Increasing numbers of researchers are working in regions experiencing high levels of conflict or crisis, or among populations that have fled violent conflict to become refugees or internally displaced persons. Understanding these conflicts and their aftermath should be shaped not only by the victors and their elite companions but also by the local people whose daily lives become intertwined with the conflict - this 'view from below' is explored in this volume. Conducting rigorous research in these contexts presents a range of ethical, methodological, logistical and security challenges not usually confronted in non-conflict field contexts. This volume compiles lessons learned by experienced field researchers, many of whom have faced demanding situations characterized by violence, distrust and social fragmentation. The authors offer options for studying the situations of people affected by conflict and, by focusing on ethical and security issues, seek ways to safeguard the interests and integrity of the research 'subjects' and of the researchers and their teams.

Governments, international organizations, and international laws and courts increasingly pay attention to conflict-related sexual violence. The core of the UN Women Peace and Security Agenda is stopping conflict-related sexual violence against women. Yet, with over two decades of grappling with conflict-related sexual violence and its legacies, there is only passing mention of the potential and obvious outcomes of sexual violence: pregnancy, abortion, forced maternity. What do we know about children conceived through acts of sexual abuse? What are their life chances? How do they exist with their mothers and within their families? In this collection we hear from the leading researchers and practitioners from around the globe, each of whom has spent decades working with women who survived wartime rape and with their children who were the result of that violence. This ground-breaking collection explores the life cycles of children born of wartime rape across time and space. It shines light on why young people born of rape are or are not able rejoin their families and society in the post-conflict. It explores the different ways these children learn about their origins and how they, their families and societies react to that understanding. It reveals the local, national, and international actions of how children born of wartime rape and their families are positioned in society and how they strive to transcend this and position themselves as they move from abuse, marginalization and pain into belonging and justice.

Increasing numbers of researchers are working in regions experiencing high levels of conflict or crisis, or among populations that have fled violent conflict to become refugees or internally displaced persons. Understanding these conflicts and their aftermath should be shaped not only by the victors and their elite companions but also by the local people whose daily lives become intertwined with the conflict - this 'view from below' is explored in this volume. Conducting rigorous research in these contexts presents a range of ethical, methodological, logistical and security challenges not usually confronted in non-conflict field contexts. This volume compiles lessons learned by experienced field researchers, many of whom have faced demanding situations characterized by violence, distrust and social fragmentation. The authors offer options for studying the situations of people affected by conflict and, by focusing on ethical and security issues, seek ways to safeguard the interests and integrity of the research 'subjects' and of the researchers and their teams.

To access the maps mentioned in this book, Click Here. Despite the fall of the Taliban, Afghanistan remains a country in dire need of strong international support. Only with an understanding of the conditions in both urban and rural areas will the international community be able to offer aid and remain committed to long-term development. This fascinating and clearly written book mines a rich and unique array of data, which was collected in rural areas of Afghanistan by an expert team of researchers, to analyze countrywide trends in the relationship between human security and livelihoods. The team's research and recommendations, published here for the first time, suggest that international assistance or national development strategies that ignore the long-term developmental and structural goals and sideline the moderate elements of Afghan society will be doomed to failure. The authors' deeply informed policy recommendations will help to focus further action on vital issues such as co-optation of aid by armed political groups; water scarcity; contamination and degradation of the environment; education; health care; agriculture, livestock, and land health; and justice. A valuable resource for students, policymakers, donor governments, and national and international organizations, Life and Security in Rural Afghanistan opens a rare window into the otherwise hidden lives of the people of rural Afghanistan.

To access the maps mentioned in this book, Click Here. Despite the fall of the Taliban, Afghanistan remains a country in dire need of strong international support. Only with an understanding of the conditions in both urban and rural areas will the international community be able to offer aid and remain committed to long-term development. This fascinating and clearly written book mines a rich and unique array of data, which was collected in rural areas of Afghanistan by an expert team of researchers, to analyze countrywide trends in the relationship between human security and livelihoods. The team's research and recommendations, published here for the first time, suggest that international assistance or national development strategies that ignore the long-term developmental and structural goals and sideline the moderate elements of Afghan society will be doomed to failure. The authors' deeply informed policy recommendations will help to focus further action on vital issues such as co-optation of aid by armed political groups; water scarcity; contamination and degradation of the environment; education; health care; agriculture, livestock, and land health; and justice. A valuable resource for students, policymakers, donor governments, and national and international organizations, After the Taliban opens a rare window into the otherwise hidden lives of the people of rural Afghanistan.

Peacekeeping has become a major international undertaking throughout the world, from Africa to the Americas, from Europe to Southeast Asia. Yet until now, there has been no systematic analysis of the key role of gender in post-cold war conflicts and of post-conflict peacekeeping efforts. This groundbreaking volume explores how gender has become a central factor in shaping current thinking about the causes and consequences of armed conflict, complex emergencies, and reconstruction. Drawing on expertise ranging from the highest levels of international policymaking down to the daily struggle to implement peacekeeping operations, this work represents the full span of knowledge and experience about international intervention in local crises. Presenting a rich array of examples from Angola, Bosnia Herzegovina, East Timor, El Salvador, the former Yugoslavia, Guatemala, Haiti, Kosovo, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, and Serbia, the authors offer important insights for future peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.

Peacekeeping has become a major international undertaking throughout the world, from Africa to the Americas, from Europe to Southeast Asia. Yet until now, there has been no systematic analysis of the key role of gender in post-cold war conflicts and of post-conflict peacekeeping efforts. This groundbreaking volume explores how gender has become a central factor in shaping current thinking about the causes and consequences of armed conflict, complex emergencies, and reconstruction. Drawing on expertise ranging from the highest levels of international policymaking down to the daily struggle to implement peacekeeping operations, this work represents the full span of knowledge and experience about international intervention in local crises. Presenting a rich array of examples from Angola, Bosnia Herzegovina, East Timor, El Salvador, the former Yugoslavia, Guatemala, Haiti, Kosovo, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, and Serbia, the authors offer important insights for future peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.