Victims Of Conflict Research Articles

Legal mechanisms for compensation for damage to victims of military conflict in Ukraine

Legal mechanisms for compensation for damage to victims of military conflict in Ukraine

Building peace narratives between young conflict victims and university students: an analysis of participatory animation strategies in My story: The children who fought war in Colombia

ABSTRACT This article presents an analysis of the production of the animated documentary series My Story. The Children Who Fought War in Colombia. The series was developed through a participatory creation process between young victims of the armed conflict and student animators from the Visual Arts programme at Universidad Javeriana, Colombia. The objective was to construct narratives that promote peace and generate new imaginaries. Interviews with the series director, Mathew Charles, and an animator, along with a review of the creative process, revealed the distinctive elements of this production. The study concentrated on the manner in which participatory animation encourages the formulation of innovative paradigms that challenge the conventional representations of the conflict. The objective was to cultivate empathy and mutual understanding among the participants. The findings emphasise the importance of participatory animation in the reconstruction of peace narratives, offering innovative perspectives in post-conflict contexts. This research demonstrates the significance of artistic intervention, particularly through participatory animation, as a valuable tool for constructing narratives that encourage critical reflection and promote a deeper, empathetic understanding of the experiences of those who have endured war.

Roles of gender in addressing structural inequality: assessment of Borana women’s endogenous institutional agents of gender amelioration in peace, conflict, and post-conflict settings

ABSTRACT The portrayal of women in traditional societies as victims of conflicts and gender inequalities often overlooks their roles as agents of change. This article examined the roles of Borana women in addressing structural inequality during peace, conflict, and post-conflict settings using endogenous institutions. The study utilized an ethnographic research design and a qualitative research approach. Both primary and secondary data were collected for the study. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect primary data, while secondary data were obtained from relevant materials through desk review. The primary data were transcribed, translated, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveal that Borana women play crucial roles in fighting structural inequality through endogenous institutions in preserving peace, protecting the vulnerables, challenging male dominance, maintaining community life and upholding women’s customary laws. The study also revealed the challenges women face in addressing structural inequality. These findings contribute to feminist theories by emphasizing women’s active and diverse roles in combating structural inequality. Consequently, assertive policy options that safeguard women’s customary rights and endogenous peacemaking practices are needed. Furthermore, the study calls for policy interventions and support systems that empower women and enhance their participation in decision-making processes.

The Hierarchy of Victims: Media Coverage and the Limits of Euro-American Solidarity

ABSTRACT Further developing Stephen McCloskey’s argument that the war on Ukraine has revealed a hierarchy of victims that is rooted in racial and other forms of prejudice, we show how refugees from the Muslim world and Africa are stereotyped as potential criminals, rapists, and terrorists. European and North American responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reveal a stark and highly consequential double standard. Whereas Ukrainians receive sympathetic international attention and support, Palestinians are portrayed as terrorists and their lives are ignored due to international, specifically Western, indifference to their plight. We use Agamben’s concepts of homo sacer and bare life, Butler’s notions of vulnerability, precarity, and precariousness, and Kristeva’s abject identities to probe the limits of European and North American solidarity with war refugees and other victims of conflict.

The Implications of Autochthony-Based Victimization for Reparative Justice in Africa

The concept of autochthony or ‘indigeneity’ has been employed in multiple contexts across Africa and refers to people with historical connections to particular territories. It can be manipulated by political elites who demonize perceived ‘allochthonous’ minorities or ‘outsiders’. Though autochthony-related violence is often considered to constitute or resemble genocide or ‘ethnic cleansing’, the contested nature of these concepts necessitates further consideration of the impact of such violence beyond the genocide lens. This essay explores the potential implications of such hostilities and violence for ‘restorative’ or ‘reparative’ justice. It focuses on the examples of the protracted violence in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic (CAR), where both peace and justice seem elusive for many communities, and the missed opportunities to foster reparative justice for victims of the last major conflict in Côte d’Ivoire (2010–11). In focusing on victims of autochthony-related violence, this essay considers the potential specific, multilayered, and intersecting needs of such victims and the challenges they may face within the context of any broader, comprehensive processes of reparative justice. Given the challenges that this essay highlights, it concludes by recommending that scholars further consider a conceptualization of reparative justice encompassing the multilayered experiences of autochthony-based victimization.

