Reintegration Programs Research Articles

Personal networks, social media, and community cohesion in the strategies of peace-building agents in Colombia to counteract the segregation of displaced populations.

As part of the "Colombian Peace Process," victim assistance programs, actions for the reincorporation into civilian life of ex-combatants, and demobilized persons of the armed conflict have been developed as well as innovative instances of intervention in cases of posttraumatic stress. In this study, we surveyed 143 community leaders from the Department of Atlántico (Colombia), participants in a program for capacity building in rehabilitation and mediation strategies. With a mixed design in which we combine the analysis of personal networks, psychometric scales, and qualitative interviews, we describe the use that community mediators make of their personal skills, their personal network, and social media in their actions to confront social trauma and promote coexistence in the local community. The results show a significant relationship between the density of personal networks and the psychological sense of community. Paradoxically, the high social cohesion of the communities of people displaced by political violence seems to pose objective difficulties in reducing trauma. In the discussion, we indicate that the sociogeographic segregation derived from housing policies becomes an obstacle to the effective functioning of the coexistence and reintegration programs of victims and demobilized persons of the armed conflict. In this context, social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp are little used by community mediators in the development of their activities, which they perceive as reinforcinglargely the dynamics of segregation of the displaced population.

Understanding transition for youth with spinal cord injury: Youth and caregiver perceptions

Objective: The purpose of this study is to understand facilitators of and barriers to achieving positive transition results among youth with spinal cord injury (SCI), and to identify areas for intervention to improve transition outcomes. Design: This study utilized qualitative methods and analysis was completed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Participants: Participants included adolescents (n = 9, range = 13–18 years old), young adults (n = 14, range = 22–30 years old) with an SCI, and their respective caregivers (n = 17). Results: The majority of participants had paraplegia (78%) and complete injuries (52%). The majority of caregivers were mothers (88%). Two primary themes were identified: Facilitators of Transition and Barriers to Transition. From these, five subthemes were developed for each category. Conclusion: Youth with SCI and caregivers would benefit from organizations offering dynamic and progressive care options including social reintegration programs, peer-mentoring opportunities, and programs to teach individuals with SCI and families ways to develop motivation, resilience, and independent living skills. Last, better communication among healthcare providers and an increase of interdisciplinary and accessible adult healthcare facilities would foster greater transition successes for individuals with SCI.

Preventing the Next Wave of Foreign Terrorist Fighters: Lessons Learned from the Experiences of Algeria and Tunisia

Foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) signify a unique threat. Islamic State leaders recruited many of them specifically to conduct terrorist attacks against the West. Many of these external operations have proven to be sophisticated and deadly, such as the November 2015 attacks in Paris. Yet the threat posed by FTFs goes beyond orchestrating attacks. In the past, they returned home to build networks that, in turn, facilitated a new generation of FTFs. Even more challenging, today’s FTFs can interact with recruits on social media to inspire attacks. This article addresses the threat of a new wave of FTFs and potential countermeasures. It presents findings from a comparative analysis of Tunisia and Algeria, concluding that to reverse the compounding nature of FTFs, countries must identify the potential threat from the outset, put appropriate legal measures in place, adequately fund judicial systems, and institute re-integration programs.

Disarming Ex-Combatants' Minds: Toward Situated Reintegration Process in Post-conflict Colombia.

Collective violence in the context of armed conflict impacts the economy, health systems, and social stability of affected countries. This is considered a complex phenomenon with interwoven biological, psychological, social, cultural, and political factors. However, most of the research on this topic still lacks suitable established integrative approaches to assess multilevel perspectives. Social, cognitive and affective mental processes (SCAMP) are critical factors that should be considered in multilevel approaches. In this article, we critically discuss some of the classically isolated approaches used in violence research, the absence of successful interventions for ex-combatants reintegration, and the specific neglect of SCAMP in these interventions. We present the case of post-conflict Colombia as a unique opportunity to study the different roots of collective violence, and we call for a more robust and situated approach to understanding of and intervention in this multifaceted phenomenon. In addition, we suggest a two-stage approach for addressing ex-combatants’ reintegration programs, which considers the situated nature of post-conflict scenarios and the urgent need for evidence-based interventions. This approach focuses on the comprehensive scientific assessment of specific factors involved in violence exposure and the subsequent design of successful interventions. The implementation of this approach will contribute to the effective reintegration of individuals who have been exposed to extreme violence for more than 50 years.

