Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Child soldiers – Uganda – Gusco'

The provision of basic needs such as food, shelter, security, identity and recognition is central in the rebuilding and reconstruction of the war-torn areas of Africa and indeed around the world. The war in northern Uganda, in particular, has taken its toll on the people of that area for more than 20 years and in the process, has witnessed the children facing some of the worst effects of armed conflicts known to man. This study investigated the role played by the Gulu Support the Children Organisation (GUSCO) in the reintegration of former child soldiers in Northern Uganda. GUSCO is however in favour of the term Formerly Abducted Children (FAC) as this is less prone to acts of stigmatisation against those who have faced some of the most horrific abuses known to human kind. It focused on the process of reintegration of the FAC in relation to the human needs theory which has been used as a basis for conflict resolution practices. The researcher conducted extensive face-to-face interviews with the employees of GUSCO who work in various fields as social workers, counsellors, health workers and teachers, who tend to the needs of the FAC daily. The researcher was also able to carryout observations of the activities that take place at the GUSCO reception centre where the children are rehabilitated. The organisation’s official documents were also consulted in order to carryout this triangular study and collect data. The major themes constructed from the study include: the empowerment and development of the FAC through education and skills training; health care provision to meet both physical and psychological needs; community empowerment and development and finally peacebuilding and reconciliation which involves the participation of whole communities to meet their needs and rebuild the war-torn northern Uganda. The researcher highlights some challenges that GUSCO faces in trying to reintegrate the former combatants albeit children into a routine of a community that struggles to recover from a war that continues to persist after twenty years. Several recommendations are made for GUSCO and civil societies who have given themselves the mandate to work towards salvaging the future generations of Uganda and Africa as a whole.

This study is a critical analysis of child labour and human resource development in Uganda. The study was undertaken because of the growing concern about child-labour practices in African countries, Uganda being an example. The incidence of child labour and the form that it takes are driven by supply-anddemand factors countrywide, but also by the sheer need of children to survive. Child labour is considered to be a fundamental child development problem. Children are involved in a number of child-labour practices such as prostitution in the commercial and tourism sex industry, forced begging on the streets, and forced soldiering. They may be used as camel jockeys, domestic servants, farm labourers/herders, mine labourers, produce porters, roadside sellers/street vendors, sweetshop-industry labourers, cooks and porters for rebels. The persistent exploitation of children involved in hazardous work and conditions has become overwhelming in Uganda. Poverty as one of the major causes for the growing numbers of child labourers in the agricultural sector in Uganda has caused a number of children to engage in child-labour activities to earn extra income for household survival. Many children have opted for partial attendance in school, eventually dropping out. Parents have also frequently influenced children to work on family farms, thus contributing to the children dropping out of school. Child-labour practices have become entrenched in the social and moral fabric of Ugandan society, and for this reason, research endeavours to uncover ways and methods to reverse this situation. The main objectives of this research were to establish the impact of poverty on child labour, to assess the effect of the social and cultural setup on child labour, to find out the impact of child-labour legislation enforcement, to determine the 5 influence of the HIV and AIDS pandemic on child labour, to establish the effect of the educational system and technological advancement on child labour, to establish the level of awareness of human rights in the community, and to establish the impact of human rights activists on the prevention of child labour. The study was undertaken in Masindi District in Budongo Sub County, in three parishes, Nyabyeya, Nyantonzi and Kasongoire. The respondents used for the study included child labourers, their parents, farmers, and community leaders. The method used to get to the sample was purposive sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires for written answers and a tape recorder for oral answers. Both primary and secondary data was collected, verified, edited, checked, coded, analysed, and then exported to Excel and SPSS. Collecting the data was a challenging exercise for the researcher. Experiences were varied, in the hospitality and willingness of respondents to learn more about child issues. Although respondents were willing to participate in the data collection exercise, social and cultural values did not permit all of them to share their views with the researcher. To collect data from respondents, the researcher had to ensure that remuneration was in place at the end of the exercise. The respondents filled out the questionnaires only after learning of the availability of a reward for every questionnaire answered. More setbacks were the need to travel long distances, and enduring the poor infrastructure, poor sanitation, and epidemic outbreaks, some of which diluted the quality of data collected. During group interviews, most parents were not entirely truthful about involving their children in child-labour activities. Although most respondents had an idea of what child labour is, their ignorance levels on the topic prevented them from stopping their children from working. The major findings of the research were that the cultural, social and economic setup of the community in the study area favoured child labour, although the child-labour legislation is against using children as labourers. Various ethnicities 6 in the study area considered a person between the ages of 5 and 12 years to be a child, yet the Constitution of Uganda dictates the age of childhood to be below 18 years. This causes conflict in the definition of who a child is. Although parents were aware of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) regulation penalties for not taking children to school, they still permitted children to engage in child-labour activities, and little has been done by government to curb the culprits. Awareness of the Sub Counties and Credit Co-operatives (SACCOs) and their implementation has not helped to reduce poverty in the area studied, resulting in an increased school dropout rate among school-going-age children, as well as more child-labour activities. The major conclusion of the study was that little has been done to increase the awareness levels of the teachers, parents and their children about child labour and its legislation, their knowledge of and involvement in micro-finance institutions in the community, and the availability of vocational training institutions. Little has therefore been done to reduce child-labour activities, improve the economic status of the community, and improve their human resource skills. The major recommendations of the research to the study are that culture should not override the Constitution as far as the definition of age limit is concerned. The government should carry out stakeholder analyses, and implement a life-skills and sensitisation programme in order to improve child participation in the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme. Government should ensure that the society is given information about basic accounting, project planning and management skills, in order to be effectively involved in the economic programmes of SACCOs.

Thesis (M.A.)--George Mason University, 2008.
Vita: p. 67. Thesis director: Suzanne Scott. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed July 2, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-66). Also issued in print.

This research explores the perceptions and experiences of female former child soldiers in regard to their reintegration within the community of Gulu District, northern Uganda. In many societies women are generally excluded due to prevailing patriarchal hegemonies, with northern Uganda being no exception. Moreover, former child soldiers are commonly marginalized and discriminated against because members of communities commonly believe that they should be punished for the perceived atrocities that they allegedly committed during times of conflict, rather than be reintegrated into society. In this regard female former child soldiers can be identified as a particularly vulnerable and marginalized group. Therefore, it can be suggested that although the distinction between traditional gender roles has been eroded during times of armed conflict, there is still widespread evidence that women are largely overlooked and disregarded in the process of peace building. In order to explore the perceptions and experiences of former female child soldiers, a qualitative case study method was utilized based on in-depth face to face interviews with women from Gulu District, northern Uganda. The findings of this study indicate that, even though these women went through considerable hardships, all of them displayed a strong sense of resilience. Many of them had taken on the role as active change agents in their own lives and provided an array of suggestions on how their situation could be improved. The major themes constructed from the study include: challenges facing returnees; facilitating factors for returnees and suggestions on improved reintegration. Based on these findings a number of recommendations emerged. The recommendations are presented in order to assist organizations and other stakeholders involved in reintegration of child soldiers in northern Uganda and elsewhere in the world. Apart from providing information to the existing body of research, future areas of proposed research are also outlined.

The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the current state of literature surrounding childhood and child agency, and how dominant notions of these concepts result in practical implications pertaining to the nature of the participation of former child soldiers in post-conflict reintegration programmes. As the literature and practice surrounding children in post-conflict environments currently stands, there is a recurring preoccupation with traditional notions of childhood which uphold notions of innocence, vulnerability, and dependency, with only minimal attempts to conceptualise child agency as a crucial factor once the guns have been put down. This ultimately results in former child soldiers being dealt with as objects to be secured, as opposed to fully-fledged participants and agents in their own reintegration processes. This research thereby seeks to answer the question: “How would the formulation of a normative framework of child agency alter the orientation of post-conflict reintegration programmes in the future?” The researcher will engage the matter of child agency in post-conflict reintegration through a critical lens, both in terms of the literary and conceptual foundations contributing towards current narratives, as well as the current state of reintegration programmes as they target former child soldiers in northern Uganda. The qualitative approach of a critical literature review, followed by a critical analysis of the case of northern Uganda, will be employed as the key methods of this research. The literature to be used will be purposively sampled secondary sources. This mini-dissertation upholds the position that, in order for post-conflict reintegration programmes to be successful in their endeavour to reintegrate former child soldiers, children should not be rendered as peripheral actors in these processes. Rather, they should be present as key participatory agents in their own right.
Mini Dissertation (MSS)--University of Pretoria, 2020.
Political Sciences
MSS
Unrestricted

