The use of child soldiers violates human rights and international norms, yet children continue to be abused as soldiers, human shields, and they are forced to participate in armed conflicts worldwide. This is shown to impact the children in many ways and therefore they need extra help when leaving the armed groups. The reintegration process is often part of countries' Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs and is crucial for both the children's and the country's future. This study aims to examine the reintegration of former childsoldiers in Sierra Leone and northern Uganda. By comparing and analyzing the processes and outcomes in these two countries using existing materials, this study highlights key aspects of reintegration. By using the social integration theory and focusing on the factors of family, school, and religion, this study compares and analyzes the two cases. The results indicate that while both Sierra Leone and northern Uganda have engaged in the reintegration of childsoldiers, their approaches differ. Sierra Leone has demonstrated a more effective process concerning school and family reintegration, whereas northern Uganda has placed greater emphasis on the role of religion, despite efforts to provide both educational opportunities and familial connections for the children.

This thesis examines the experiences of girl child soldiers in Uganda in order to explore the gender gaps that exist in post-conflict programming and to engender meaningful policy solutions that target these gaps. This thesis uses a gender lens to analyze the challenges faced by Ugandan girls and to explore how entrenched gender norms feed into a singular narrative of conflict – dangerous boys and traumatized girls – that renders particular combatants – and their unique needs – invisible. Adopting a feminist methodology that prioritizes the importance of girls’ narratives and self-perceptions, the author argues that girl child soldiers must be meaningfully included in the design and implementation of programming aimed at serving their needs. A participatory action research methodology is presented as a promising way forward. It can help address specific gendered challenges in the post-conflict environment, while also recognizing and drawing upon the resiliency and strengths of the girl child soldiers themselves.

This thesis examines the experiences of girl child soldiers in Uganda in order to explore the gender gaps that exist in post-conflict programming and to engender meaningful policy solutions that target these gaps. This thesis uses a gender lens to analyze the challenges faced by Ugandan girls and to explore how entrenched gender norms feed into a singular narrative of conflict – dangerous boys and traumatized girls – that renders particular combatants – and their unique needs – invisible. Adopting a feminist methodology that prioritizes the importance of girls’ narratives and self-perceptions, the author argues that girl child soldiers must be meaningfully included in the design and implementation of programming aimed at serving their needs. A participatory action research methodology is presented as a promising way forward. It can help address specific gendered challenges in the post-conflict environment, while also recognizing and drawing upon the resiliency and strengths of the girl child soldiers themselves.

Levando-se em consideração que hoje no Brasi l não possuímos informações consistentes sobre a reincidência entre egressos penitenciários, que principalmente, sem qualquer fundamentação empírica, é identificada como alta no país, este estudo tem como objetivo central compreender como vêm funcionando os programas laborativos e educacionais no sistema penitenciário brasileiro; qual a percepção dos diversos agentes operadores da execução penal quanto aos programas de ressocialização; e qual o impacto efetivo da educação e do trabalho na ressocialização dos detentos. Pretende-se, com este estudo, perceber se realmente os programas de ressocialização de cunho educacional e laborativo interferem diretamente na reinserção social do apen ado, bem como qual o efetivo impacto na execução penal, além de sugestões de políticas públicas eficientes. / Taking into account that in Brazil we do not have reliable information about prison recidivism among those who left prison, which mainly without any empirical foundation, is identified as high in the country, this study aims at understanding how they come running the educational and industrial programs the Brazilian penitentiary system, the perception of the agents operators about the effective punishment implementation as well as the rehabilitation programs, and what the actual impact of education and work in the rehabilitation of the convicts. Then, this study really aims to perceive if the programs of educational and occupational re-socialization affect directly the social reintegration of the convict and what the effective impact on law enforcement, as well as suggestions for effective public policies.

Levando-se em consideração que hoje no Brasi l não possuímos informações consistentes sobre a reincidência entre egressos penitenciários, que principalmente, sem qualquer fundamentação empírica, é identificada como alta no país, este estudo tem como objetivo central compreender como vêm funcionando os programas laborativos e educacionais no sistema penitenciário brasileiro; qual a percepção dos diversos agentes operadores da execução penal quanto aos programas de ressocialização; e qual o impacto efetivo da educação e do trabalho na ressocialização dos detentos. Pretende-se, com este estudo, perceber se realmente os programas de ressocialização de cunho educacional e laborativo interferem diretamente na reinserção social do apen ado, bem como qual o efetivo impacto na execução penal, além de sugestões de políticas públicas eficientes. / Taking into account that in Brazil we do not have reliable information about prison recidivism among those who left prison, which mainly without any empirical foundation, is identified as high in the country, this study aims at understanding how they come running the educational and industrial programs the Brazilian penitentiary system, the perception of the agents operators about the effective punishment implementation as well as the rehabilitation programs, and what the actual impact of education and work in the rehabilitation of the convicts. Then, this study really aims to perceive if the programs of educational and occupational re-socialization affect directly the social reintegration of the convict and what the effective impact on law enforcement, as well as suggestions for effective public policies.