РЕІНТЕГРАЦІЯ ВИМУШЕНИХ ПЕРЕСЕЛЕНЦІВ ТА ДЕМОБІЛІЗОВАНИХ ВІЙСЬКОВОСЛУЖБОВЦІВ ІЗ ЗОНИ ООС (АТО)

The paper provides insights to the issues of ongoing United Forces Operation (UFO) (formerly ATO) in Ukraine which resulted in a complicated military, political and socioeconomic situation, in particular in bringing the ethno-territorial tension in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with a large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) tracked in the country (over 1,500,000 persons) as well as demobilized and wounded in a military operations zone soldiers (about 80 000). Promoting employment and self-employment of economically active population will contribute to resolve contemporary painful socioeconomic problems, improve the situation on the labour market, reduce social tension etc. The research objective is the development of theoretical positions to provide rationale to an effective algorithm for reintegration of internally displaced persons and demobilized soldiers from the UFO (ATO) zone. The study employed the following research methods: a method of expert survey to diagnose the needs and demands of job seekers (IDPs and demobilized soldiers from the UFO (ATO) zone); a method of system analysis and logical generalization – to explore and identify the role of symbiosis of innovations in the fields of entrepreneurship and training for the demobilized from the UFO (ATO) zone; a critical thinking method – to elaborate a development framework and prospects for implementing social innovations in the areas of entrepreneurship and education; a matrix method – to identify the major components of reintegration programmes for IDPs and the demobilized from the UFO (ATO) zone. The findings suggest that multivariate combinations of the above components in the system of reintegration of IDPs and demobilized from the UFO (ATO) zone will allow to develop an effective instrument in the context of adaptation of socially vulnerable groups. Building conceptual principles for the IDPs and UFO (ATO) veterans’ adaptation algorithm based on the synergistic combination of all components of the proposed reintegration programme will ensure an integrated approach to solving the burning socioeconomic problems of adaptation of socially vulnerable population.

Veterans’ Use of Programs and Services as They Transition to Civilian Life: Baseline Assessment for the Veteran Metrics Initiative

A substantial minority of veterans struggle as they reintegrate into civilian life, reporting problems with vocational attainment, legal/financial/housing challenges, physical and mental health conditions, and social/interpersonal issues. While there are thousands of programs and services offered to veterans, little is known about which ones they use. In the current exploratory study, veterans separated from active duty in the prior three-months (48,965) were invited to complete a survey. Two primary questions were addressed: What programs/services did veterans use to assist in their reintegration to civilian life? What specific components/attributes of those programs did veterans report using? A total of 9566 veterans completed the survey. Approximately, two-thirds of veterans used at least one program to enhance their well-being, while one-third reported using multiple programs across multiple domains. Veterans primarily sought assistance for employment and educational advancement. Fewer veterans sought assistance for legal/financial/housing, health, and social functioning challenges. Social service providers and policy makers should be aware of the resources veterans use as they reintegrate into civilian life. Future research should examine factors that predict the use and nonuse of veteran reintegration programs, how use changes over time, and what factors predict program/service use, particularly among veterans at risk for poor transition outcomes.

Precarity, clinical labour and graduation from Ebola clinical research in West Africa

ABSTRACTThe provision of gifts and payments for healthy volunteer subjects remains an important topic in global health research ethics. This paper provides empirical insights into theoretical debates by documenting participants' perspectives on an Ebola vaccine trial in West Africa. This trial provided hundreds of Africans with regular payments, food packages and certificates for participation. The researchers conducting the trials considered these socioeconomic provisions to be gifts in accordance with contemporary ethical standards and principles. Trial participants viewed them differently, however, approaching trial participation as a means for training and employment in what was from their perspective a new job market: the post-Ebola expansion of research and health care systems. This paper analyses participation in contemporary research by viewing the context-specific histories of trial participants through the lens of prior interventions, specifically participatory reintegration programmes conducted in Anglophone West Africa to overcome civil war crises. In particular, we argue that participation in the Ebola vaccine trial was inadvertently shaped by the design and outcomes of past reintegration programmes. Our results highlight the need to investigate existing socioeconomic landscapes which surround and indeed permeate clinical research as a prerequisite for understanding the participatory motives of vulnerable participants in West Africa and elsewhere.

