Call for Essays: Children in Armed Conflicts
Two events in March 2012 have awoken the conscience of the world on the use of children in armed conflict: the documentary called Kony 2012, created by the Invisible Children organization calling for the arrest of Joseph Kony, which was seen by over 100 million people in less than one week, as well as the recent condemnation of Thomas Lubanga by the International Criminal Court.
In addition to the documentary, several testimonies and works of fiction have been published on the subject of former child soldiers. Various former child soldiers, scholars, writers, and film directors have chosen to protect these children and give a voice to the millions of children thrown into war against their will in order to understand the conditions and mechanisms that lead to their recruitment.
Moreover, the well-being of children has been defined by the United Nations Security Council as a "categorical imperative" for the realization of planetary peace and security, which therefore calls for actions. In fact, grave violations being perpetrated against children in the context of war are now considered to be a legitimate threat to the maintenance of this peace and security.
Peace Review is preparing a special issue on "Children in Armed Conflicts," which will first consider stories of war through the eyes of former child soldiers. Testimonial narratives will describe the difficulty of feeling and being seen simultaneously as victim and perpetrator.The second axis will be focused on analyzing literary and artistic works on the theme of child soldiers. Among other questions, we will be guided by the following: How do fictional texts and films address and respond to the topic of child soldiers? What differences are there between the testimonial narratives of former child soldiers and the representations of child soldiers in text and film? The third aspect will move to discussions, in part on the relevance of writing about and filming child soldiers, on the role of institutions (governments, United Nations, NGOs, Churches, Criminal Courts, etc.) The discussions may include the Kony 2012 movement, the condemnation of Lubanga, and images of Africa.
Essays are welcome on any aspect of this issue’s theme, broadly conceived.Interested writers should submit essays (2,500-3,500 words) and 2-3 line bios to Peace Review no later than April 23, 2012. Essays should be jargon- and footnote-free.
We publish essays on ideas and research in peace studies, broadly defined. Essays are relatively short (2,500-3,500 words), contain no footnotes or exhaustive bibliography, and are intended for a wide readership. The journal is most interested in the cultural and political issues surrounding conflicts occurring between nations and peoples.
Send essays to:
Robert Elias (Editor) or Kerry Donoghue (Managing Editor)
peacereview@usfca.edu
and
Special Editor Jean-Pierre Karegeye at Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN
jkaregey@macalester.edu