employs a single case study of Safeer (pseudonym) (25 years old) who has been part of the tribal conflict involving the Rind clan against another Rind clan and the Lashari tribe in the Dadu district of Sindh, Pakistan. It investigates how youth, in the name of tribal honor, actively resist rival tribes, serving as potential actors during conflicts. Safeer actively engaged in numerous tribal conflicts during broad daylight. Not only due to tribal conflicts but also out of fear of the police, Safeer led a conscious and vigilant life from childhood to protect himself and his extended clan members, reflecting a shared sentiment among the youth of his clan. Safeer’s case provides insight into the prevailing perception of youth across more than eight tribal districts in Sindh, excessively affected by conflict consequences yet actively resisting and challenging atrocities. He, like many others in his clan, felt compelled to seek revenge for the murder of an innocent clan member. Safeer’s perspective also highlights the police’s incompetence and the public’s lack of trust in formal justice (especially courts), as a major cause leading young individuals into tribal clashes. Safeer’s case extends beyond an individual narrative, illustrating a broader political landscape in the vast geography of Sindh. It reflects the adversity and resilience of rural youth facing immense challenges, including declining agricultural activities due to reduced irrigation water, rising agricultural input prices, inflation, unemployment, and a shrinking small-scale industrial base in rural Sindh.

During World War I, more than 11,000,000 children, or over half of all schoolchildren in America, joined their local Junior Red Cross and engaged in volunteer war work. What these children learned in school from their work with the Junior Red Cross, as well as those who did the same work outside of the organization, was an important part of the war work underway in the nation. While they may not have been working for wages, they were still an essential part of the war work economy. Across the nation, they made thousands of quilts, not just for the soldiers in the hospitals but also for the orphans of France, Belgium, and Armenia. Their colorful and warm quilts are the perfect example of youthful resistance against the pallid and cold realities of war. By focusing more on the journalism of the day, rather than the secondary sources related to the economics of the war, this chapter strives to tell their stories and return to the children the praise and admiration they got during the war for their dedication to their country that was, unfortunately, forgotten over time. By making these quilts, the children not only showed great patriotism and interest in the war, for they were responsible for providing comfort to the casualties of war and hope for the survivors of genocide, but they also served as valuable economic sources in the war economy. And as we all know, a good citizen contributes to the economy, and good citizens deserve recognition.

Sudan’s challenges are deeply rooted in a complex web of societal, political, and health-related issues. The nation is currently experiencing a challenging period that is impacting various aspects of human life, including the healthcare system for the youth, who are significantly impacted by this crisis that has persisted for a decade. Sudan, located in northeastern Africa, is an Arab nation and a member of the Greater Horn of Africa, along with Ethiopia and South Sudan. Despite its strategic location near the Nile River – a hub for global oil trade and other merchandise – it does not possess any military equipment. Its history, unfortunately, is marked by prolonged social conflicts. These conflicts have significantly affected essential infrastructures, social services, and the overall well-being of the population. We examine the conflict through humanitarian and socio-economic factors affecting Sudan and its people. This chapter explores the role of global economic forces and international relations in Sudan’s ability to address these challenges. Secondly, we explore the social structures, power dynamics, and interdependencies, examining how institutions and societal functions hinder comprehensive issue resolution through structural functionalism. Lastly, we will analyze the legal recognition and protection as foundational elements for human rights and assess the acknowledgment of rights, its absence influences the endurance of multifaceted challenges like health care and educational system by the Right to have Rights.

This chapter reviews existing literature to discuss the intersection of gender and armed conflict in Kashmir, with a specific focus on social work interventions. It gives an overview of the history of conflict in Kashmir, the various types of violence experienced by women, men, and people who identify as gender non-conforming, and talks about how gendered norms and expectations shape resistance and resilience in Kashmir, as well as the difficulties people face in peacebuilding initiatives. The chapter concludes by highlighting how crucial it is to treat gender issues seriously in social work interventions in Kashmir and how policymakers, practitioners, and academics must strive to support gender equity and peacebuilding in the area.

This chapter examines the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in supporting children and youth affected by armed conflicts, focusing on the integration of AI with humanitarian aid and child psychology. While AI is predominantly recognized for its capability in logistical and analytical tasks, we highlight its potential to address the emotional and psychological needs of vulnerable populations in armed conflict. By employing an interdisciplinary approach, the study bridges the gaps between technology, psychological support, and humanitarian efforts. The discussion extends into the ethical dimensions of AI application in conflict environments, emphasizing the importance of developing international regulations and standards that ensure responsible technology use. AI has the potential to enhance traditional humanitarian operations and innovate the means of delivering emotional and psychological support to affected children. AI-driven tools, such as empathetic computing and Natural Language Processing, can amplify the voices of young individuals, facilitating better understanding and support by capturing and analyzing their experiences and emotional states. By influencing policymakers, technologists, and humanitarian workers, there is scope for thoughtful development and deployment of AI technologies to improve the resilience and recovery of children in conflict spaces to ensure their psychological well-being and emotional safety.