This research network built up by the Arts & Research Council in the UK is working about children fathered by (foreign) soldiers and born to lochal women (children born of war – CBOW), which have been a feature of warfare for centuries, yet have remained largely unnotices by public and academia. As a result of the changing nature of war and civil war, the issue of war-affected children in general and of children born of war, children of child soldiers and children of peacekeepers in particular is an increasingly pressing concern.

The network plans to bring togehter researchers and practioners seeking to develop a better understanding of the issues affecting CBOW. This will include historians, social scientists, philosophers, lawyers, ethicists and psychiatrists. In addition, military personnel, NGOs dealing with children born of war in recent conflicts, policy makers (e.g. in the UN) and psychiatrists will be integrated in workshop and related research projects.

Key participants:

Sabine Lee, Birmingham Centre for the Study of War

Ingvill Mochmann, GESIS, Cologne

Barbara Stelzl-Marx, L. B. Institute for Research on War Consequences

Philipp Kuwert, University Greifswald

Christiane Knaevesrud, Free University Berlin

Jocelyn Kelly, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative

Eunice Apio, Faciliation for Peace and Development, Northern Uganda

Mendy March, UNICEF and UN