Remaining 7 journalists travelled through Mayorsk, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Dobropolie, Pokrovsk, Slaviansk, Severodonetsk, Starobelsk.

In each location they met with local residents, discussing how the war changed their lives, the challenges people face due to the protracted conflict. Among the most pressing concerns people mentioned rapidly deteriorating infrastructure, lack of the interest of the officials to the development of the region as well as the widespread corruption. People also mentioned the pilght of IDPs including the fact that many displaced having exhausted their savings and not being able to support their livelihoods in the new places, had to give up and return to the non government controlled territories, where they at least have own housing.

The trip reminded the journalists from the western Europe that dispite low number of casualities the conflict in Ukraine is still putting a heavy burden on the lives of civillians and thus needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

The trip of the journalist took place with the organizational support of the CivilM + platform.

Among the speakers are:

• Oleksandra Romantsova, Center for Civil Liberties,
• Valerii Novykov, Alternativa,
• Aleksandr Cherkassov, Human Rights Center «Memorial»,
• Evguenii Zakharov, Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group,
• Volodymyr Shcherbachenko, Eastern-Ukrainian Center for Civic Initiatives.

Detailed event description and program are available in English here.

To participate in the conference you need to register under the following link.

CivilM+ experts have prepared recommendations for successful reintegration of the region and its residents, addressed to all levels of government, politicians and diplomats, parliamentarians and officials in Ukraine and
abroad, international political and financial institutions and humanitarian organisations, civil society.

This Policy Paper was developed on the results of the 2nd International Forum «Reintegration in Donbas – improving the humanitarian situation and strengthening people to people contacts in the conflict region», which was held on November 13-14, 2019 in Kyiv.

The following are amongst the priority measures for the effective reintegration of the ORDLO and their population, as well as IDPs:

• resolution of humanitarian crisis and provision of the effective access of the population to exercising of rights/ basic services;
• eliminating all forms of discrimination and ensuring equal access to services and rights;
• development of a concept of transitional justice;
• ensuring access to citizens’ right to the freedom of movement and the restoration of social ties;
• access to the education for all citizens;
• implementation of the consistent policy towards the local selfgovernance in the territories under the control of the Government of Ukraine;
• Minimisation of risks for the environment in the conflict affected region;
• Information and language policy.

Read more in the publication “Reintegration of the population affected by the conflict in Donbas and restoring justice and peace: current state and priorities” in Russian and English.