Anne de Graaf
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Email: amdg3
st-andrews.ac.uk
About
Anne de Graaf is both an author and a lecturer.
She has written more than 80 books which have sold over 5 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 50 languages. Most of her books are for children, but she has also written four adult novels and two teen novels which are based on International Relations themes such as child soldiers and Aids survival.
She has also guest lectured at the Harvard Model UN; West Point Military Academy; the (Dutch) Royal Military Academy; Leiden University, The Netherlands; and the World Model UN, Mexico. She is on staff as a fulltime lecturer at Webster University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Biography
AB Communication, specialty in Broadcasting and Journalism, double minor in Creative Writing and German, from Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
MA International Relations, Webster University, Leiden, The Netherlands
MA dissertation title: “Where are the children in IR?—A Young People’s perspective called YPs (Why Peace)”
Thesis Title
Children’s voices, children’s choices—The place of voice—specifically young people’s—and its role in conflict and peacebuilding
Supervisor
Professor Ali Watson
Thesis Summary
Anne’s PhD research at the University of St Andrews explores the role of young people in International Relations. Specifically it examines how their narratives may play an active role in both conflict and post-conflict societies. The research seeks to answer questions about the placement of youth narratives, as well as to survey examples of youth participation in conflict and peacebuilding in which young people acted as agents of change. In addition, the thesis describes “listening spaces” for youth. Her fieldwork takes place in South Africa. Anne's research explores the potential of using youth narratives as instruments of policy design and policy assessment in peacebuilding, and how these narratives might contribute toward peacebuilding benchmarks or indicators.
Research Interests
Child rights, childhood studies, youth participation, youth as social and political agents, narratives of conflict and peacebuilding, human rights, recognition.
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Research Experience
- Traveled extensively in Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, including Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Tanzania, where she interviewed villagers, UNICEF, UNHCR and World Vision field personnel, trauma therapists working with children, former child soldiers, and refugees. Stayed in a Tanzanian camp with more than 50,000 refugees, over half of whom were children. Interviews with international negotiators. Collects narratives by young people in places of conflict all over the world.
- Investigation of topics such as child soldiers and Aids survival during various trips throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and to Liberia.
- Research trips to the Middle East (Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq), Russia (art history, war trophies and art theft), and Bosnia (interviews with child psychologists, teachers, torture-trauma therapists, and refugees)
Publications
Four adult novels:
- Into the Nevernight--novel based on true stories of refugees and child soldiers met during research trips in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Hidden Harvest series of three novels (Bread upon the Waters, Where the Fire Burns, Out of the Red Shadow) based on true stories of elderly in Poland interviewed from 1987-1997.
Various magazine articles about child soldiers, travel, the writing life, research methods and interviewing techniques
Papers
“The Children’s Voices in Places of Conflict,” Paper delivered at (2010) 15th Humanitarian conference (organized in collaboration with the ICRC and UNHCR), Geneva, Switzerland; published as a chapter (2011).
Teaching
- Associate accreditation from the internationally recognized Higher Education Academy (UK) Professional Recognition Scheme (Dutch BKO equivalent)
- Fulltime Staff Lecturer at Webster University, Leiden, The Netherlands—designed class syllabi, taught, and conducted assessment for classes in Composition, Creative Writing, Media Writing, Graduate Academic Writing, Freshman Seminar, and International Relations (Introduction to IR; Introduction to Human Rights; Human Rights Theory: Youth Perspectives); Head of Writing and Research Support Center—helped students identify writing subjects and further strengthen their writing skills: from ESL to publishing in IR journals; Faculty Coordinator for General Education classes—approved syllabi.
- Guest Lecturer at Harvard University Model UN; West Point Military Academy; Leiden University, The Netherlands; and secondary schools on topics such as child soldiers, Aids survival, refugees, creative writing, journalism and professional writing.
- Beirut, Lebanon: Writers' Workshop for poets, journalists and students from mixed backgrounds (Shi’ite, Sunni, Christian). Topics included: “Disciplines and Habits of the Effective Writer,” “Rooting Your Writing in Effective Research,” “Using Fictional Techniques to Write Non-Fiction,” and “Shaping Culture through the Written Word.”
- Amman, Jordan: Weeklong writers' workshop for novelists and journalists
