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Ethno-religious Identification and Latent Conflict: Support of Violence among Muslim and Christian Filipino Children and Youth

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Conflict, Violence and Peace

Part of the book series: Geographies of Children and Young People ((GCYP,volume 11))

Abstract

This contribution focuses on the involvement of children and youth in conflicts between Muslims and Christians in the Philippines. Contemporary Filipino youth, especially in the southern part of the country, grows up amidst this conflict. At first, a brief background on Moro conflict in the Philippines is presented in order to understand the specific positioning and experiences of children and youth. We then try to explain several pathways to children and youth support of violence and participation in conflict. Political minorization and economic marginalization play a key role, but equally important are perceptions of discrimination and negative stereotypes. In this context, children and youth grow up needing to assert their identities in ethnic and religious terms. Personal experiences of violence further trigger involvement in conflict and may lead children and youth to participate in private armed groups. We cite some theoretical approaches in social science literature that help to explain the intergroup conflicts and youth’s involvement in it.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Philosophy, Theology & Religious Studies, Radboud University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525 HT, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Carl Sterkens

  2. Psychosocial Support and Children’s Rights Resource Center, Quezon, Philippines

    Agnes Zenaida Camacho

  3. Faculty of Social Sciences, Radboud University, PO Box 9104, Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands

    Peer Scheepers

Authors
  1. Carl Sterkens
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  2. Agnes Zenaida Camacho
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  3. Peer Scheepers
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Carl Sterkens , Agnes Zenaida Camacho or Peer Scheepers .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom

    Christopher Harker

  2. Department of Geography, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom

    Kathrin Hörschelmann

  3. Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Tracey Skelton

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Sterkens, C., Camacho, A.Z., Scheepers, P. (2016). Ethno-religious Identification and Latent Conflict: Support of Violence among Muslim and Christian Filipino Children and Youth. In: Harker, C., Hörschelmann, K., Skelton, T. (eds) Conflict, Violence and Peace. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 11. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-98-9_12-1

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