Amid conflict, teenagers in eastern Ukraine learn to make peace
A new project teaches teenagers how to resolve conflicts peacefully, amid a global pandemic and ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine.
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Teenagers in eastern Ukraine are learning how to solve problems peacefully, thanks to a new project from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the European Union (EU).
As part of the College Reconciliation Service, professional psychologists and mediators teach teens all over Mariupol how to share and solve their worries, including bullying, first love, loneliness and anxiety surrounding the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.
“You need to calm down, exhale and say to an aggressor discreetly, thank you or sorry,” says Olia Holubieva, a student from the city of Mariupol who has been learning the art of mediation. “You will be very surprised what reaction will come back.”
Learning to communicate
Last year, Olia and her friend, 17-year-old Maria Skorykh, took part in a mediation course at Mariupol Machine Building College. As a result, the pair have learned how to look at problems from different angles and now see the importance of communication.
“Often, we do not think that communication is something that we can learn,” says Olia.
Reconciliation techniques
Olia and Maria’s training took four days. Psychologists taught the teenagers reconciliation techniques and explained how to focus on things that unite them.
“There were funny moments when we played moving games, and they were very touching when we talked about our feelings,” recalls Maria. She estimates that 80 per cent of the information in the training was new to her.
The college service became particularly popular during the challenging COVID-19 lockdown period. Over the last year, Olia and Maria have helped to resolve many conflict situations within the college. “Peacefully and with a smile,” notes Olia.
Sharing fears and insecurities
As part of the service, college students can also leave anonymous notes in a box, which are read by a university psychologist or the mediators of the reconciliation service.
“Our psychologist helps with confidential issues such as unwanted pregnancies,” explains Olia. “And we also help with conflicts where a public solution is possible, such as problems in groups.”
Maria recently helped a group of fellow students to resolve a fundraising issue. “Financial issues often lead to conflicts – how much we take, why, should everyone donate money, etcetera,” she says. The issue was resolved by having the group sit together in a circle and express their concerns openly.
Olia has been working to tackle cyber-bullying in group chats, with lockdown and self-isolation causing an increase in anxiety and aggression on the internet. With the support of UNICEF, 55 online seminars on conflict resolution in the digital space have been organized to support thousands of students, teachers and parents.
“Because of social differences, quarantine tensions or competition, I sometimes see mocking and ridicule in general correspondence,” says Olia. “And I try to stop it at once, in most cases it is possible to do it softly and with humour.”
It is difficult for Maria and Olia to imagine that conflicts among teenagers will disappear completely. But, thanks to their training, they will do their best to help wherever they can.
“Nowadays, during lockdown, many people hide behind their gadgets that cannot replace live communication, which leads to loneliness and misunderstanding,” says Olia. “My advice to those who find themselves alone or in a conflict situation is to not be ashamed to ask for help.”