"Children's participation in armed conflict is one of the worst [forms] of child labour and a violation in itself. It is an extensive violation of international humanitarian and human rights law. There is increasing awareness about the variety of roles played by girls in fighting forces. They are abducted and forced to be sexual slaves, cooks, [to] clean, act as porters, loot, and [be] 'wives' to combatants. Notwithstanding, Veale observes that there are still a few gender-based issues of the differential experiences of male and female children who have been involved in military units. Although they play all these roles, they have received scanty attention during the reintegration process as opposed to male child soldiers. Mckay and her colleagues argue that [the] majority of reports, internaitonal campaigns, and initiatives continue to use the generic term 'child soldiers' which most often mean 'boys'. They do not identify differential impacts for boys and girls before, during or after armed conflicts. Mazurana found in another study that between 1990 and 2000, underaged girls participated in armed conflicts in a minimum of 32 countries as child soldeirs or military support forces. ... Northern Uganda qualifies [as] a case study because it has been in conflict between 1996 [and] 2006. It is estimated that there are 70 to 80 percent of child combatants with girls making up 30 percent. Disarmament and demobilisation is carried out by Uganda's People Defence Force (UPDF) working together with some United Nations (UN) humanitarian bodies, then NGOs and community leaders in turn work on the reintegration of the returnees. However, the reintegration process in Uganda is a-typical when compared to that of Sierra Leone, and most often does not take into consideration the special needs of female child soldiers. ... My focus will therefore be on Northern Uganda, but reference will be made to Sierra Leone as precedent where the context permits. This will be relevant for any reintegration procudure that Uganda adopts after the war. ... Chapter one: introduction and background. Chapter two: investigating the recruitment and impact of conflict on child soldiers in general and female child soldiers in particular. This chapter will be divided into two parts. Part one sets the stage by giving a brief account of the conflict in Northern Uganda and Sierra Leone. Part two identifies the significant environmental factors, but not sufficient conditions that cause children in general, and girls in particular, to join armed groups and the impact it has on female child soldiers. Chapter three: legal guarantee of the right to reintegration - by provision and implication. This chapter outlines and analyses treaties that have influenced and circumscribed the policies and practices for the reintegration of female child soldiers. It also looks at those that provide for reintegration by implication. This chapter will also examine the rights-based approach as base for reintegration processes. Case law will be included. Chapter four: comprehensive analysis of effective socio-economic reintegration of female child soldiers. This chapter will examine the factors that influence successful reintegration. It will portray the half-baked approach of reintegration that is obvious in the case study. The role of international agencies, NGOs, civil society and other actors will be discussed as a platform for successful reintegration. Furthermore, some decisions at the Special Court of Sierra Leone (SCSL) will be discussed. Chapter five: conclusion and recommendations." -- Introduction.
Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2006.
Prepared under the supervision of Mr. Angelo Matusse at the Faculdade de Direito, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique
http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html
Centre for Human Rights
LLM

The prohibition on the use of child soldiers is widely recognized. Still, it is estimated that 60,000 children were abducted and forced to take part in the internal armed conflict between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Government of Uganda. Thus, this study examines how the formerly abducted children have experienced their return and reintegration. The thesis is based on a minor field study conducted in Gulu and aims at investigating whether the provision of remedies aids or hinders their reintegration. Using theories of recognition and a conceptualization of successful reintegration, I analyze the semi-structured interviews with fourteen former abductees and ten other community members. The findings suggest that the process of return is fraught with many challenges. It is concluded that the absence of symbolic and material reparations is an obstacle to successful reintegration and sustainable peace as the lack of recognition can drive future social conflict in Uganda.

