Abstract:
Children are affected by armed conflicts in ways that are different and some times
worse, than adults. In Sri Lanka children have been affected by war, particularly in the
North and East. They have lost their families, forced to leave their homes, they have been
subjected to worse forms of violence and they were forcibly recruited as child soldiers. As
a result they have suffered from disabilities and psychosocial trauma. Hence it is very
^urgent to recognize the new issues and challenges that the war in Sri Lanka had created for
children. While many children in Sri Lanka are affected and victimized by the war they are
also being forced to adopt roles and responsibilities that challenge common assumptions
about childhood and the place of children in the Sri Lankan society.
The purpose of this research is, first to draw attention to the effects of war and
illustrate the complexities it has brought to the lives of children. Second, the research aims
to highlight children as actors in shaping societies in which they live and the need
recognize their potentials and agency in reconstruction rather than treating them as victims
of war.
A qualitative format of information gathering was used, based on in depth interviews
and informal discussions with children and other key informants. The study reveals the
complexities of war in children’s lives and concludes how some of them are capable of
tremendous resilience and can adjust to and act upon in difficult circumstances.