Dr Claudia Seymour

Claudia is an applied researcher and lecturer in anthropology and political economy. Her research investigates resilience to all forms of violence, and how young people engage with conflict, adversity and peace.  She has 19 years of experience working primarily in conflict-affected environments with multiple United Nations bodies and NGOs, including UNICEF, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the UN Sanctions Committee-mandated Group of Experts on the DRC, Save the Children and Oxfam. While most of her experience pertains to sub-Saharan Africa, her research also covers young people in the Middle East and now focuses on the concerns of young migrants in Europe. Her current research project, ‘Balancing on Margins’, incorporates both her study of resilience and her practice of yoga and meditation; through ‘observant participation’ and engaged ethnography, she is working with young people to promote well-being and acceptance of oneself and others. Her book, The Myth of International Protection: War and Survival in Congo, was published by the University of California Press in 2019. Her blog welcomes guest entries on the everyday practice of transforming violence: www.claudiaseymour.net/blog

Publications

Peer-reviewed academic publications

• 2019. The Myth of International Protection: War and Survival in Congo. Oakland: University of California Press.
• 2017. Young people, war, and interrogating ‘resilience’. In: Hopkins, B. et al (eds.), Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development, second edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 862-68.
• 2017. Kids Coping in Congo. In: C. Harker and K. Hörschelmann (eds.), Geographies of Children and Young People, Volume 11: Conflict, Violence, and Peace. Heidelberg: Springer, 149-168.
• 2015. Unprotected: Young People in Post-conflict Burundi. Small Arms Survey 2015: Weapons and the World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 243- 267.
• 2014. Everyday violence and war. In: Wells, K. et al. (eds.), Childhood, youth and violence in global contexts: researchers and practitioners in dialogue. Hampshire: Palgrave, 153– 172.
• 2014. Zero in the court of nine to one: patronage and tactical weakness in coping with violence. Children’s Geographies: War, Conflict and Children’s Geographies special issue, 12 (3), 268- 280.
• 2013. Young people's experiences of and means of coping with violence in North and South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. PhD Thesis. SOAS, University of London. 
• 2012. Ambiguous Agencies: Coping and survival in eastern DRC. Children’s Geographies, 10 (4), 373-384.
• 2011. Selective Outrage: the dangers of children’s DDR in eastern DRC. Disarmament Forum, 3, 57- 66.
• 2011. Re-conceptualising child protection interventions in situations of chronic conflict: North Kivu, DRC. In: S. Evers, C. Notermans and E. van Ommering (eds.), Not Just a Victim: The Child as Catalyst and Witness of Contemporary Africa. Leiden: Brill, 223-246.
• 2009. Book review of The UNHCR: The Politics and Practice of Refugee Protection into the Twenty-first Century. Journal of Refugee Studies, 22 (2), 242- 243.

Policy reports

• 2018. Cradled by Conflict: Implications for Programming Preventing and Responding To Child Recruitment and Use in Contemporary Conflicts, Technical Note. New York: United Nations University.
• 2016. Alternative Education in the DRC Final Research Report.  Washington DC: USAID-ECCN.
• 2016, with Nicolas Florquin. Down, but not Out: The FDLR in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Small Arms Survey Research Note. Geneva: Small Arms Survey. 
• 2014. Resilience Profiling and Capacities for Peace Among Adolescents in Burundi. Bujumbura: UNICEF.
• 2014. Countering Improvised Explosive Devices. Small Arms Survey Research Note 46. Geneva: Small Arms Survey.
• 2014. Assessment of Adolescent Development and Participation Priorities in Kenya. Nairobi: UNICEF.
• 2013. Engaging Adolescents in Conflict Analysis: A Guidance Note. New York: UNICEF.
• 2012. Leçons Apprises sur le Processus de Désarmement, Démobilisation et Réinsertion/ Réintégration des Enfants Sortis des Forces et Groups Armés au Burundi. Bujumbura: UNICEF.
• 2011. Gaps in accessing formal and non-formal education opportunities for adolescents in the DRC. Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa and Save the Children UK.
• 2011. Evaluation for Sida of the project ‘Protection, Health and Education: A holistic approach to addressing children’s rights.’ Save the Children.
• 2010. Evaluation for Comic Relief of the project ‘Protection and community reintegration of Girls Affected by Armed Conflict in the DRC.’ Save the Children UK.
• 2010. Strengthening Community-based Child Protection Mechanisms in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. War Child UK.
• 2008. State of Knowledge Study on the UN Security Council Resolution 1612 Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism for the Central African Republic. Bangui: UNICEF.