This paper is authored by three experts who worked at the international Kyrgyzstan Inquiry Commis... more This paper is authored by three experts who worked at the international Kyrgyzstan Inquiry Commission, and is based on primary data collected in the field. It argues that political processes and the actions of the authorities cannot exclusively account for the violent clashes that occurred there in June 2010. Rather, the violence emerged out of a growing alienation between the Uzbek and Kyrgyz communities which over time developed a mutual antipathy, and lacked a shared vision of the future. Formal provisions for minorities failed to offset the rising nationalism of the majority group in the South. Political resources and mechanisms for managing interethnic relations had been in steady decline since independence, while politicians came to rely on informal arrangements with Uzbek community leaders. The crisis of April 2010 created a window of opportunity to redefine the place of Uzbeks in the new political order, which their leaders grasped. Surge in criminal rivalries and rapid immi...
Executive Summary This report examines the human security and peacebuilding challenges in the non... more Executive Summary This report examines the human security and peacebuilding challenges in the non-Government Controlled Areas (NGCA) of Ukraine by exploring the perspectives on the past, present and future, gaining a perspective on broader views among the local population on prospects for dialogue, contacts and engagement, and develop recommendations for local, national and international stakeholders on how to engage on issues affecting the population in conflict-affected areas. The Maidan movement and overthrow of President Yanukovych were a shock for the people of the region, a sign of a dramatic turn in the direction of the country, and ushered in fears of a threat to their way of life. The narratives of liberation emerging at that time and the collective experience of war built a new identity in the region based on survival and defiance while those who supported a unitary version of Ukrainian statehood, represented by the new authorities in Kiev. As the Minsk agreement led to a reduction in the scale of hostilities, displaced persons began to return to a situation characterised by economic decline, continuous insecurity from shelling, restrictions on movement to and from government-controlled Ukraine, and repeated disruptions to services from civil infrastructure (water, gas, electricity) located on Ukrainian territory. People see their basic welfare tied to Russia. Russian relief is prominent in the region, while that of western organisations is little-known and the majority of western organisations have, in any case, been expelled. There is a wartime level of fear of unsanctioned political activism and intelligence-gathering activities, which has led to the expulsion of a number of Ukrainian activists. To a large extent the conflict is seen as being externally driven and in fact a clash between Russia and the West. This belief in the supremacy of the West in Ukrainian decision making, as well as the absence of a vision of a common future, leads to a general lack of confidence that a resolution can be reached under the present authorities. The report recommends: ■ Salvage what can be preserved in terms of infrastructural and economic links, and reinforce interdependency, including the legalisation of trade, before divisions reach a point of no return. ■ Find ways of making the Donbas narrative heard not only in Russia. ■ Reach out to civic-minded intelligentsia among academics, politicians, media and CSOs in the NGCAs to make them more prepared for dialogue with the other side. ■ Encourage national authorities to take symbolic steps to show the NGCAs that they are still welcome in Ukraine and regarded as a part of its citizenry. ■ Move more vigorously with efforts to promote dialogue and conciliation and seek out allies among academia, public intellectuals and journalists in the region and in Russia in order to make the space to engage. ■ Support existing infrastructural, economic and social connectors which dilute isolation and resistance mentality and generate a more favourable climate for a settlement. Conflict Context Mapping in Non-Government Controlled Areas of Ukraine | 2
" In their concentration on the geopolitics of the Ukraine conflict, Western journalists and anal... more " In their concentration on the geopolitics of the Ukraine conflict, Western journalists and analysts have been largely indifferent to the people of the Donbas region themselves. Anna Matveeva's research into their views and perspectives, backed by profound insights into the complexity of Ukrainian society, is therefore an essential contribution both to scholarship and to policy-making. " —Anatol Lieven, Georgetown University " Matveeva has written a profoundly moving, well-informed and humane study of one of the most misunderstood internationalized civil conflicts of our time. She cuts through the various mythologized narratives to present a clear and balanced view of how the Donbass conflict started, the actors involved, the structural framework, and how it is experienced today. This profound and erudite work forces us all off our grandstands to walk with the peoples of Ukraine. It is a salutary but necessary lesson for us all. " —Richard Sakwa, University of Kent ABOUT THIS BOOK This book tells the story of insurgency in Ukraine's Donbas region from the perspective of the rebels, who sought and continue to seek either independence from Ukraine or unification with Russia. As such, it provides a unique insight into their thinking and motivations, which need to be understood if the conflict is to be resolved. Those making and remaking the conflict are placed in the centre of the story which uses the words of the combatants themselves. It shows how volunteer fighters, driven by a wide and diffuse set of motivations, emerged from Ukraine, Russia, and different parts of the world, stood at the rebellion's heart. The book focuses on the participants' own voices and personalities, drawing extensively on first-hand research and interviews. This book follows the stages of assembling different conflict ingredients together, and the rebellion's zigzagging fortunes after it became apparent that Moscow was not going to repeat the Crimea scenario in Donbas. It analyses the logic of armed struggle and the tactics deployed by warring parties. It also sheds light on the developments in Moscow, discusses the phenomenon of the Russian Spring movement and concludes with the prospects for a peaceful solution.
