HARNESSING GLOBALISATION FOR CHILDREN: A report to UNICEF Chapter 14 Policy to protect children from and during war * Frances Stewart and Jo Boyden** Summary. The magnitude of wars, deaths, physical incapacity and economic and social damage caused, as well as displacement all grew rapidly from 1945 to 1995, with possibly some reduction in the last years of the century. Most of the current wars are internal, which causes particularly hardship since civilians are often a major target. Children are among the worst sufferers from war, being particularly vulnerable to the reduced services and disintegrating families that accompany war. This chapter aims to explore how far the growing incidence of war is to be attributed to globalisation, and the nature of global policies that might reduce the negative impact on children. Analysis of the causes of war show that economic stagnation, horizontal inequalities, private incentives to fight, and the weakness of the state are among the most important causes, all playing on political and cultural problems. Global influences contribute to all four elements. In some respects, therefore, globalisation has encouraged outbreaks of war, helped to finance them, and provided incentives for their prolongation. But in other respects, globalisation might be expected to have reduced the likelihood of war, as when people become successfully integrated into market economies, they require peaceful conditions for economic success. JEL: H56, I31, J23, * This study presents the views of its authors and not the official UNICEF position in this field ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------