Events

How are the roles of "soldier" and "victim" defined by post-conflict programs? Most disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs are limited in the ways in which issues specific to female combatants are addressed. At this public event panelists examined the particular challenges faced by female ex-combatants in post-conflict environments, and ways in which reintegration agencies and post-conflict programs can integrate gender into their work.

This event celebrated the publication of Youth in Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Agents of Change by Stephanie Schwartz published by the U.S. Institute of Peace. Using three cases of post-conflict reconstruction—Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kosovo—this study goes beyond the well documented cases focused exclusively on child soldiers to examine the roles of the broader youth population and their impact on the reconstruction process. The panelists drew on their own experiences working with youth in conflict zones to distill best practices in addressing youth needs in areas of conflict and pinpointed what issues must be resolved as we look to the future.