Panel on diversity, reform and social cohesion in Ukrainian cities and towns at EURA2020
A panel with many participants from the ARDU project will be present at the EURA2020 conference «Contradictions Shaping Urban Futures» at OsloMet in Oslo 15-17 June 2020.
The panel will examine how social cohesion in Ukrainian cities and towns is affected by reforms that have been introduced in the aftermath of Euromaidan. Ukrainian decentralisation reform involves, among others, amalgamation of smaller territorial units into larger territorial communities. Thus, previously rather homogeneous towns could be merged with neighbouring towns and villages with a different population make-up. What is the effect of this on the local social cohesion? One controversial aspect of the new education reform is that Ukrainian gradually will become the sole language of instruction in Ukrainian public schools. How do parents and teachers living in linguistically mixed urban environments and being used to classes with instruction given in languages commonly used locally assess these reforms, and what are the consequences?