The Euromaidan revolution in Ukraine led to protests, violence, violations of human rights, and more than a hundred people lost their life. During the three months of protest (2013-2014), multiple...Show moreThe Euromaidan revolution in Ukraine led to protests, violence, violations of human rights, and more than a hundred people lost their life. During the three months of protest (2013-2014), multiple intergovernmental organisations made statements regarding the violence and called for action against the Ukrainian government. This paper investigates how much influence those intergovernmental organisations have on the decision-making of the Ukrainian government regarding the protests by using press releases. This paper finds that intergovernmental organisations have indeed influence while limited in the decision-making. This is seen due to the use of discourse analysis.Show less
Until 2014, Ukraine Distinguished itself from fellow former Soviet republics through its competitive political arena and lack of domestic armed conflict. That changed in 2014 with the Euromaidan...Show moreUntil 2014, Ukraine Distinguished itself from fellow former Soviet republics through its competitive political arena and lack of domestic armed conflict. That changed in 2014 with the Euromaidan protests in February, followed by the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in March. These protests turned violent, triggering a government sanctioned counterterrorism operation in response. Peace negotiations coordinated by the OSCE resulted in the signing of the Mink Protocol establishing an immediate cease-fire monitored by the OSCE. Despite these international efforts, the fighting in Donbas sustained and Donbas turned into a semi-frozen conflict facing sporadic military skirmishes. Within the analysis of new civil wars, further specification can be made to distinguish protracted social conflicts (PSCs), or those in which groups are deprived of basic needs on the basis of communal identity as a result of a complex causal chain involving the role of the state and international linkages. PSCs are of particular interest in the case of Ukraine as it experienced unparalleled demographic reversals throughout the 20th century. This research postures the following question: to what extent is the post-Euromaidan prevalence of separatist paramilitary activity in Donbas a manifestation of a protracted social conflict? Using an adaptation of Azar’s genesis model as a framework in order to attempt to partially answer the aforementioned question, it is concluded that the separatist paramilitary activity in Donbas is likely a manifestation of a protracted social conflict based on human need deprivation.Show less
Since the Euromaidan uprising of 2013-2014, Ukrainian political leaders have made serious commitments to strengthening ties between Ukraine and the EU, and this is one of the main guiding...Show moreSince the Euromaidan uprising of 2013-2014, Ukrainian political leaders have made serious commitments to strengthening ties between Ukraine and the EU, and this is one of the main guiding principles for contemporary Ukrainian politics. This thesis seeks to understand how a pro-European attitude is reflected in the everyday, private living space of ordinary Ukrainians, which was and often still is heavily influenced by the Soviet past, but is moving toward Europe along with the rest of Ukrainian society. This thesis explores what the ‘European life’ means for Ukrainians living in Kyiv, and aims to understand how the generally pro-European political orientation in Ukraine is reflected in the construction of new housing and the desires Ukrainians have for their living space.Show less
This study sets out to examine whether civil society organisations (CSOs) have become more integrated into the Ukrainian public policy-making process since the Euromaidan in 2014 and whether the...Show moreThis study sets out to examine whether civil society organisations (CSOs) have become more integrated into the Ukrainian public policy-making process since the Euromaidan in 2014 and whether the Revolution has led to a meaningful shift towards a more inclusive style of governance. Through a focus on the anti-corruption policy field as a case study, the argument which will be advanced is that the 2014 Euromaidan did lead to a qualitative opening of the political system and the policy-making process in stark contrast to the authoritarian and exclusionist nature of the former Yanukovych regime. The post-2014 period has therefore seen considerable involvement of CSO representatives in public policy-making and a sustained formal commitment to dialogue on the part of many representatives of the authorities. More recently, however, a trend towards de facto marginalisation of CSO representatives and the closing of previously productive channels for cooperation suggest a moderate reversal of initial positive tendencies and raise questions about the extent to which the positive developments of 2014 and 2015 can be treated unambiguously as a sign of a large-scale and sustainable shift towards participatory governance.Show less