Across the Wall: the Perception of Rehabilitation, Reformation and Reintegration Programmes in Anambra State Prison Command

Across the Wall: the Perception of Rehabilitation, Reformation and Reintegration Programmes in Anambra State Prison Command

Psychological Approach of the Minors' Legal Status During Their Incarceration in the Romanian Detention Centers

The issue of the convicted minors' legal status viewed from a psychological perspective is one of topical interest in the penitentiaries for minors in Romania. Minority is thus considered not just from a legal point of view, but also from a psychological one because a crisis over this topic is currently passed in Romania. The de facto situation is emphasized in all the specific institutions which have as an objective the re-education of convicted minors. The current paper highlights certain arguments in order to expand the informational spectrum of the state institutions who serve the purpose of promoting and developing special programs for minors' social reintegration during their period of incarceration. From this point of view, the paper focuses on the implementation of these standardized programs, but also evaluates equally the potentiality law enforcement offers in supporting those who execute a deprivation of liberty penal punishment. Are the Romanian authorities able to manage this situation? Are there enough instruments implemented to support the incarcerated minors? These are questions which deserve adequate answers.

The effect of a parenting intervention on relationship quality of recently deployed military service members and their partners.

Couples form the foundation of military families. However, on average, couples become significantly less satisfied with their relationships and marriages across the deployment cycle. Reduced satisfaction places partners at risk for psychological distress and family problems. The present study examines the effects of a family based reintegration program aimed at enhancing reflective functioning in recently deployed service members and their home-front partners on relationship satisfaction. Results reveal that most dyads report being satisfied in their relationship at baseline. However, greater couple distress was related to more psychological distress in both partners. For spouses, intervention had a positive, significant effect on relationship satisfaction. Variations in relative risk for couple distress among service members and their spouses highlight the need to assess both partners to clarify risk factors and modifiable targets of intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of the Post-Insurgency Rehabilitation Program in Sri Lanka

In the broader Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programs, the terms ‘rehabilitation’ and ‘reintegration’ are erroneously used as synonyms. The manifestation of these two distinct phases of a program can be seen in many affected parts of the world. Sri Lanka is one such place where the rehabilitation program was launched after an extended war against insurgency. The vigilantes constituted by the Sri Lankan armed forces, known as Civil Defense Forces (CDF) has been controversial. This paper differentiates the theory and practice and explains what could be done to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of the programs

“From Frustration to Escalation in Marawi”: An Interview on Conflict Transformation in Southeast Asia With the Indonesian Peace and Conflict Advisor Shadia Marhaban

Shadia Marhaban has been actively involved in international peace mediation, capacity building, and human rights activism for more than 20 years. She is from Aceh, Indonesia, where she joined the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in the early 2000 s. She was an advisory member of GAM’s peace negotiating team during the 2005 Helsinki talks that brought an end to nearly 30 years of armed conflict. After her return to Aceh, she became a founding member of the Aceh Women’s League (LINA). The NGO was involved in reintegration programs for female ex-combatants and provided democracy education trainings. In recent years, her work has focused on facilitating dialog between conflicting parties in many regions of Southeast Asia a ff ected by armed conflict. In her work, she is mainly engaged with resistance and liberation movements and their political transition. She believes that considering the dimensions of identity, religion, and culture is key to successful war-to-peace transitions and the achievement of sustainable modes of conflict resolution. With a background in political science and international relations, she is a fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International A ff airs, of Harvard University and has been teaching classes on mediation and conflict transformation at universities in Austria, Indonesia, and the US. In this interview, conducted by Gunnar Stange in Vienna in June 2018 , Shadia Marhaban speaks about her peace-building work all over Southeast Asia and her experiences in violence prevention in the city of Marawi, Mindanao, Philippines.

Rehabilitation and Reintegration Programming Following Female Genital Fistula Surgery: A Scoping Review

Aims: To examine the range of rehabilitation and reintegration services provided as adjunct to genital fistula surgery, map the existing programming and outcomes, and identify areas where additional research is necessary.
 Methods: Our scoping review is informed by existing methodological frameworks and conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.The search strategy was designed in collaboration with a medical librarian and is applied to nine biomedical, public health, and social science databases. Grey literature is identified through targeted searches and relevant organizational websites. Two primary reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts of all articles, followed by full-text screening and standardized data extraction. Eligible articles will discuss research or programmatic efforts around service provision in adjunct to surgery.
 Results: The literature review is currently underway and preliminary results including summary tables and narrative will be available to share at the ISOFS conference.
 Conclusions: The results of this scoping review will help in understanding and describing what is known and unknown about rehabilitation and social reintegration of women following genital fistula surgery in sub-Saharan Africa and may be useful in developing and evaluating social reintegration projects.