The level of brutality and violence against children abducted and forcefully conscripted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda pricked the conscience of humanity. The suffering of the people in northern Uganda was described by Jan Egeland, the former United Nations Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, as 'the biggest forgotten humanitarian crisis in the world'. This study is primarily concerned with the plight of child soldiers in northern Uganda and how their effective reintegration and rehabilitation (RR) could lead to successful peacebuilding. The study is premised on the hypothesis that 'the promotion of the RR of former child soldiers by providing psychosocial support based on traditional and indigenous resources may contribute to conditions of peace and stability in northern Uganda'. The main contribution of this research is that it explores the relevance of psychosocial support based on the traditional and indigenous resources to the RR of child soldiers and peacebuilding of war-torn societies. Psychosocial support based on traditional and indigenous resources as an element of peacebuilding has been the neglected element of peacebuilding by the liberal peacebuilding interventions in most war-torn societies. For example, while traditional and indigenous resources in northern Uganda have been instrumental in the RR of former child soldiers, most scholars and policy makers have largely paid attention to the usual official government and United Nations structured top-down interventions that emphasize Western approaches of peacebuilding. More so, the official approaches have tended to marginalize the plight of former child soldiers in the reconstruction and peacebuilding of northern Uganda. Yet, failing to pay sufficient attention to effective RR of child soldiers could undermine the peace dividends already achieved in northern Uganda. The study also analyses the limitations of psychosocial support based on traditional and indigenous resources in the RR of former child soldiers. It further examines why Western approaches of psychosocial support in the RR of child soldiers have remained in use in spite of the criticisms levelled against them. The study examines other peacebuilding interventions, both official and unofficial, that have been implemented in northern Uganda. In terms of key findings, the study establishes that traditional and indigenous resources are still popular and have been widely used in northern Uganda in the RR of child soldiers. Majority of former child soldiers who were interviewed observed that they found traditional and indigenous resources more helpful than the Western models of psychosocial support. However, it was also established that there is a significant section of former child soldiers who found Western models more relevant in their RR processes. Based on these findings, the study recommends an integrative and holistic model of psychosocial support that blends good elements from both traditional and indigenous resources and Western approaches with greater emphasis on the former.

Against the backdrop of the brain drain-brain gain debate, this thesis explores certain facets of the return migration phenomenon. Drawing on several theories, the decision to return among high skilled migrants is likely to be influenced by the prospect of using their overseas-acquired knowledge to secure a better livelihood back home. While ample consideration is given to motivations to return, the choice of employer and issues adjusting to the work and social surroundings, the main objective of the research is to understand migrants' transfer of overseas-acquired knowledge upon their return to India. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, the scope of the thesis is focused on returnees working in two organizations in New Delhi—Fortis Escorts Hospital and Research Centre (EHIRC) and Tata Consultancy Services' Government Industry Solutions Unit (GISU). Adopting a mixed methods approach, survey data and case interviews are analyzed to address the core research question: “How and in which ways do returnees transfer their newly acquired knowledge, skills and experiences in employing organizations?” A key hypothesis is that returnees' social ties affect the extent and nature of knowledge transfers and thus confer intended benefits and may lead to unintended consequences for their organizations. The analyses pit McPherson's (2001) principle of homophily in social networks against Granovetter's (1973) weak ties hypothesis to grasp the role of returnees in knowledge transfers within EHIRC and GISU. Results drawn from data collected on returnees, non-migrants and transnationals strongly confirm that social ties—strong, intermediate or weak—affect the transfer of knowledge to stakeholders in their organizations. The contribution of this thesis to the existing body of research is to shed light on both the potential and limitations of returnees as a conduit for transferring knowledge, upgrading skills and relaying insights to non-migrants, teams or units in the workplace.

Both practitioners and academics have recently begun referring to humanitarian agencies operating within an active 'aid marketplace' in which limited funding pits actors against each other in pursuance of their own projects and wider aims. This thesis seeks to explore how the pressures of a competitive environment impact on the motivations and actions of aid actors at an individual and organizational level. Based on the common saying that aid workers are 'mercenaries, missionaries and misfits', I construct a typology of pressures (interest-based, altruistic, and bureaucratic), which, it is argued, can be used to explain and understand much of this competitive and collaborative behaviour. A particular focus of the thesis is the impact of these various influences on the process and politics of information transfer and discourse creation regarding the process of needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation. I explore all of these issues through the medium of a case study of UNHCR's interventions in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2015, and seek to provide a detailed history of the agency's activities, politics and challenges during this period. In particular I am interested in the motivations driving the agency's actions; the strategies it has employed to achieve its aims; the calculated narratives that it has crafted to justify its interventions and attract greater support; and the very different ways in which it has approached the needs of different categories of displaced people.

