Child or Soldier? Adolescents and Armed Conflict in a Securitized World | Li Center

A nuanced discussion of current issues surrounding children and adolescents associated with armed conflict
April 1, 2024, World Room, 3rd Floor, Pulitzer Hall, Columbia Journalism School
Grave violations against children in armed conflict, including the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and groups, continue to be a major protection concern in numerous countries in Africa, the Middle East, East and South Asia, and Latin America. Over the last 20+ years, the international landscape has shifted in the context of securitization and counterterrorism measures, effectively shrinking the humanitarian and protection space for children and adolescents impacted by armed conflict.
Hosted by the Simon and June Li Center for Global Journalism at Columbia University’s Journalism School (journalism.columbia.edu/li-ce...) and co-organized with the Program on Forced Migration and Health (www.publichealth.columbia.edu...) at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, the Care and Protection of Children (CPC) Learning Network, this panel conversation unpacked how common beliefs, biases, and perceptions of children and adolescents in conflict-affected regions are shaping the narrative - and the international humanitarian and development community’s response and programming for certain groups of children. Panelists contextualized current narratives through a combination of journalistic, humanitarian, programming, legal, and geopolitical perspectives.
Panelists:
Dr. Ezequiel Heffes, Director, Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
Faith K. Nimineh, Senior Advisor, Humanitarian Affairs, ChildFund Alliance
Juan D. Arredondo, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Journalism, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Moderator:
Azmat Khan, Patti Cadby Birch Assistant Professor of Journalism and Director of the Simon and June Li Center for Global Journalism, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Introductory Remarks:
Monette Zard, Allan Rosenfield Associate Professor of Forced Migration and Health and the Director of the Forced Migration and Health Program in the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health