Building a Countrywide Treatment Network: Lessons from Kenya and Zambia

In 2014, Fistula Foundation and partners launched Action on Fistula in Kenya, a comprehensive initiative focused on expanding access to fistula care and building the national capacity for fistula treatment, training, and community mobilization. Between May 2014 - September 2018, over 4,000 fistula repair surgeries have been performed at six partner hospitals throughout the country, far surpassing the original targets and nearly doubling the treatment capacity in the country. This was accomplished through partnerships with the Ministry of Health, public and private hospitals, Federation of International Gynecology and Obstetrics for accreditation of the first FIGO obstetric fistula training center in the country, and community-based organizations responsible for patient identification, referral, and reintegration programs. This integrated and holistic model of delivering fistula care has resulted in over 4,100 fistula surgeries performed by 10 Kenyan surgeons, 8 new surgeons trained to the FIGO standard or intermediate competency level, 309 community health volunteers trained and deployed, over 12,000 community events conducted to improve knowledge and awareness of fistula, and over 300 women enrolled in support groups post repair to enhance social and psychological health and boost livelihood development opportunities.
 The success of the Kenya program prompted the launch of a new countrywide treatment network in Zambia in January 2017. In the first 20 months, the program supported over 375 additional surgeries at six hospitals (from a baseline of approximately 200 surgeries annually done across the country), trained three surgeons to FIGO standard competency level, trained 217 CHVs and Safe Motherhood Action Group Members, and conducted over 2,000 outreach activities for fistula awareness.

It takes a village: The vital role of community organizations in enhancing fistula patient identification, referral, and reintegration in Kenya

Action on Fistula, Kenya, is a multi-year initiative (2014-present) focused on expanding access to fistula care and building the national capacity for fistula treatment, training, and community mobilization. Led by Fistula Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Health, public and private hospitals, and community-based outreach organizations, over 4,000 fistula repair surgeries have been performed at six hospitals throughout the country. One of key factors in driving the success of the program is the use of extensive community outreach networks to increase patient referrals, improve community awareness and knowledge of fistula, and facilitate reintegration for women following fistula repair surgery. Through this community initiative, women from all of Kenya’s 47 counties have been treated and over 85% of patients have come through the AOF partner outreach efforts. 
 Varied mobilization strategies have been utilized to maximize results, including training and engagement of community outreach workers, media engagement through radio spots and live talk shows, partnerships with health facilities and training of health center staff, community outreaches and rallies, and the use of “Kick Fistula out of Africa” soccer team to raise awareness and help destigmatize the condition. In the second phase of the initiative, reintegration programs were also initiated by the same community organizations and enhanced follow-up measures were put in place to assess longer-term outcomes for continence status, social and psychological wellbeing, and economic health.

Leaving war and the closet? Exploring the varied experiences of LGBT ex-combatants in Colombia

Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes have been acknowledged as a crucial part of peacebuilding initiatives and the importance of ensuring that they are gender responsive has been increasingly recognized by the international community. However, policy guidance has failed to include ex-combatants who do not conform to a narrow, binary understandingof gender and make no reference to sexual and gender minorities. Similarly, LGBT excombatants have been overlooked by scholars and very little is known of their experiences as they transition to civilian life. This article explores the varied experiences of LGBT ex-combatants who have been part of three different armed groups in Colombia. Using semi-structured interviews with ex-combatantsfrom the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the 19th of April Movement (M-19) and the United Self-Defenders of Colombia (AUC), this article shows how DDR processes may generate significant and rapid transformations for sexual and gender minorities. The article also outlines particular challenges faced by LGBT ex-combatants. In conclusion, I argue that policy makers and researchers should incorporate a gender perspective in DDR that moves beyond a narrow, binary understanding of gender in order to respond to the needs, ensure the participation, and protect the rights of LGBT ex-combatants.