Sistemas distribuídos representam uma plataforma ideal para implementação de sistemas computacionais com alta confiabilidade e disponibilidade devido a redundância fornecida por um grande número de estações interligadas. Falhas de um servidor podem ser contornadas pela reconfiguração do sistema. Entretanto falhas em seqüência que afetem múltiplas estações comprometem não apenas o desempenho do sistema, mas também a continuidade do serviço e sua confiabilidade. Assim, servidores falhos, que tenham sido isolados do sistema, devem ser reintegrados tão logo quanto possível para não comprometer a disponibilidade do sistema computacional. Este trabalho trata da atualização do estado de servidores e da troca de informação que o servidor recuperado realiza para integrar-se aos demais membros do sistema através de um procedimento chamado reintegração do servidor. E assumido um ambiente distribuído que garante alta confiabilidade em aplicações convencionais através da técnica de replicação de arquivos. O servidor a ser reintegrado faz parte de um grupo de replicação e volta a participar ativamente do grupo tão logo seja reintegrado. Para tanto, considera-se a estratégia de replicação por copia primaria e um sistema distribuído experimental, compatível com o NFS, desenvolvido na UFRGS para aplicar a reintegração de servidor. Os métodos de atualização de arquivos para a reintegração do servidor foram implementadas no ambiente UNIX. / Distributed systems are an ideal platform to develop high reliable computer applications due to the redundancy supplied by a great number of interconnected workstations. Failed stations can be masked reconfiguring the system. However, sequential faults, that affect multiple stations, not just decrease the performance of the system, but also affect the continuity of the service and its reliability. Thus, failed stations working as servers, that have been isolated from the system, should be reintegrated as soon as possible to not impair the system availability. This work is exactly about methods to update the state of failed servers. It deals also with the change of information that the recovered server accomplishes to be integrated to the other members of the service group through a process called reintegration of server. It is assumed a distributed environment that guarantees high reliability in conventional applications through replication of files. The server to be reintegrated is part of a replication group and it participates actively of the service group again as soon as it is reintegrated. Our approach is based on a primary copy. The file actualization methods to the reintegration of server were implemented in an UNIX environment. To illustrate our approach we will describe how the integration of repaired server can be made a fault-tolerant system. The experimental distributed system, compatible with NFS, was designed at the UFRGS.

This exploratory study was inspired by the author’s voluntary work with streetconnected children and youth in Kenya. It develops an understanding of the experiences of young people leaving the street in two provincial Kenyan towns. Although there has been extensive research concerned with street-connectedness, there has been a limited focus on young people’s transitions away from the street. Participants were identified with the help of three organisations: fifty-three young people, aged 12 -28, participated in semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and visual methods, during two field research visits to Kenya, in 2012 and 2013. The study found that their experiences of leaving the street were influenced by their day-to-day interactions with family, friends and other members of the communities into which they transitioned. These interactions influenced how accepted the young people felt and the extent to which they believed they were supported economically, physically and psychosocially, especially with regards to their relationships with family members. The participants’ interactions with school-based peers and teachers were particularly important in schools and training centres, where they struggled to develop a sense of belonging. Being street-connected is an integral part of the identities constructed by young people after they leave the street and establish places for themselves in their families, schools, local communities, and wider society. Such street-connectedness can be a strength: the resilience and skills developed on the street are useful attributes in adapting to new situations, potentially providing income-generating opportunities later on. However, the stigmatisation and resulting marginalisation they experienced on the street can have lasting effects. Barriers to inclusion experienced on the street influence a young person’s ability to develop a sense of belonging to their new situation after leaving the street. This study makes a conceptual contribution. Street-connectedness begins when a young person first arrives on the street, and continues until what could be years after they leave it. This street-connectedness can be characterised by three liminalities. The first is associated with living in the physical space defined as being on the street: a physical embodiment of liminality. The second, describes the process of being in transition as a young person newly arrived on the street, or having recently left the street: each being a liminal phase. The third liminality is described by an identity-forming social space, associated with being, and having been, street-connected: a liminal identity. This liminal identity, associated with being street-connected, impacts upon young people (re)entering home communities and, in particular, education, and highlights a need to consider and address the effects of these impacts.