Rethinking Resilience: Social reconstruction in Iraq and Ukraine

It’s been two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the country has suffered significant losses, seen the destruction of its vibrant communities, and witnessed widespread damage to its critical infrastructure. What the future holds for Ukraine is currently unknown, but a huge international effort is underway to support the country’s resilience, and to help lay the ground for its recovery.

In Iraq, communities are still coming to terms with two decades of violent conflict and upheaval, but the recovery process has begun. Houses and mosques are being rebuilt, and displaced people are gradually returning home.

This webinar will bring together experts on Iraq and Ukraine to discuss the challenges and issues in reconstructing a post-conflict society. Speakers will consider how Ukraine can learn lessons from the recovery process already underway in Iraq, how the international community can best support an inclusive reconstruction, and why building resilience does not always mean a return to the status quo.

Speakers

• Dr Craig Larkin, who will moderate the discussion.
• Dr Inna Rudolf, who will speak about her XCEPT research into post-conflict recovery and reconstruction in Iraq.
• Olga Kotiuk, who will speak about her work with the PFRU on memory and identity.

Biographies

• Dr Craig Larkin is a Reader in Middle East Politics and Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Deputy Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of Divided Societies at King’s College London. He is Research Lead on Memory and Conflict for the XCEPT consortium.
• Dr Inna Rudolf is a Senior Research Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) and a postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Divided Societies. Within the XCEPT consortium, she is analysing the implications of identity politics and the mobilisation of violent memories.
• Olga Kotiuk is an armed conflict and peacebuilding expert with 13 years of experience in nonprofit, government, and research. She has extensive experience mitigating the consequences of the Russian war against Ukraine, working with conflict-affected communities in the east of Ukraine in 2016-2019. Currently, Olga is leading the Transitional Justice and Culture workstreams in the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine.