Recounting migration
Subtitle: political narratives of Congolese young people in Uganda
By: Christina R. Clark-Kazak
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Montréal
Language: eng
Number of pages: 223
ISBN-13: 9780773538818; 9780773538825
Subjects: Social conditions; Congolese (Democratic Republic); Refugees; Youth; Political activity
Description: "Millions of citizens from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been killed or displaced during decades of political corruption and military conflict. Many forced migrants are young people, who are often seen either as passive victims or as radicalized and amoral child soldiers perpetuating the cycle of violence. Recounting Migration refutes these stereotypes by presenting young Congolese refugees' nuanced understanding of the complex power relations that affect their everyday lives.  Christina Clark-Kazak, a former international aid worker, uses extensive interviews done in Kampala and Kyaka II refugee settlement, Uganda, to present the narratives of ten young people living as refugees. Their accounts reveal both political awareness and individual agency in everyday and extraordinary circumstances. The author shows how refugee youth seek to influence decision-making processes in families, communities, and at policy levels through formal and informal mechanisms, as well as through non-political channels such as education and music. She juxtaposes their interpretations of the situations with the discourse and bureaucracy of international aid organizations, showing the sometimes radical differences between these perspectives. Clark-Kazak not only provides insight into the politics of labelling but offers recommendations for future research, policy, and programs for refugee young people.  A remarkable and compelling look at the lives of young refugees, Recounting Migration challenges stereotypes by giving these migrants a long-overdue opportunity to speak for themselves."--Publisher's unedited description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [199]-220) and index.
Table of contents: title: Politicizing Approaches to Refugee Young People; title: Maps and Methods: Migration Narratives in Context; title: Innocente's Story: The Daily Politics of Belonging; title: James's Story: 'For Us Nande, a Tree Is Planted for Our Grandfather'; title: Roots and Routes along the Ugandan-Congolese Border; title: Rose's Story: The Politics of Administrative Categorization: Vulnerability, Agency, and Power Relations; title: Augustin's Story: 'I Was Supposed to Be a Prince'; title: Discourses on Leadership and Realities of Decision-Making Opportunities; title: Lucie's Story: Riches to Rags; title: Negotiating Power Reversals in Refugee Contexts; title: Amani's Story: Of Marriageable Age; title: Cross-Border Extended Family Politics; title: Bondeko's Story: Social Networks and 'Passive' Resistance; title: Jacob's Story: Respect and Respectability in Post-Migration Intergenerational and Intragenerational Relationships; title: Paul's Story: Morphologie douteuse and the Musicality of Body Politics; title: Marie's Story: Diploma for life? Education and Exclusion in Migration Discourse and Practice; title: Conclusion: The Politics of Age and Generation in Migration Contexts.