Gender Concerns Aid in the Understanding of Peace and Conflict

Centred on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, this study provides insights into the role of gender in peace and conflict, including but not limited to advocating for gender equality, preventing sexual violence, protecting women who are victims of conflict, and promoting women's participation in international peace-related activities. This study highlights the different roles that women play in conflict and challenges the traditional view of women as mere victims of conflict through three cases. While Turkey's national culture contributes to the challenges faced by women in the military, such as sexual harassment. At the same time, there has been a lack of progress in empowering women and integrating them into peace and security institutions. In the case of the African Union, for example, despite a series of documents advocating for women's advancement and gender equality, little progress has been made in two decades when it comes to implementation at the country level. Nepal is an example of women's empowerment in conflict. The transformation of widowhood practices is one of the most noteworthy aspects of the conflict, in which women were able to get what they wanted. The research indicates that though resolution 1325 may not fully increase the social positions of women, women could defend their rights and enhance their powers on their own through conflicts.

Analysis of Jurisdictional Challenges in the Application of Humanitarian Law to the Protection of Victim's Human Rights in the Conflict Between Israel and Palestine

The study aims to analyze jurisdictional challenges in the application of international humanitarians' rights to the protection of human rights victims of the israel-palestine conflict. Using qualitative and analytic approaches, the study describes a framework of humanitarians designed to protect individuals in conflict situations, with a focus on the Geneva convention and other international legal documents. In the context of the israel-palestine conflict, the study identified complex jurisdictional challenges, including sovereignty issues, international recognition, and conflict politicisation, all of which influence the effective application of civic norms. By combining analysis of legal documents, international organization reports, and related literature, this article offers insight into the gaps between its legal and practical principles in the field, and suggests an approach to overcoming these obstacles to increase protection for victims. The study contributed to an understanding of humanite-law dynamics ina politicized geopolitical context and offered recommendations for international stakeholder in the face of existing jurisdictional challenges.

Angry Men and Civic Women? Gendered Effects of Conflict on Political Participation in Kosovo

This article studies the effect of the 1998–99 Kosovo war on current political participation, disaggregating the analysis by the type of conflict experience – namely death or injury to self or a family member or displacement – and by gender. The results show that experience of conflict is associated with more political participation but with important distinctions between genders by the form of participation and the type of conflict experience. Displacement is associated with more voting among women, but not among men, and with more demonstrating by men but weaker or no effects for women; death and injury are associated with higher political party membership for men but not women. While experiences of conflict increase levels of political participation, the form that this takes varies by gender, with effects on private, civic, action among women, and effects on direct, public, and more emotionally heightened engagement among men. HIGHLIGHTS The view that conflict victims are more politically active than non-victims needs nuancing. In Kosovo, women’s war displacement is only associated with an increase in voting. But men will join a political party (if injury or death in the family) or demonstrate (if displaced). This implies that victimization does not contribute to challenging gendered social norms. The accepted “post-traumatic growth” hypothesis is insufficient to explain these findings.

Dampak Konflik Agraria Terhadap Kepercayaan Politik Petani Di Sumatera Utara

This paper aims to analyze the impact of agrarian conflicts on the political trust of peasants who are victims of agrarian conflict in North Sumatra. The study utilizes political trust theory and agrarian conflict as analytical tools with a qualitative approach. Political trust serves as the foundation of the relationship between society and the state, shaped by the government's performance in policy or conflict resolution, such as agrarian conflicts. Agrarian conflicts typically manifest through actions like land grabbing, the unilateral takeover of land by companies, the exploitation of natural resources for economic gain, leading to the displacement of traditional peasants, and violations of peasants' rights, such as criminalization or distancing peasants from agrarian sources. The research results indicate that agrarian conflicts have influenced the political trust of peasants due to the lack of clarity in enforcing agrarian conflict resolution rules, the unfair distribution of resources, and the unequal opportunity for peasants to access justice.

