"The 'Other War' That Begins After the Ceasefire: How Violence Transcends Generations"

"The 'Other War' That Begins After the Ceasefire: How Violence Transcends Generations"

1. Beginnings "After the War is Over"

We would like to believe that wars conclude with ceasefire agreements or peace treaties. However, in reality, a different form of violence lingers long after the gunfire has ceased. While visible destruction is gradually filled with reconstruction, the fear, prejudice, poverty, and "stigma" ingrained in families and communities continue to quietly dictate the lives of the next generation.


The fact that this essay confronts is that "war is not in the past." War survives as a "present tense" across generations through gaps in memory and institutions, and the gaze of those around them. The most vulnerable to its impact are the children who bear no responsibility for the war.


2. Northern Uganda—Until the "Third Generation" is Born

The case discussed is Northern Uganda. During a prolonged civil war, a girl was abducted by an armed group. Taken from school as a child, she was held captive and subjected to forced combat and sexual violence. Her daughter, born in such circumstances, was surrounded by a reality beyond her control from the very start of her life.


Eventually, the mother and child escape. However, returning home does not always mean "salvation." The community views them with fear and suspicion. Labeled as "family of rebels" or "dangerous lineage," they are excluded from school and family relations. Their housing is unstable, education is interrupted, and they are forced to work for a living.


The most cruel aspect is that it doesn't end there. The daughter also faces violence and gives birth to the next child. Thus, after the war is "officially over," a third-generation child living a "war-shaped life" is born. This marks the moment when war transforms from an "event" to a "structure."


3. What is Passed Down Through Generations is Not Guns, but "Stigma"

The core of the essay lies in the fact that the circuits through which violence is transmitted across generations are not limited to physical violence. Discrimination and stigma can themselves become a form of sustained violence.


For example, what happens when a child is described with words like "violent," "cursed," or "bad blood"? No matter how much the individual tries to live normally, the surrounding community prepares a "story of suspicion" in advance. They become isolated at school, rejected in employment, and denied access to rights such as land, inheritance, identity, and citizenship. Eventually, exclusion breeds poverty, poverty heightens tensions within the family, and the risk of violence in the home and community rises.


In other words, even if the "direct damage" of war ends, as long as the "invisible cage" created by society remains, the next generation will continue to live in the extension of the war. When a person involved says, "The war I am facing now is stigma," it is not a metaphor but a definition of reality.


4. The "Victims of Sexual Violence" Are Beginning to Be Discussed—But "Their Children" Remain Invisible

In recent years, sexual violence in conflict has been internationally recognized as a "weapon of war," and discussions on victim support and punishment have expanded. However, the children born from such circumstances are often left out of these discussions.


The reasons are complex.

  • Victims themselves are forced into silence, and the origins of the child are kept secret

  • Communities wrap them in narratives of "shame" or "stain," excluding the child

  • Legal systems lag behind, leaving issues of identity, inheritance, and nationality unresolved

  • Support is biased towards "combatants," "refugees," and "female victims," causing children to fall through the cracks of the system


As a result, children who should have a deep connection to the war disappear from the post-war discussion table. If they remain invisible, policies and budgets will not be allocated. This vicious cycle becomes fixed.

5. Nevertheless—Not Just Scars, but "Inherited Strength"

The honesty of this essay lies in not reducing family lineages to mere "chains of trauma." The darker the shadow of past violence, the more surprisingly tenaciousness and kindness can be nurtured.


Memories of a mother protecting her child at all costs. The fact that she never let go of their hand during the escape. The time spent choosing to "survive" even in situations without food or safety. These are not just records of tragedy but become the roots of a child's sense that "I have been protected" and "I too can choose my future."


The author perceives this not as individual grit but as "intergenerational resilience." Within relationships, meanings, survival strategies, and hope are passed down. It shows the possibility that what was born from darkness does not end in darkness alone.


6. What is Needed—Recognition as "Rights Holders"

The conclusion is clear. As long as we treat war as something "that has ended," we abandon the next generation. What is needed is to incorporate "children born during war" into systems as rights holders living in the present, not as symbols of the past or scandals.


Specifically,

  • Incorporate the voices of those involved in reconciliation and reintegration processes

  • Reduce stigma through reparations and community awareness

  • Ensure effective access to education, healthcare, and employment

  • Clarify legal rights such as inheritance, land, nationality, and citizenship


What is important here is to treat it as a "rights issue," not as "helping because they are pitiful." Pity may be temporary, but rights are enduring. At the heart of support should be the dignity of those involved.


Reactions on Social Media (Summary of Trends)

※The following is a "summary of trends" of common points and reactions observed on social media. It is not a quote from specific posts.


Empathy and Shock: "The War Isn't Over"

  • "I thought ceasefire = resolution. It's scary how society's gaze can become violence."

  • "The term 'post-war war' resonates. It could happen in Japan too, albeit in a different form."

  • "It's too unfair that a child's life is determined by 'origin' despite having no sin."

Raising Issues: "Punishing Perpetrators Isn't Enough"

  • "Pursuing responsibility for sexual violence is natural. But the system for children 'afterwards' is weak."

  • "There are moments when discussions of justice stray from 'who to save.'"

  • "It's realistic to break it down into issues of nationality, inheritance, and education. If not fixed, it will perpetuate."

Struggles and Distance: "Because It's a Heavy Topic, People Tend to Look Away"

  • "It's so painful I can't read to the end. But there are 'realities that can't be read.'"

  • "They say to listen to the voices of those involved, but society isn't ready to accept them."

Rebuttals and Misunderstandings: "Articulating Prejudices is Necessary"

  • "The feeling of fear towards 'children of rebels' comes first for some people, and that's reality."

  • "That's why we need to articulate and dismantle the 'exclusion born from viewing as dangerous.'"


Sources

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