Mike Wessells - Independent Researcher (original) (raw)

Papers by Mike Wessells

World Vision East Africa Child Protection Theory of Change in 4 East African Countries

Action for the protection of children has made great progress especially since the United Nations... more Action for the protection of children has made great progress especially since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force in 1989, despite multiple challenges and relatively limited resources. The efforts to strengthen the protection of children have progressed through numerous conceptual and practical phases over the years. This paper examines the most recent large-scale development in child protection work—the shift from individual child protection projects towards strengthening national child protection systems.

Children's Rights, Development and Rights-Based Approaches: The Way Forward

This report was prepared by Mike Wessells with guidance from members of the Inter-Agency Referenc... more This report was prepared by Mike Wessells with guidance from members of the Inter-Agency Reference Group. The views and recommendations contained in this report are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of each Reference Group member or their respective organisations.

Disarmament Forum, 2011

In conflicts throughout the world, armed forces and groups recruit children to fight, maintain th... more In conflicts throughout the world, armed forces and groups recruit children to fight, maintain their camps, perform labor and be used for sexual purposes. The experiences of children associated with armed forces and groups (CAAFAG) are not uniform, nor can there be a uniform approach to helping them when the conflict is over. This article examines the gendered experiences of girls prior to recruitment, during their time with the fighting forces, through disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) processes, and in their communities after formal DDR has ended. We also present some of the experiences of the Participatory Action Research (PAR) Study with Young Mothers in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Northern Uganda-a study conducted predominantly with former CAAFAG which used a highly participatory methodology to help participants attain community-based reintegration. In the PAR study young mother participants took a central role in the design and implementation of their reintegration process. A mixture of self-help style psychosocial support and livelihood support were critical to their success. As this population had exceptionally low social status, lacked confidence and self-respect, and did not have rudimentary economic skills at the start, social support and community mobilization were critical in laying the groundwork for livelihood activities and facilitating the sustainability of these activities.

Intervention, 2007

Over the course of a consultation meeting on best practice in care and protection of children ass... more Over the course of a consultation meeting on best practice in care and protection of children associated with ¢ghting forces, consensus methodology was used to identify appraisals of key areas where research was required to strengthen the knowledge base supporting programming policy. Nineteen leading practitioners and policymakers (drawn from intergovernmental and nongovernmental agencies working in the ¢eld) completed three successive rounds of a consensus rating task, based on themes identi¢ed in the course of the meeting. A wide range of issues were identi¢ed, but those suggested as key areas of priority for research and practice development were: scalable livelihood interventions; integration of girls formerly associated with ¢ghting forces; improved monitoring and evaluation strategies; and documenting the comparative e¡ectiveness of community based psychosocial and clinical interventions. Areas of required policy development were also identi¢ed.

Children of Young Mothers Formerly Associated with Armed Forces or Groups in Sierra Leone, Liberia and northern Uganda

