ABSTRACT This paper explores the nexus between child-soldiers’ wartime roles and their reintegration into the post-war society. Reintegration programmes do not suit all young veterans (former child soldiers). Many of these programmes do not result in their intended outcomes and literature has attempted to provide reasons for the failure or success of reintegration processes. The influence of young veterans’ war retentions, that is, skills, abilities, knowledge and practices gained through their wartime roles, on the reintegration process has not been adequately considered; this paper sets out to bridge this gap. The paper argues that wartime roles, far from being totally negative, could catalyse the reintegration process of some young veterans. While the paper partly concurs with the dominant apocalyptic description of the involvement of children in armed conflict, it argues that the experience gained from the war through combat, logistics, intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance functions, is not always exclusively negative. Narratives collected from Liberian young veterans through in-depth interviews, attest to this. The paper also argues that the emphasis on the dominant role of killing and the harsh conditions of young veterans, tends to undermine any positive dimension of war retentions. The paper finally contests the view that there is diametrical opposition between wartime roles and post-war roles.

中文翻译：

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从地狱中汲取天堂：非洲年轻退伍军人的战争保留和冲突后重返社会

摘要 本文探讨了童兵战时角色与他们重新融入战后社会之间的关系。重返社会计划并不适合所有年轻的退伍军人（前儿童兵）。许多这些计划并没有产生预期的结果，文献试图为重新融入过程的失败或成功提供原因。未充分考虑年轻退伍军人的战争保留情况，即通过其战时角色获得的技能、能力、知识和实践对重返社会进程的影响；本文旨在弥合这一差距。该论文认为，战时角色远非完全消极，可能会促进一些年轻退伍军人的重新融入社会。虽然该论文部分同意对儿童卷入武装冲突的主要世界末日描述，但它认为，通过战斗、后勤、情报、侦察和监视职能从战争中获得的经验并不总是完全消极的。通过深入采访从利比里亚年轻退伍军人那里收集的叙述证明了这一点。该论文还认为，强调杀戮的主导作用和年轻退伍军人的恶劣条件，往往会破坏战争保留的任何积极方面。这篇论文最后对战时角色和战后角色之间存在截然对立的观点提出了质疑。并不总是完全消极的。通过深入采访从利比里亚年轻退伍军人那里收集的叙述证明了这一点。该论文还认为，强调杀戮的主导作用和年轻退伍军人的恶劣条件，往往会破坏战争保留的任何积极方面。这篇论文最后对战时角色和战后角色之间存在截然对立的观点提出了质疑。并不总是完全消极的。通过深入采访从利比里亚年轻退伍军人那里收集的叙述证明了这一点。该论文还认为，强调杀戮的主导作用和年轻退伍军人的恶劣条件，往往会破坏战争保留的任何积极方面。这篇论文最后对战时角色和战后角色之间存在截然对立的观点提出了质疑。