reintegration

This article describes the problems of former Ethiopian soldiers with their reintegration into civil life. During an anthropological field study, 60 excombatants were interviewed. They reported feeling frustrated about the lack of interest in their living conditions on the part of the Ethiopian public and Ethiopian and Western Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs). They felt that they had no future perspective.

This paper is based on findings from a support group that was run at the Trauma Clinic in the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) in Johannesburg, South Africa. It offered an intensive vocational training course with psychosocial interventions over a period of three months. The psychosocial interventions included a two-hour weekly psycho-education programme and a two-hour weekly support group intervention.

Women combatants are not a homogeneous group. The current approach of many Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes is inappropriate for girls between 14 and 25 years of age. In order to provide reintegration assistance that has a significant long-term impact, it is essential first to understand why girls the join armed forces.

Reintegration processes of formerly abducted children have yielded limited success in northern Uganda. The article seeks answers to the question why reintegration processes in the area have failed. The approach of one Christian non-governmental organization towards reintegration is compared with the ideas and strategies of formerly abducted child soldiers and people in their communities on how best to deal with their violent past.

Based on an assessment of over 8000 active militia members and military staff in seven regions of Somalia, this article reports on three groups of respondents who might require special attention in a future Somali disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme. The assessment revealed distinct preferences concerning future reintegration assistance, according to region, age and gender of the respondents.

This article describes a participative ranking methodology for identifying local understanding of reintegration and adjustment of potential value in programme planning and evaluation. It was applied in the specific context of girls formerly associated with fighting forces in Sierra Leone. Fourteen discussion groups, utilizing spontaneous listing and participative ranking activities, within a focus group framework, were conducted in 10 communities.

A major feature of the Liberian conflict was the extensive use of children as soldiers. In 2003, by the end of the conflict, thousands of former child soldiers were in need of urgent economic empowerment, and social and psychological support. This paper examines the various methods employed in providing support for these children by the relevant stakeholders.