NAM Perspectives, 2016

Investing in young children 1 globally is a primary means of achieving sustainable human, social,... more Investing in young children 1 globally is a primary means of achieving sustainable human, social, and economic development, all of which are vital to ensuring international peace and security. Strategic investments in children have been recognized by the world's leaders in their recent adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to further peace, end global poverty, and ensure that all human beings can fulfill their potential in dignity (United Nations, 2015). For the first time, early childhood development is acknowledged as a critical part of the global development agenda. Although child development is explicitly referenced under the new education goal, it is naturally linked to other goals-reducing poverty, improving health and nutrition, promoting equality for girls and women, and reducing violence (United Nations, 2015). Indeed, coordinated, evidence-based investments must be made across sectors to ensure that more and more children not only survive but also thrive. This paper is a call to action, informed by science from multiple disciplines. We hope it will help to close the gap between what is known and what is done to support the development of children globally and, in turn, sustainable progress for communities and nations. The cost of inaction is enormous (IOM/NRC, 2014). Currently, an estimated 5.9 million children die before their fifth birthday (UNICEF, 2016); 159 million children under age 5 are stunted (UNICEF, 2015); at least 200 million children fail to reach their developmental potential each year (Grantham-McGregor et al., 2007); and 1 billion children experience violence annually . As a result, countries lose up to about 30 percent in adult productivity every year (Grantham-McGregor et al., 2007). Meanwhile, return on investments during the prenatal and early childhood years average between 7 and 10 percent greater than investments made at older ages . Although there are other opportunities to enhance human development, cost-effective strategic investments made during children's early years can mitigate the deleterious effects of poverty, social inequality, and discrimination, ultimately resulting in long-lasting gains that reap benefits for children and youth, families, communities, and nations . Over the course of the last two decades, this knowledge has begun to infiltrate U.S. domestic policy and programs (IOM, 2000). Yet, investing in young children's 1 The UN defines the early childhood period as beginning prenatally through age 8. consistently served as the largest source of development assistance for global health. Across MNCH sources, the United States was the origin of 20.8 percent of all MNCH funding in 2014, 72.1 percent of which was channeled through U.S. bilateral aid agencies. Other channels in receipt of substantial U.S. government support for MNCH were UN agencies (8.8 percent, or 177million),nongovernmentalorganizationsandfoundations(7.4percent,or177 million), nongovernmental organizations and foundations (7.4 percent, or 177million),nongovernmentalorganizationsandfoundations(7.4percent,or148 million), and Gavi, the vaccine alliance (8.9 percent, or $179 million) (IHME, 2014). Despite this sustained investment and hard-earned progress in reducing preventable childhood deaths, approximately 200 million children under age 5 survive, but fail to thrive. This figure represents 30 times the number of children who die before they reach their fifth birthday and is a population requiring urgent attention (Grantham-McGregor, 2007). Spending early childhood in the midst of extreme poverty and experiencing significant deprivation, violence, and/or neglect results in devastating consequences throughout the life cycle and profound repercussions for society. These 200 million children live below the poverty line and/or are stunted. They attend school for fewer years-or not at all. They are disproportionately affected by violence and are more likely to be exploited. All these factors limit their future ability to live healthy and productive lives, obtain gainful employment, and contribute to their communities and families, perpetuating a multigenerational cycle of poverty. As a result, countries where these 200 million children live have an estimated 30 percent loss in adult productivity and are prone to instability and conflict (Grantham-McGregor, 2007). If we are serious about eradicating poverty and fostering equity, we must aim higher. Ensuring survival is a crucial first step, of course, but this should be our minimum standard for success. The campaign to save lives will be incomplete if the future prospects of those who survive remain constrained by factors that, with the right attention and focus, could be effectively addressed . Indeed, improving outcomes for those who survive the scourge of childhood deprivation and illness should be seen as a compelling priority from the standpoint of human rights, sustainable economic and social development, and global security. The fact is, children develop holistically. As whole human beings, we do not first survive physically and then develop intellectually, socially, and emotionally. The processes of growth and development are by nature interrelated, interdependent, and mutually reinforcing. Yet, international assistance for children in developing countries is rarely holistic. As a foreign assistance community committed to achieving sustainable human, social, and economic development and international security, we have separated children according to the category of their vulnerability and intervened in line with sectoral predispositions, legislative mandates, and associated funding streams. Yet, this segregated, fragmented approach to sustainable development does not offer the greatest return on investment. Established and emerging science continues to demonstrate that to promote "child thrival" successfully, investments and services must be coordinated and integrated where possible, concurrently addressing the health, nutrition, development, education, and protection needs of children, beginning prenatally and, better yet, during the preconception period. 3 This knowledge can inform innovative strategies to address

The limits of top-down approaches to managing diversity: Lessons from the case of child protection and child rights in Sierra Leone

Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 2015

A key diversity issue in many societies is how to support vulnerable children in an equitable man... more A key diversity issue in many societies is how to support vulnerable children in an equitable manner. This article examines the effort in Sierra Leone to achieve child rights and child protection through an impositional approach of law, child rights education, and requirements to use formal response channels. Rapid ethnography in 2 districts indicated that local people viewed child rights as a harm to children because it compromised parents' ability to discipline their children. Overwhelmingly, people used traditional family and community mechanisms in responding to these harms and even in regard to criminal offenses. The causes of the disconnect between the nonfor-mal and formal systems are analyzed using cultural rights theory and conflict theories, and implications for practice are discussed.

Global Public Health, 2015

International Journal of Social Science Studies, 2013

Young women and girls formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups face multiple challe... more Young women and girls formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups face multiple challenges. Many become pregnant or have children while they are associated and face stigma and marginalization upon reintegration into civilian communities. This article describes a multi-year participatory action research study that took place in twenty communities in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and northern Uganda from 2006 -2009 and included more than 650 young mother participants. We find that this community-based approach to reintegration improved the wellbeing of young mother participants and their children. We discuss the challenges and limitations of conducting participatory action research with war-affected young people and make recommendations for future reintegration programming.