The level of brutality and violence against children abducted and forcefully conscripted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda pricked the conscience of humanity. The suffering of the people in northern Uganda was described by Jan Egeland, the former United Nations Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, as 'the biggest forgotten humanitarian crisis in the world'. This study is primarily concerned with the plight of child soldiers in northern Uganda and how their effective reintegration and rehabilitation (RR) could lead to successful peacebuilding. The study is premised on the hypothesis that 'the promotion of the RR of former child soldiers by providing psychosocial support based on traditional and indigenous resources may contribute to conditions of peace and stability in northern Uganda'. The main contribution of this research is that it explores the relevance of psychosocial support based on the traditional and indigenous resources to the RR of child soldiers and peacebuilding of war-torn societies. Psychosocial support based on traditional and indigenous resources as an element of peacebuilding has been the neglected element of peacebuilding by the liberal peacebuilding interventions in most war-torn societies. For example, while traditional and indigenous resources in northern Uganda have been instrumental in the RR of former child soldiers, most scholars and policy makers have largely paid attention to the usual official government and United Nations structured top-down interventions that emphasize Western approaches of peacebuilding. More so, the official approaches have tended to marginalize the plight of former child soldiers in the reconstruction and peacebuilding of northern Uganda. Yet, failing to pay sufficient attention to effective RR of child soldiers could undermine the peace dividends already achieved in northern Uganda. The study also analyses the limitations of psychosocial support based on traditional and indigenous resources in the RR of former child soldiers. It further examines why Western approaches of psychosocial support in the RR of child soldiers have remained in use in spite of the criticisms levelled against them. The study examines other peacebuilding interventions, both official and unofficial, that have been implemented in northern Uganda. In terms of key findings, the study establishes that traditional and indigenous resources are still popular and have been widely used in northern Uganda in the RR of child soldiers. Majority of former child soldiers who were interviewed observed that they found traditional and indigenous resources more helpful than the Western models of psychosocial support. However, it was also established that there is a significant section of former child soldiers who found Western models more relevant in their RR processes. Based on these findings, the study recommends an integrative and holistic model of psychosocial support that blends good elements from both traditional and indigenous resources and Western approaches with greater emphasis on the former.

The northern region of Uganda has been plagued by violent conflict for over two decades. The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been waging war against the current government of Uganda under the leadership of President Museveni. The Acholi community resident in the North of Uganda has been most affected by this war. In recent years however Northern Uganda has enjoyed relative calm following an agreement for the cessation of hostilities between the LRA and the government to allow for peace talks. Following the anticipated end of this conflict, the international community, the government and local organisations have engaged in a number of interventions and mechanisms that would assist in peace building. A fundamental intervention that has been formulated and administered to this end is the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme for the ex-LRA combatants. The DDR process has had the sole objective of enabling formerly abducted children to transform their lives from violence into civility and community. It has been the premise that if this transformation were to occur then societies could be made peaceful. There has been growing support for these programmes but there has been very little analysis done of the utility of these programmes and the consequential impacts that these programmes have on the local indigenous communities. Though well intentioned, there is much work to be done to assess the utility and success of reintegration initiatives in granting the formerly abducted children and local populations' lifestyles that are reasonably free from fear and want.

