Surviving Violence: The Politics of (Self) Protection

In light of the growing international emphasis on Protection of Civilians (POC) in conflict and "post-conflict" settings, this collection highlights the varied self-protection strategies that individuals and communities use to navigate through armed violence. Civilians often rely on sophisticated knowledge and assessment of their environment, while simultaneously deploying (and often adapting) their coping strategies to remain safe. They do so despite the failures of state and non-state actors to comply with international humanitarian law, lack of co-ordination and coherence among aid organizations, and significantly under-resourced and over-extended peacekeeping operations. Policy-makers, practitioners and scholars are increasingly aware that civilians are the first and last to guarantee their own safety.

The Editors gratefully acknowledge the organizations that funded and supported this project, including: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the International Development Research Centre, the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, the Resilience Research Centre, and the Presidents Office of Dalhousie University.