Call for papers: Children of the Drug War

The war on drugs has had a devastating impact on the lives of children and young people all over the world. Young people have been excluded from school and excluded from healthcare services. They have experienced the loss of a parent or loved one due to HIV/AIDS or overdose. They have grown up with a primary caregiver incarcerated for minor drug offences. They have been incarcerated themselves or coerced into closed treatment centres. They have seen their communities uprooted due to crop eradication programmes or drug fuelled conflict to become statistics of human displacement. They have been forced into the drug trade and brutalised by organised criminals. The impacts of the drug war on children and young people are extensive and right in front of us. They are neither hidden nor trivial, but they are often ignored, and the perspectives of young people rarely taken
into account.

This compilation of essays presents an opportunity to bring these many issues together. It is intended as a discussion piece to highlight the impacts of the war on drugs from the perspectives of children and young people and to promote a greater focus on children and young people in drug policies, nationally and internationally.

The editor is looking for original, well-written and engaging essays. They may be based on existing research, interviews, personal experiences or they may be more narrative or journalistic in style. Contributions based on the work of NGOs or youth services are also welcome. Topics may range from broad policy analyses to case studies and may cover any aspect of the war on drugs so long as the focus is on the perspectives of, or impacts on, children and young people.

All papers must be submitted in English. The style is up to the individual contributor and should be described in the proposal. Those
with more original subject matter and/or approach will be preferred. A mix of styles will be included in the final publication.
The proposal should be no more than 500 words. The final paper should be between 5,000 and 8,000 words. There is some flexibility in the final length, which may depend on subject matter or approach adopted.

The deadline is Friday 29th January 2010. Send proposals to childrenofthedrugwar@googlemail.com.

See attached note for more information.