Peran Biro Kesra Sekretariat Daerah Provinsi Jawa Timur dalam Pemberian Bantuan Sosial Jaminan Hidup Tahap Akhir Bagi Eks. Korban Konflik Sosial Sampang Tahun 2023

The social conflict between the Syiah and Sunni groups in Sampang Regency, East Java due to differences in understanding has caused social risks for the Shia Group in the form of discrimination which led to rejection, requiring them to leave their homes and take refuge in the Jemundo Flat in Sidoarjo Regency. As stated in the East Java Governor Regulation No. 44 of 2021 which also discusses social assistance, the East Java Provincial Welfare Bureau participated in handling social risks due to the conflict that occurred by providing social assistance in the form of life insurance in cash for the victims. However, there are discrepancies in its implementation, namely related to the period of providing social assistance that exceeds the grace period for conflict. This study aims to determine the role of the Kesra Bureau in providing social assistance in the form of a final stage of life insurance at the end of October 2023 for Ex-Sampang Social Conflict Victims in 2023. This research is descriptive qualitative using the Miles and Huberman analysis method. Primary data used was obtained through observation, documentation and interviews as well as secondary data through related journals and websites. The research locus is located at the Bureau of Welfare of the Regional Secretariat of East Java Province. The results showed that the Welfare Bureau had carried out the provision of social assistance in the form of life insurance in the final stage on October 30, 2023 at the Jemundo Flat, Sidoarjo Regency. This indicates that the Welfare Bureau with the help of relevant stakeholders has carried out its role in providing late-stage social assistance according to the criteria for providing social assistance as in Governor Regulation No. 44 of 2021 Article 30, namely meeting the requirements of beneficiaries, selective, temporary and not continuous, except in certain circumstances it can be sustainable, and adjusted to the intended use.

Archaeology of Modern Conflict and Heritage Legislation in Lithuania during Thirty Years of Restored Independence

After the Lithuanian National Revival in 1988 and the restoration of independence in 1990, the public on their own initiative searched for the remains of fallen anti-Soviet Lithuanian partisans (1944-1953), excavating the burial sites of partisan remains, their bunkers and dugouts. Such excavations prompted the need to establish regulations and procedures for the exhumation and transfer of the remains of victims of 20th-century conflicts and occupation regimes. Government resolutions adopted in 1992 obliged prosecutors, archaeologists, anthropologists and forensic medical experts to be involved in the exhumation procedure and to carry out the exhumation in accordance with the basic requirements of archaeological research. Owing to the restoration and destruction of authentic partisan bunkers and dugouts, the increase in archaeological investigations at 20th-century conflict sites, as well as the emergence of a distinct field of modern conflict archaeology, the 2022 revision of the Archaeological Heritage Management Regulation stipulated the necessity to carry out archaeological research prior to any excavation works at all 19th- and 20th-century conflict sites. Between 1995 and 2022, a total of 171 permits for archaeological excavations at 20th-century conflict sites were issued. Investigations were mostly carried out at the burial sites of Wehrmacht and Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) soldiers of the Second World War and Lithuanian partisans. Partisan bunkers, dugouts, campsites, battlefields also received considerable attention. Today, more than 1700 20th-century conflict sites have legal protection in Lithuania. These include Lithuanian Partisan War sites (mainly sites of death and burial), burial sites of soldiers from the First and Second World Wars, sites of massacres and burials of Jews, and other sites associated with the Soviet and Nazi occupation regimes. This article focuses on 20th-century conflict sites in Lithuania, examining issues of their protection, heritage conservation and archaeology, as well as current trends in archaeological research methodology.

Trauma of Conflict Victims and Criminal Prosecutions in Nigeria: Discourse on Post-Conflict Transformation

The aim of this paper is to examine the pursuance of criminal prosecutions after a conflict in healing the trauma of conflict victims to rebuild societies. In most conflict situations, there are different types of victims, thousands of people lose their lives, displace, rape, torture and detain or forcibly disappear. While other people will continue suffer from Trauma of Conflict Victimization. Therefore, the lack of accountability, criminal justice, rule of law can lead to widespread violation of human rights and crime against the law. This paper is qualitative in context, nature, and structure; hence Library Research method and content analysis were adopted and carried out to review the data acquired and evaluate the studies originality. The paper adopted theory of peace making criminology to understand and explain the process of healing conflict victims’ trauma in post-conflict transformation situations. The study revealed that, in some cases such as Kenya, Nigeria and South Sudan conflict, the crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations and abuses were committed. The findings also revealed that prosecutions of war criminals and human rights abusers will promote peace and prevent conflict victimization. Furthermore, Post-conflict transformation contain peace building and requires the development of rules, norms that transform potentially violent actors in to non-violent actors and support political, economic, social and military measures and structures aiming to redress the root causes of conflict. The study recommended that, post-conflict policy efforts should focus on peace building, because that is how the warring parties could be settled, negotiation can be facilitated with the armed groups, and the victims could be empowered and compensated. The paper also recommended that the rule of law should not only serve the rights of dominant social groups while leaving other minority groups behind in the post-conflict settings and international institutions should take into cognizance such issues as the entitlements of groups that are vulnerable to marginalization and discrimination- minority groups, women and children, internally or internationally displaced persons and refugees- in a conflict setting or a country.

