Children Born of War (CBOW) are children fathered by foreign soldiers and born to local mothers. The physical and social impact of armed conflict on children is immense; particularly so, if these children are associated with the “enemy”. In addition, evidence suggests that children born of war have been and continue to be a major obstacle to successful integration of both their mothers and themselves into post-conflict societies.
Associated with CBOW are children fathered by peacekeepers. These are children born from relationships, both consensual and forced, between local mothers and peacekeeping fathers. Peacekeeper-fathered children and their mothers face specific challenges in post-conflict communities, including stigmatization, discrimination, and economic and social hardships.
Children Born Of War Podcast – Sharing Knowledge and Lived Experiences through Performing Arts
Through the perspectives and knowledge of CBOW themselves, as well as artists and researchers, this new podcast provides insight into the topic of CBOW. It is edited and hosted by Julia Rasp, and edited and produced by Eva Morlang. Please click the browser and Spotify links to listen to the first episodes.
This podcast was made possible through the prize money of the Ralf-Dahrendorf Award for the European Research Area, which the project Children Born Of War - Past, Present, Future won in 2021.
View the trailer for The Wound is Where the Light Enters, a film created by Dheeraj Akolkar (Vardo Films). It follows the making of ‘Otino Onywalo Ilum’, a documentary-dance project performed by fifteen children born of war in Northern Uganda. Otino Onywalo Ilum explores the perspectives and stories of children born of war. The project seeks to empower them to recognise their potential and exercise their rights.
The collaborative efforts of a number of partners supported the facilitation of the programme, including CHIBOW and the University of Birmingham, The University of Leipzig, The Alpha Group, FAPAD, National Theatre Kampala and the Bayimba Cultural Foundation.
The film won the Inspiration Award at the Arts and Humanities Research Council Research in Film Awards for 2021.
