On Thursday 1 June, 14:00-17:00, the African Studies Centre in Leiden presents the panel discussion and blog reading Being young in times of conflict: Readings from the Central African Republic.

The Central African Republic has been characterized by recurrent periods of violent conflict. The 2013 Seleka coup d’état ignited the latest episode of conflict. On this afternoon we will draw explicit attention to the experiences of children and youth in this context, based on historical and ethnographic research and blogs written by young people from the CAR. While rebel leaders’ and combatants’ voices tend to reach our media sources, the voices of ‘ordinary’ young people have difficulty being heard both within the country and abroad.

During the first part of this afternoon we will give attention to the first research findings in the research project ‘Being young in times of duress in the Central African Republic’, a project the ASCL carries out together with the department of anthropology at the University of Bangui for UNICEF Netherlands with funding from the Nationale Postcode Loterij. Researchers Dr. Jean Bruno Ngouflo and Crépin-Marius Mouguia, from the University of Bangui, will be present. Preliminary insights from this project that pays attention to young people in CAR throughout the recent decades will be complemented by the work of researchers working on related topics, notably Marieke Hopman (on children’s perspectives on the right to education in CAR) and Catherina Wilson (on student refugees from the CAR in Kinshasa).

After this academic debate with expert discussants we move towards the more narrative oriented part of the afternoon in which Johnny Bissankonou will read from his book ‘L’autre version de la crise centrafricaine’ and Catherina Wilson will read from the blog by Max-Landry Kassaï. Additionally, the project blog for ‘Being young in times of duress in the Central African Republic’ will be launched.

Programme:
14:00-14:15 Welcome by Prof. Mirjam de Bruijn (chair) and coffee
14:15-16:00 Panel discussion (3 paper presentations, 3 discussants and room for public debate)
16:00-16:15 Break with coffee and tea
16:15-17:00 Blog-reading, questions and blog launch
17:00-18:00 Drinks

Date: Thursday 1st June 2017, 14.00-17.00
Venue: Room 1A01 (first floor), African Studies Centre, Pieter de la Court building, Wassenaarseweg 52, Leiden, a 5-minute walk from Leiden CS
Cost: Free
Registration via the ASCL website

Photo: UNICEF Netherlands