"The debate over the effectiveness of the laws to address the situation of children in armed conflict, the political will of the international community to alleviate the plight of children in such situations, as well as the search for effective strategies to address the issue of children affected by war, remains lively and unsettled. This study aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion with a focus on northern Uganda where, for the last 19 years, children have been suffering as a result of armed conflict with no response from the international community. It appears that the government, the armed forces and the international community have simply ignored their plight. ... The study is divided into four chapters; chapter one discusses the internal and international armed conflict dichotomy. It further discusses legal protection that exists under international law for children. An overview of the current standard-setting efforts, enforcement and implementation of these laws is also considered in the chapter. Chapter two considers particular risks faced by children in armed conflict including the child soldier phenomenon; refugee and internally displaced persons (IDPs); sexual abuse and exploitation of children; and the impact of landmines and unexploded ornances on children. The chapter finally looks at actions the international community can take to protect children in compliance with international law. Chapter three gives a background to the conflict in northern Uganda; it discusses the groups of children at risk and the failure to prioritise the protection of children by all actors at the local and international level. Chapter four draws a conclusion and gives recommendations to the ongoing search for effective strategies to address the plight of children affected by war with focus on northern Uganda. These recommendations are addressed to the government, the armed group and the international community." -- Introduction.
Mini Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2005.
http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html
Centre for Human Rights
LLM

This thesis contains a qualitative content analysis of Daily Monitor, Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet’s articles about children, and child soldiers in Uganda. In total, there were 26 articles that have been applied to this study. The purpose of this thesis was to compare all 26 articles with each other to see potential diffrences or similarities. Theory based answers were applied when I was analyzing the articles' differences and similarities. The thematic content analysis applied and used to catagorize the concerning theames in the articles are: children or soldiers (as the major theme), and heroes and victims (as undercategorial theme). Postcolonial, childhood and childsoldier theories were used as the theoretical framework to the thesis, and they were all applied in the analysis. The chosen theoretical framework contributed not only to a critical viewpoint about children, and child soldiers, but also to Western power relations, which appeared in many newspapers. Furthermore, the theoretical framework contributed with different views about children, and child soldiers in different social and cultural contexts.

The aim of this investigation was to identify if school lessons, which were designed to incorporate psychological theories and therapeutic approaches, could improve the mental health and/or emotional intelligence of the students being taught the lessons (N=76). The lessons (the intervention program) were designed by the researcher and taught by local teachers at 11 secondary schools to year 7 and year 8 pupils in an area of Northern Uganda where a civil war had taken place during the previous 22 years between a rebel group and government forces. The study comprised the intervention group who were taught the lessons over 2 years and a control group living in the same area that were not taught the lessons. Both groups were given a Mental Health (MH) and Emotional Intelligence (EI) questionnaire designed by the researcher at the beginning of the intervention period and at the end. Volunteers from the intervention group also took part in a semi structured interview. Teachers who taught the program were also given a questionnaire to elicit their views on the benefits and workability of the program. The findings indicated a significant effect of the intervention on most aspects of MH and EI in the intervention group compared with the control group. The effects of the intervention did not vary significantly between genders. Teachers’ questionnaires indicated an overall positive effect on teacher student relationships, behavior and general benefits to students. The elements of the program such as the teaching approach, methods of learning, content and effect on relationships between students were not examined but form part of a discussion into the potential future direction /further research for programs with similar aims.

Student Number : 0007982H - MA Dissertation - School of Social Sciences - Faculty of Humanities
Children fulfil various roles within armed forces including, active combat and offering support services such as spying and domestic services. Girls make up to 40 per cent of child soldiers in some states. Although in existence, data on girl soldiers has many gaps and tends to focus primarily on the sexual exploitation of girls. Arguably, this undercuts the other difficulties of girl’s participation in conflict, and reintegration into the post-conflict society. The international community has attempted to take up the global problem of child soldiers through various conventions yet; very few of these specifically focus on gender-based violations against children. The dissertation examines the international response to girl soldiers. The central hypotheses being that; girls- as a population group- are ignored in the international human rights regime. Furthermore, girl soldiers are disenfranchised owing to their dual identities of being female and children. The problem is addressed by firstly, defining the international human rights regime and its sub-regimes and secondly, showing its inadequacies in relation to girl soldiers. Uganda is used as a case study to test the hypothesis. Ultimately, this dissertation attempts to show that the international community has ignored a population group that is in need of protection.