Girlhood Studies, 2010

Th is paper reports on an evaluation of a program in Sierra Leone that sought to support the comm... more Th is paper reports on an evaluation of a program in Sierra Leone that sought to support the community reintegration of young women and girls formerly associated with armed groups and forces. In the absence of baseline data, we used locally-derived indicators of reintegration and village timelines to conduct a retrospective cohort study of the progress of 142 girls and young women towards achievement of community reintegration following their experience of abduction. Although girls and young women in both intervention and comparison communities had made progress towards integration, the intervention was associated with improved mental health outcomes and higher ratings on some aspects of marriage quality. For those who had found the greatest challenges in reintegrating, the intervention additionally appeared to support community acceptance and inclusion in women's bondo activities.

Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 2012

Efforts to strengthen national child protection systems often encounter problems of low utilizati... more Efforts to strengthen national child protection systems often encounter problems of low utilization rates by local people. A rapid ethnographic study in two districts of Sierra Leone documented local views of harms to children and which mechanisms people used in responding to and preventing the harms. Key harms included teenage pregnancy out of wedlock, out of school children, heavy labor, and maltreatment of children who do not live with their biological parents. Overwhelmingly, people used traditional family and community mechanisms in responding to these harms. Even in regard to criminal offenses, they very seldom used formal child protection mechanisms such as the Child Welfare Committees, and the police and government social workers as mandated under the 2007 Child Rights Act. This disconnect between the local mechanisms that people actually use and the government-led aspects of the national child protection system owes partly to problems of access but also to cultural and social norms and negative perceptions of the formal system. Additional research, including on community-driven interventions for linking communities and formal mechanisms, is needed to identify the effective means for addressing these obstacles and enabling the alignment of the endogenous and formal mechanisms.

Developing a Culturally Relevant Measure of Resilience for War-Affected Adolescents in Eastern Ukraine

Journal on Education in Emergencies

Psychosocial support in education that is provided during emergencies frequently aims to support ... more Psychosocial support in education that is provided during emergencies frequently aims to support children's resilience, but strong, contextual measures of resilience are in short supply in Eastern Europe. In this article, our aim is to describe the development and psychometric properties of the first measure of resilience for war-affected adolescents in Eastern Ukraine. We used qualitative methods to identify the main cultural characteristics of resiliency and then used these constructs to develop the measure. We used exploratory structural equation modeling to extract five factors that showed high internal consistency: family support (ω=0.89), optimism (ω=0.87), persistence (ω=0.87), health (ω=0.86), and social networking (ω=0.87). Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that a concise model of resiliency fit the data almost as well as the exploratory structural equation modeling model. The measure demonstrated good test-retest reliability. In this article, we also discuss the i...

This review was made possible by generous support from UNICEF West Africa Regional Office and als... more This review was made possible by generous support from UNICEF West Africa Regional Office and also from the Evaluation Division of UNICEF headquarters. It was also made possible by generous in-kind assistance of Save the Children UK, who allocated generously of time from Sarah Lilley, whose skilled oversight, facilitation and leadership were key in developing and conducting the review as well as preparing for the next stages of work. Thanks also go to the UNICEF Evaluation Division for conducting broad searches of the social science literature. The author warmly acknowledges the support of the Reference Group members, whose shared vision, inter-agency teamwork, and commitment have been instrumental in guiding and enabling the review. These Reference Group members, by agency, include:

Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees

Psychosocial assistance in emergencies plays an important role in alleviating suffering and promo... more Psychosocial assistance in emergencies plays an important role in alleviating suffering and promoting well-being, but it is often a source of unintended harm. A prerequisite for ethically appropriate support is awareness of how psychosocial programs may cause harm. This paper underscores the importance of attending to issues of coordination, dependency, politicization of aid, assessment, short-term assistance, imposition of outsider approaches, protection, and impact evaluation. With regard to each of these issues, it suggests practical steps that may be taken to reduce harm and maximize the humanitarian value of psychosocial assistance.

Journal of Global Health

We need a renewed vision for global health as well as a renewed vision of ourselves in it. If, as... more We need a renewed vision for global health as well as a renewed vision of ourselves in it. If, as researchers and practitioners, we spend too much time protecting our careers and our funding sources at any costs, and too little time with the people we aim to help, we will struggle to both recognise their suffering as suffering and accept the extent to which we can be profoundly mistaken in what these people need. To improve health for all, we need to create global health systems that help us, or even demands of us, to feel the true suffering of those women, men, girls, and boys that these systems aim to help. We look forward to a value-based approach to global health that aims to do things with people, rather than to people.