Professor Alcinda Honwana accepts Prince Claus Chair
02 Apr 2008
On Tuesday 1 April 2008, Professor Alcinda Honwana, an authority on child soldiers in Africa, formally accepted her appointment to the Prince Claus Chair.
The ceremony took place at the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague, in the presence of HRH Princess Máxima; Minister of Development Cooperation Bert Koenders; Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management Camiel Eurlings; Mayor of The Hague Jozias van Aartsen; and many others.
Professor Alcinda Honwana is an internationally renowned scholar from Mozambique and has been appointed to the chair in recognition of her substantial academic achievements and her involvement in the field of conflict resolution policy in Africa.
Honwana's work
Professor Honwana was born in Mozambique and is currently director of the International Development Centre (IDC) of the Open University in the United Kingdom. As an authority in the field of child soldiers in Africa and in the field of African youth in the context of globalisation processes in post-colonial Africa, she points out the paradox in the concept of ‘child soldiers’: children are seen as innocent and vulnerable, while soldiers are thought of as strong protectors. This blending of vulnerability and power is the uncomfortable reality of today. ‘Children become murderers before they even know the fundamentals of morality,’ says Honwana, whose work includes research into possible healing processes and rehabilitation for child soldiers.
Prince Claus Chair
The Prince Claus Chair is awarded for a term of one year to an outstanding young scholar from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean or the Pacific. The chair rotates on an annual basis between Utrecht University and the ISS in The Hague. The objective of the Chair is to promote research and teaching in the field of development and equity. The Curatorium of the Prince Claus Chair is chaired by HRH Princess Máxima.
ISS
The ISS is an international institute of higher education. For more than fifty years, the ISS has focused on research and teaching in the field of Development Studies. ISS students – some 300 to 400 a year – come from more than 60 countries, mainly developing countries, and are afforded the opportunity to exchange experiences and points of view. The ISS works closely with universities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.