This thesis explores how fear is used as a communication strategy to create and enhance power in conflict setting. I drew the data from six in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted in northern Uganda, a region that was ravaged by war for over two decades, as well as from my own experiences of fear in the field, because terror shaped the very nature of my interactions in Uganda. Building on symbolic interaction theory, the analysis explores how the participants created the meaning of "fear" through symbols, culture, language and experiences during and after the war and how fear was used as an agent of control externally and as a dis-enabler internally. The findings support the idea that fear, perceived or otherwise, is strategically important because of its influence on conflict outcomes.

This thesis examines the experiences of girl child soldiers in Uganda in order to explore the gender gaps that exist in post-conflict programming and to engender meaningful policy solutions that target these gaps. This thesis uses a gender lens to analyze the challenges faced by Ugandan girls and to explore how entrenched gender norms feed into a singular narrative of conflict – dangerous boys and traumatized girls – that renders particular combatants – and their unique needs – invisible. Adopting a feminist methodology that prioritizes the importance of girls’ narratives and self-perceptions, the author argues that girl child soldiers must be meaningfully included in the design and implementation of programming aimed at serving their needs. A participatory action research methodology is presented as a promising way forward. It can help address specific gendered challenges in the post-conflict environment, while also recognizing and drawing upon the resiliency and strengths of the girl child soldiers themselves.

This thesis seeks to analyze the international humanitarian laws and human right laws governing the involvement of children in armed conflicts. As the international law prohibiting the involvement of children in armed conflict progress on paper, progress within the states falls behind, thus creating a gap between progress in law and the enforcement of this law on the ground. The international community needs to take steps to bridge this gap so the practice on the ground is adequate with the international law. This thesis will examine the efficiency of the international legal instruments and examine what factors are preventing the implementation of the international law within the different states. Three different case-studies will be conducted of three African countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and Sierra Leone in order to examine what the states, the society, local actors and the international community are doing to prevent the involvement of children in armed conflict.

O presente trabalho consiste na Dissertação de Mestrado em Ciência Política e Relações Internacionais, na Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Pretende proceder ao estudo da problemática das crianças-soldado no contexto dos conflitos armados contemporâneos no continente africano, utilizando o Uganda como estudo de caso. Neste sentido, analisaremos as crianças-soldado quer no continente africano quer ao nível internacional. A dissertação passará por uma revisão teórica dos conceitos fundamentais de criança-soldado, para compreender, então, o processo do seu recrutamento e treino em contexto do conflito armado. Em segundo lugar, procuraremos nomear os principais atores externos no combate a este fenómeno, assim como o proteção jurídica internacional de que as crianças-soldado beneficiam. Será apresentado, posteriormente, a Lord’s Resistance Army, a sua estrutura como movimento insurgente e o conflito em que está envolvida com o governo Ugandês. Por último, passaremos para a compreensão da questão fundamental desta investigação - os modelos de reintegração das ex-crianças-soldado no Uganda.
This work consists on a dissertation for a Masters in Political Science and International Relations, in the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, of the Nova University of Lisbon. It aims to introduce the case of child-soldiers in the African continent, using Uganda as a case study. In this sense we will analyze the situation of child soldiers in Africa as well as a internationally analysis of the world situation of this phenomenon. We will undergo a theoretical review of the fundamental concepts of child soldiers, to understand, the recruitment and training process. Secondly, we will try to name the main external actors in combating this phenomenon and the international legal protection. Later we will introduce, the Lord's Resistance Army, its structure and organization and the conflict with the Ugandan government. Finally we move on to understanding the main question of this research - the patterns of reintegration of former child soldiers in Uganda.

This study focuses on the Hero Book Project and the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) as alternative healing strategies to the PTSD model among abducted and forcibly displaced child soldiers in Northern Uganda. It is argued that these therapies are African centered since they have taken into consideration the social, economic and political experiences of African child soldiers displaced by war by economically empowering children in the reintegration process. Whilst the approaches of African trauma practitioners may be questioned on handling and providing the needed services, TPO/Hero Book project have managed to break the silence and reinforce the resilience surrounding children coming back home from war and integrating them into their communities. They had understood trauma as a community problem hence rebuilding community social and economic structures open avenues for abducted and displaced child soldiers to cope with their wartime sufferings.