Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

Abstract

Teaching Notes for Reconsidering Reintegration, by Kim Fletcher.

This case is designed to be taught in three separate parts; however, the first two parts can also stand alone from the third. In Part I the students are introduced to the characters and they begin to get emotionally involved in the story. They are forced to make a decision that faces many child soldiers: commit an atrocity against your family or in your own town, or be killed. At this point in the case the students may start to recognize some of the broader problems of delineating victims from perpetrators in conflict situations in which some combatants are kidnapped and forced to fight, but it will be made more explicit in Part II.

In Part II several dilemmas are illustrated in the case, each of which reflects larger policy dilemmas. The blurry line between victims and perpetrators is drawn out. Additionally, reintegration programs typically seek to focus on the former child soldier, inadvertently at the expense of his or her family and community.

In Part III the students have the chance to consider the dilemmas posed in Parts I and II in designing their own post-conflict programs. As in most cases, there is no "correct" solution. Instead the students have the opportunity to confront some the many challenges facing IGOs and INGOs in post-conflict situations. They should walk away with a better appreciation of the many actors involved, their interests, and the ways in which competing interests may impact the implementation of programs on the ground.

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