This paper is authored by three experts who worked at the international Kyrgyzstan Inquiry Commis... more This paper is authored by three experts who worked at the international Kyrgyzstan Inquiry Commission, and is based on primary data collected in the field. It argues that political processes and the actions of the authorities cannot exclusively account for the violent clashes that occurred there in June 2010. Rather, the violence emerged out of a growing alienation between the Uzbek and Kyrgyz communities which over time developed a mutual antipathy, and lacked a shared vision of the future. Formal provisions for minorities failed to offset the rising nationalism of the majority group in the South. Political resources and mechanisms for managing interethnic relations had been in steady decline since independence, while politicians came to rely on informal arrangements with Uzbek community leaders. The crisis of April 2010 created a window of opportunity to redefine the place of Uzbeks in the new political order, which their leaders grasped. Surge in criminal rivalries and rapid immi...
Executive Summary This report examines the human security and peacebuilding challenges in the non... more Executive Summary This report examines the human security and peacebuilding challenges in the non-Government Controlled Areas (NGCA) of Ukraine by exploring the perspectives on the past, present and future, gaining a perspective on broader views among the local population on prospects for dialogue, contacts and engagement, and develop recommendations for local, national and international stakeholders on how to engage on issues affecting the population in conflict-affected areas. The Maidan movement and overthrow of President Yanukovych were a shock for the people of the region, a sign of a dramatic turn in the direction of the country, and ushered in fears of a threat to their way of life. The narratives of liberation emerging at that time and the collective experience of war built a new identity in the region based on survival and defiance while those who supported a unitary version of Ukrainian statehood, represented by the new authorities in Kiev. As the Minsk agreement led to a reduction in the scale of hostilities, displaced persons began to return to a situation characterised by economic decline, continuous insecurity from shelling, restrictions on movement to and from government-controlled Ukraine, and repeated disruptions to services from civil infrastructure (water, gas, electricity) located on Ukrainian territory. People see their basic welfare tied to Russia. Russian relief is prominent in the region, while that of western organisations is little-known and the majority of western organisations have, in any case, been expelled. There is a wartime level of fear of unsanctioned political activism and intelligence-gathering activities, which has led to the expulsion of a number of Ukrainian activists. To a large extent the conflict is seen as being externally driven and in fact a clash between Russia and the West. This belief in the supremacy of the West in Ukrainian decision making, as well as the absence of a vision of a common future, leads to a general lack of confidence that a resolution can be reached under the present authorities. The report recommends: ■ Salvage what can be preserved in terms of infrastructural and economic links, and reinforce interdependency, including the legalisation of trade, before divisions reach a point of no return. ■ Find ways of making the Donbas narrative heard not only in Russia. ■ Reach out to civic-minded intelligentsia among academics, politicians, media and CSOs in the NGCAs to make them more prepared for dialogue with the other side. ■ Encourage national authorities to take symbolic steps to show the NGCAs that they are still welcome in Ukraine and regarded as a part of its citizenry. ■ Move more vigorously with efforts to promote dialogue and conciliation and seek out allies among academia, public intellectuals and journalists in the region and in Russia in order to make the space to engage. ■ Support existing infrastructural, economic and social connectors which dilute isolation and resistance mentality and generate a more favourable climate for a settlement. Conflict Context Mapping in Non-Government Controlled Areas of Ukraine | 2
" In their concentration on the geopolitics of the Ukraine conflict, Western journalists and anal... more " In their concentration on the geopolitics of the Ukraine conflict, Western journalists and analysts have been largely indifferent to the people of the Donbas region themselves. Anna Matveeva's research into their views and perspectives, backed by profound insights into the complexity of Ukrainian society, is therefore an essential contribution both to scholarship and to policy-making. " —Anatol Lieven, Georgetown University " Matveeva has written a profoundly moving, well-informed and humane study of one of the most misunderstood internationalized civil conflicts of our time. She cuts through the various mythologized narratives to present a clear and balanced view of how the Donbass conflict started, the actors involved, the structural framework, and how it is experienced today. This profound and erudite work forces us all off our grandstands to walk with the peoples of Ukraine. It is a salutary but necessary lesson for us all. " —Richard Sakwa, University of Kent ABOUT THIS BOOK This book tells the story of insurgency in Ukraine's Donbas region from the perspective of the rebels, who sought and continue to seek either independence from Ukraine or unification with Russia. As such, it provides a unique insight into their thinking and motivations, which need to be understood if the conflict is to be resolved. Those making and remaking the conflict are placed in the centre of the story which uses the words of the combatants themselves. It shows how volunteer fighters, driven by a wide and diffuse set of motivations, emerged from Ukraine, Russia, and different parts of the world, stood at the rebellion's heart. The book focuses on the participants' own voices and personalities, drawing extensively on first-hand research and interviews. This book follows the stages of assembling different conflict ingredients together, and the rebellion's zigzagging fortunes after it became apparent that Moscow was not going to repeat the Crimea scenario in Donbas. It analyses the logic of armed struggle and the tactics deployed by warring parties. It also sheds light on the developments in Moscow, discusses the phenomenon of the Russian Spring movement and concludes with the prospects for a peaceful solution.
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