“The war in the eyes of different generations: views on life and reintegration perspectives in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine”

The war that began in eastern Ukraine in 2014 caught residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts at different stages in their lives. School children, students, young professionals, parents, middle-aged people, pensioners – everyone experienced the shock of the armed conflict and were forced to restructure their lives with an eye to the war. Such historical events evoke an enormous emotional reaction and shape the formation of world views and values, especially in children and young people
who are at a critical stage of learning.

In order to draw the attention of the actors in the field of conflict resolution to the need for a differentiated approached to conflict resolution, regional development and safe integration, the international civil society platform CivilMPlus organized a virtual factfinding mission. In September 2021, a group of experts from six countries (Ukraine, France, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, USA) carried out five online meetings with civil society activists, representatives from local authorities and journalists from the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. At these meetings, the experts asked questions and discussed with the participants their perceptions of intergenerational differences on the issues, circumstances and future perspectives in the context of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.