The Health of Victims of Wars and Armed Conflicts in Africa and Asia: Resilience, an Organizational Question

The Health of Victims of Wars and Armed Conflicts in Africa and Asia: Resilience, an Organizational Question

Pain management in victims of disasters.

Pain is widely studied and is considered a major clinical, social, and economic problem worldwide, although it remains poorly understood. For disaster victims, the complex picture, biologically, psychologically, and socially, only makes the situation even more complicated. This narrative review aims to describe specific aspects of pain and pain management in disaster victims. We reviewed relevant literature, both on pain management and selected specific data related to conflict victims. We discuss the complexity of the picture, its different aspects, and mechanisms. We discuss the limitations of current approaches and propose a simple strategy, including mitigation plans, all illustrated by a case study based on a personal experience in the Gaza Strip in 2022. The vulnerability factors are well known, as well as the tangle of intense acute pain and the persistence of pain in the subacute and chronic phase. However, the management of acute pain is, in a disaster context, more constrained than chosen. Empirical evidence suggests a focus on modifiable risk factors as well as the evaluation of strategies guiding future management. This management may depend on obstacles and barriers, linked to the context of the disaster, the availability of medicines, techniques, skills as well as linguistic and cultural barriers. Our proposal includes systematic assessment and, in a later phase, tailored and personalized treatment. In the chronic phase of rehabilitation and follow-ups, the essential place for management of psychological and social aspects become predominant. In disaster areas, including during and after conflict, the management, and recommendations for the management of acute and chronic pain are complex, distinct but interdependent. Acute pain must be systematically assessed and treated while personalized care pathways are desirable at a later stage. Psychological and social considerations are essential. Data collection should be systematically considered.

Towards comprehensive civilian protection under Common Article 3 by addressing protection gaps in spill-over conflicts

There is a proliferation of non-international armed conflicts across the globe. Increasingly, these conflicts involve groups across two or more borders or that involve cross-border clashes. This is termed as spill-over conflict. The Middle East and Central Africa serve as salient examples to this effect. A literal reading of Common Article 3 locks out the victims of such conflicts from protected status. Common Article 3 restricts its application to non-international armed conflicts occurring in the territory of one high contracting party. The gap in protection occurs where the groups do not meet the organisational threshold in Additional Protocol II regarding the structure of the non-state actors’ organisation but are engaged in conflicts spanning more than a single territory. This paper examines the history of Common Article 3 and finds that the parties had no intention of locking out the application of Common Article 3 based on territorial considerations. Secondly, this paper looks into customary international law through state practice and jurisprudence. It finds that state practice and emerging jurisprudence recognises the fundamental principles that underpin Common Article 3. To this end, even where treaty law is inapplicable, customary international humanitarian law shall apply to provide protection to victims of spill-over non-international armed conflict. It is against this backdrop that the paper proposes that the single territory provision in Common Article 3 be amended to accommodate a more inclusive cross border reading.

Identifying and Resolving Conflicts Using Local Wisdom: A Qualitative Study

For a long time, Maluku civilization has been heterogeneous. It can be seen in differences in ethnicity, beliefs, language, and culture, creating conflicts. This research intends to identify and resolve conflicts utilizing local wisdom, particularly regional language, and cultural viewpoints. It is a descriptive qualitative study that adopts an ethnolinguistic perspective to analyze data. Data was collected through participatory observation using an interview guide containing open-ended questions. Thirty participants comprised ten women and twenty men, aged 38 to 82 years; they were kings, traditional leaders, religious leaders, police, and conflict victims. Findings show that socio-cultural aspects, i.e., territorial disputes, different perspectives on culture, and youth delinquency, dominate conflicts in Maluku, Indonesia. However, using language in advice, proverbs, pela, gandong, molo, or nyelam as local wisdom can build peace. It indicates a new model for handling conflict in the regional language and culture to maintain security, continuity, and stability.