Living Maoist gender ideology: experiences of women ex-combatants in Nepal

ABSTRACTStudies of women’s participation in civil conflict as armed combatants have attributed diverse motivations to such participation and examined the implications of participation for women’s empowerment in the aftermath. The authors contribute to these studies through an in-depth analysis of female combatants’ struggles for equality and empowerment during and after Nepal’s decade-long Maoist conflict. Scholars have argued that the emphasis of Maoist ideology in Nepal on the emancipation of women and on ending gender discrimination attracted a large number of women to the cause. Based on narratives of Maoist female ex-combatants, the authors investigate women’s engagement with Maoist ideology during and after the conflict. These narratives reveal that despite discourses of gender equality in Nepal’s Maoist struggle, promises around gender equality remain unkept in the period after the war. A reintegration program has offered women ex-combatants few options and has pushed women back into traditional gender roles. Struggles continue in this terrain. Incorporating intersectionality, the paper highlights how women ex-combatants’ gender identities intersect with caste and other social locations to produce diverse challenges for their lives.

The Usefulness of Reintegration Support: The Dual Perspectives of Returnees and Caseworkers

AbstractMany European countries have developed assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) programmes to support the return and reintegration of migrants who do not have a legal residence permit. There is substantial involvement of social-care professionals in the implementation of these programmes. However, the contested nature of AVRR programmes has limited an in-depth understanding of the exact nature of reintegration support and the ways it affects migrants’ lives after return. Through exploring the usefulness of AVRR support from the perspectives of those receiving it and experienced caseworkers providing it in the context of the Belgian AVRR return programme to Armenia and Georgia, this article contributes to a better understanding of the possibilities and constraints of reintegration support. Based on interviews with seventy-nine returnees during the initial two years after their return, interviews with the caseworkers and observations of day-to-day interactions between both parties, four different understandings of the ‘usefulness’ of reintegration support are delineated: reintegration support (i) as central and necessary financial support; (ii) as insufficient, decontextualised and deceptive support; (iii) as selective support; and lastly (iv) as humane and negotiated support. These understandings then evoke reflections on the implications for those stakeholders developing or implementing AVRR support programmes.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Employment Programmes for Ex-Combatants: A Case Study of Nigeria’s Post Amnesty Programme (PAP)

Employment of ex-militants is an important part of disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR) programmes in societies emerging from armed conflicts. In this article, I examine the potential of Nigeria’s Post Amnesty Programme (PAP), a locally designed DDR programme, to contribute to the employment of ex-militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. I show that although the programme has focused on training, its design and implementation has not been informed by a clear understanding of the private sector environment where ex-militants are expected to find work in the Niger Delta. I demonstrate empirically how programmes that are designed to address employment of ex-militants can easily fall short of expectations. I suggest that a baseline understanding of the needs of private sector employers is an essential part of youth employment programmes in fragile and conflict-affected societies.

Spoilers of peace: Pro-government militias as risk factors for conflict recurrence

This study investigates how deployment of pro-government militias (PGMs) as counterinsurgents affects the risk of conflict recurrence. Militiamen derive material and non-material benefits from fighting in armed conflicts. Since these will likely have diminished after the conflict’s termination, militiamen develop a strong incentive to spoil post-conflict peace. Members of pro-government militias are particularly disadvantaged in post-conflict contexts compared to their role in the government’s counterinsurgency campaign. First, PGMs are usually not present in peace negotiations between rebels and governments. This reduces their commitment to peace agreements. Second, disarmament and reintegration programs tend to exclude PGMs, which lowers their expected and real benefits from peace. Third, PGMs might lose their advantage of pursuing personal interests while being protected by the government, as they become less essential during peacetimes. To empirically test whether conflicts with PGMs as counterinsurgents are more likely to break out again, we identify PGM counterinsurgent activities in conflict episodes between 1981 and 2007. We code whether the same PGM was active in a subsequent conflict between the same actors. Controlling for conflict types, which is associated with both the likelihood of deploying PGMs and the risk of conflict recurrence, we investigate our claims with propensity score matching, statistical simulation, and logistic regression models. The results support our expectation that conflicts in which pro-government militias were used as counterinsurgents are more likely to recur. Our study contributes to an improved understanding of the long-term consequences of employing PGMs as counterinsurgents and highlights the importance of considering non-state actors when crafting peace and evaluating the risk of renewed violence.