Sukanya Podder's guest appearances

Sukanya Podder

War Studies

Talking Peace, Exploring Conflict

Barack Obama

Donald Trump

David Smith

Elizabeth Harris

Margaret MacMillan

Michael Howard

Patricia Lewis

Charlie Hebdo

Stephen Walt

Gwen Burnyeat

Narendra Modi

James Gray

Joseph Nye

Tim Stevens

Benedict Rogers

OwlTail

Dr Podder is a Senior Lecturer in Defence Studies at Kings College London. Before her current role she was a Lecturer in International Security and Development at the Centre for International Security and Resilience at Cranfield University. Her primary areas of research are post-conflict reconstruction (DDR/SSR), civil wars and youth in peacebuilding. Dr Podder has undertaken fieldwork in a number of conflict states, this podcast focuses on her research in the Philippines with a particular focus on child soldiers.  Dr Podder is interviewed by Dr Majbritt Lyck-Bowen with some of Majbritt's students from the MA in Reconciliation and Peacebuilding at the University of Winchester.

Dr Podder is a Senior Lecturer in Defence Studies at Kings College London. Before her current role she was a Lecturer in International Security and Development at the Centre for International Security and Resilience at Cranfield University. Her primary areas of research are post-conflict reconstruction (DDR/SSR), civil wars and youth in peacebuilding. Dr Podder has undertaken fieldwork in a number of conflict states, this podcast focuses on her research in the Philippines with a particular focus on child soldiers.  Dr Podder is interviewed by Dr Majbritt Lyck-Bowen with some of Majbritt's students from the MA in Reconciliation and Peacebuilding at the University of Winchester.

Conflict and Child Soldiers in the Philippines - Dr Sukanya Podder interviewed by Dr Majbritt Lyck-Bowen with MA Students 

There are an estimated 250,000 child soldiers in the world today in at least 20 countries. “At times I would cry while on the frontline, especially when I thought about my family. When I cried, my friends in the group would lock me up and tell me that I am no longer a child. I should not cry, when I see people dying.”These are the words of Timothy Sunday, a child forcibly recruited into armed conflict in the Liberian civil war in 2002. In this episode of the podcast we chat to Dr Sukanya Podder, Senior Lecturer in the Defence Studies Department, to explore the world-wide issue of children affected by armed groups, including in civil wars to violent extremism. She shares case studies of personal experience with affected youths and describes the evolving global recruitment methods including social media, the violence children are subjected to and the complexities involved in rehabilitating them back into society post-conflict.We’re also joined by Rocco Blume from NGO War Child, who shares how the problem has evolved over the past decade and their dedication and Professor Funmi Olonisakin, Vice-President and Vice-Principal (International), King’s College London, who shares insights from her time in the Office of the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, including the vital role the UN played in drawing international attention to and combatting the issue of child recruitment into armed groups.

There are an estimated 250,000 child soldiers in the world today in at least 20 countries. “At times I would cry while on the frontline, especially when I thought about my family. When I cried, my friends in the group would lock me up and tell me that I am no longer a child. I should not cry, when I see people dying.” These are the words of Timothy Sunday, a child forcibly recruited into armed conflict in the Liberian civil war in 2002. In this episode of the podcast we chat to Dr Sukanya Podder, Senior Lecturer in the Defence Studies Department, to explore the world-wide issue of children affected by armed groups, including in civil wars to violent extremism. She shares case studies of personal experience with affected youths and describes the evolving global recruitment methods including social media, the violence children are subjected to and the complexities involved in rehabilitating them back into society post-conflict. We’re also joined by Rocco Blume from NGO War Child, who shares how the problem has evolved over the past decade and their dedication and Professor Funmi Olonisakin, Vice-President and Vice-Principal (International), King’s College London, who shares insights from her time in the Office of the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, including the vital role the UN played in drawing international attention to and combatting the issue of child recruitment into armed groups.

Child Soldiers: From civil wars to violent extremism with Dr Sukanya Podder