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Christina Clark-Kazak's Page
Profile
- What motivated you to become involved in peace and conflict resolution?
- Having worked extensively in development in Africa, I have seen first-hand the linkages between poverty, conflict and migration.
- Please feel free to provide a short bio about yourself (no more than 3 paragraphs)
- Christina Clark-Kazak is assistant professor in the Conflict Studies program at Saint Paul University. She holds a doctorate in development studies from Oxford University, a Master's in international relations from Cambridge University and a B.A. in French and international relations from the University of British Columbia. For 10 years, she has also worked as a development practitioner and consultant for the Canadian Government, international non-governmental organizations and the United Nations. Her research interests include conflict-induced migration and political participation of children and young people, particularly in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa.
- Please list the countries and/or regions in which you have direct and significant expertise
- Uganda
Democratic Republic of Congo
Rwanda
Great Lakes region of Africa
West Africa
- What is your current country of residence?
- Canada
- What is your current job (and organization) and/or where and what field are you studying?
- Assistant Professor, Conflict Studies, Saint Paul University
- What is your personal or organizational website?
- http://www.ustpaul.ca/HumanSciences/prof_e.asp?id=367
- Which are your primary sectoral areas of expertise?
- Peacebuilding, Conflict Mainstreaming, Development, Gender, Youth
- Which are your primary skills areas?
- Training, Evaluation, Research
- What are some of your current areas of research (if any)?
- Transnational political networks
Linkages between migration and conflict
Young people and inter-generational effects of conflict
Development and humanitarian assistance in contexts of conflict
- If appropriate feel free to list several of your publications
- Clark-Kazak, Christina. Forthcoming. Towards a Working Definition and Application of Social Age in International Development Studies. Accepted for publication in Journal of Development Studies.
Clark-Kazak, Christina. Forthcoming. The politics of protection: Aid, human rights discourse and power relations in Kyaka II settlement, Uganda. Accepted for publication in Disasters.
Clark, Christina. 2008. Borders of everyday life: Congolese young people’s political identification in contexts of conflict-induced displacement. Brighton: Households in Conflict Network, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.
______. 2007. Understanding vulnerability: From categories to experiences of Congolese young people in Uganda. Children and Society. 21(4): 284-296
______. 2006. Livelihood Networks and Decision-Making among Congolese Young People in Uganda. Brighton: Households in Conflict Network, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.
______. 2006. Juvenile Justice and Child Soldiering: Trends, Challenges, Dilemmas. In Protection of Children During Armed Political Conflict: A Multidisciplinary Perspective, edited by C. V. Greenbaum, P. Veerman and N. Bacon-Shnoor. Antwerp and Oxford: Intersentia.
______. 2004. Child Protection in the Context of Displacement: Ntoroko County, Bundibugyo District. Kampala: Refugee Law Project, Makerere University.
Events
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3rd International Youth Media Summit
August 20, 2008 at 9am to August 27, 2008 at 9pm – Belgrade -
2008 Summer Professional Development Workshop
August 22, 2008 at 9am to August 27, 2008 at 5pm – Claremont Graduate University, CA -
Transitions Online announces the launch of Reporting EU Integration
August 25, 2008 at 9pm – Bosnia,-Herzegovina, Serbia, Moldova -
Systemic Peacebuilding - Executive Leadership Programme
August 26, 2008 at 9am to August 28, 2008 at 6pm – London
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I have also found the idea of 'bounded groupness' interesting. I must give credit where it is due - it comes from a seminal article critiquing the 'identity' literature by Brubaker and Cooper: Brubaker, Rogers, and Frederick Cooper. 2000. Beyond 'Identity'. Theory and Society 29 (1):1-47.
If you haven't already come across it, it is definitely a worthwhile read.
As for the generational issues, I have tried to lay out some of my thinking on this, as well as a concept I call 'social age' in a forthcoming article in the Journal of International Development Studies. I could send you a copy (I'm not sure if I can attach a file to this message - I am fairly new at these internet-based networking sites), if you provide me with an email address.
Do keep in touch on your research!
Christina
Thanks for the prompt response, and for the links to your documents. You have introduced me to another level at which conflict/collaboration plays out: the generational level. I will certainly have to explore it also at some stage.
It seems also that all along I have been trying to look at, if I may call them, bounded groups (thanks for that too.. ) by taking ‘groupness’ as a given, and thinking about groups as pigeon holes in which to slot individuals. From your findings on group solidarity amongst the ‘Congolese’ you studied you reveal that ‘groupness’ is dynamic and situational. I now have to disabuse myself of the ill manners of pigeonholing and reflect also on factors that consolidate or fracture groups. After all, to the outside observer, Banyarwanda are one group, or Somali are a single national ‘group’, but when push comes to shove, they slash each other carotids. Yet of course, North Americans are a 'melting pot'...
Thanks for the insights.
Sabiiti
I think that your proposed research on intra-Hutu violence is very interesting and necessary. I agree that too much of the ethnic violence research tends to suggest 'bounded groupness', with the emphasis on the differences and animosity between groups, overlooking the heterogeneity and power dynamics within groups. I am particularly interested in inter- and intra-generational relationships within groups and my research has shown that these dynamics are complex, even at the level of daily life, not to mention when issues become politicized. In case this is of any use to you, you can download a paper I wrote on this issue, using network theory to problematize the way in which we often think about groups, at: http://www.hicn.org/papers/wp13.pdf
As for interaction with Hutu in Kyaka II, I did meet some, but my research was focused on Congolese refugees, so I had less contact with Rwandese, although many Congolese Hutu have historic familial ties to Rwanda. The majority of my research subjects in the settlement were Hema and Lendu from Ituri, or Chi from the Kivus. In terms of intra-ethnic relations generally, I found that people when they first arrived tended to seek out members of their ethnic groups, in many cases leaving their allocated plot of land in the settlement to move to areas where other people of their ethnicity lived. Another interesting finding on the identity issue was that migration tended to reinforce a sense of (ill-defined) Congolese nationality, even among those (including Hutu) who are perceived "not to belong" in the DRC (the so-called 'non-indigenous' groups). I have written up some of my findings in another article at: http://www.hicn.org/papers/wp38.pdf.
None of this is very Hutu-specific, so I don't know how helpful it will be. But, I look forward to keeping in touch on our on-going research on Great Lakes issues.
Christina
Thanks for the message. Indeed virtualness shrinks our little world. Much of my research is still embryonic, but it will shape up soon... One of the strands I am pursuing is intra-Hutu violence in pre-genocide Rwanda. All we tend to hear about is Hutu-Tutsi animosity but not the sectarian undercurrents that obtain within each of those two groups, at times causing murderous strife. You may have heard about the Northern Hutu Vs the Southern Hutu leading to the 1973 coup, then Northwestern Hutu vs Northeastern Hutu leading to the confusion of the early 1980s etc until the Hutu theselves got divided to the level of the commune and finally 'Akazu'. If you ave any hints on that sectarian fission please guide me. I am sure in Kyaka II you interacted with Hutu. I wonder whether they were one with each other. If you observed anything, please....
Nice to see you on this Network. I am from Nepal. Its great to here about experiences in venerable African country. Hope we will be in touch and we will share our experiences each others.
Thanks
Yadab
Cheers
looking ahead a Human Touch!!!!