Nursing Profession in Times of War and Humanity: Insights from Siti Rufaidah's Legacy

In armed conflicts, innocent people are often the victims of violence and brutality. War not only destroys infrastructure and the environment, but also destroys human morals and ethics. However, there are several humanitarian principles that must be upheld. These principles are set out in the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, which form the basis of international humanitarian law. However, in reality there are still many countries that violate these principles. Violence and abuse against civilians, prisoners of war, and the injured continue to occur in many conflicts around the world. Nurse is a health profession that has an important role in war. They work on the front lines to provide medical care to victims of conflict, including military troops, prisoners of war, and civilians injured or sick as a result of the conflict. Nurses performed a variety of tasks during war, including treating patients with gun wounds, preparing medical equipment, taking blood samples for diagnosis, and providing psychological assistance to patients traumatized by the conflict. In the history of Islam and world civilization, many wars occurred during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Siti Rufaidah was one of the well-known nurse figures at that time and was often present in providing medical assistance to war victims. One of the proofs of her patentability in the world of nursing is during the Khandaq war. Siti Rufaidah at that time treated Sa'ad bin Muadz who was injured by an arrow until his condition stabilized and improved. The presence of Siti Rufaidah has had a huge impact on the development of the nursing profession in the Islamic world, and even today. She is a role model for Muslim nurses around the world.

Healthcare Workers in Conflict: Challenges and Choices.

'War is definitely hell on earth'. All too often, we hope the hell will be short-lived, over in a few days, and yet, as we know from experience, hell can go on and on and on. For healthcare workers who provide care to victims of conflict, the work raises many ethical dilemmas. The stories showcased in this edition of NIB share the experiences of a handful of brave individuals and how they navigated their professional ethical obligations as well as their personal convictions during times of conflict. Adeptly portrayed are various approaches to ethical dilemmas, such as adhering to the ethical imperative of medical impartiality, the limits of professional and personal responsibility, coping with moral distress, and the power of humanity, evident through the collective efforts of strangers to help others. This commentary reflects on the ethical grey zones of being a healthcare provider in conflict, as there is no single right way of fulfilling professional obligations, each context being different. As several stories highlight, whilst stressful, the solidarity and comradery of working in a healthcare team can provide great support, purpose, and motivation.

Examining the Crime-Conflict Distinction: Victimization and Political System Support in Colombia

How do crime and conflict compare in relation to victims’ support for their political system? Latin American Politics scholarship has emphasized the distinct motivations of criminal and political violence. However, victims might not distinguish meaningfully between these types of insecurity. Scholars have used surveys extensively to understand crime victimization's consequences, but we know less about conflict victimization's relationship with political attitudes. Analyzing public opinion surveys from Colombia (2012–2018), we find that crime and conflict victimization share a minimal relationship with system support at the national level. In conflict zones, however, victimization from political violence corresponds negatively with system support. Decreased confidence in security forces may be the explanation. Our findings have three implications: scholars risk overemphasizing the crime-conflict distinction without micro-level insight; analyzing public opinion in areas beyond state control is necessary to build such knowledge; and, amidst acute insecurity, attention to victims has systemic importance.

Hopes and dreams: youth activities in civil society organizations in post-conflict countries

ABSTRACT For a long time, youth have been seen as a driving factor for conflicts or as victims of conflicts. While some literature and research on youth in conflict tend to be overly negative and focus on the danger posed by youth, we argue that these descriptions do not reflect reality: youth are crucial to sustainable peacebuilding and must, therefore, be included in conflict transformation processes. We demonstrate that while youth continue to experience difficulties in overtaking meaningful roles as actors of change in peacebuilding, there is an improvement in the acceptance of their agency. The article explores the case of Sierra Leone where the perception of youth can be seen as a massive change from immediately after the war to today. The article explores different roles that youth can have during and after a conflict, investigates positive impacts youth can have, describes what peace means for young people and how they would describe a desirable future, and finally speaks about how youth respond and interact with international ideas of peace and sustainability.