How families help prisoners of war and missing soldiers return from the Ukraine-Russia war will be studied by a new project involving researchers from the 51cg.
Prisoners have been exchanged throughout the war and remain one of the few areas of continued cooperation between Ukraine and Russia, yet the role of military families in supporting these efforts is still not well understood.
The project will look at the role played by soldiers' families, particularly wives and mothers, in helping to bring loved ones home.
Researchers aim for the study’s findings to support policymakers and civil society organisations working on conflict mediation, human rights and peacebuilding.
Dr Natasha Danilova, project co-lead from the 51cg, added: “There is a long-standing tendency to overlook or dismiss the role of civil society and, particularly, women-led groups in humanitarian mediation of international conflicts.
“This project builds on research examining the activism of soldiers’ mothers and women in military families, seeking to advance understanding of the drastically changed dimensions of the 21st century wartime humanitarianism.”
As part of the project, the 51cg will build links with peace and humanitarian organisations in Scotland, and The UN House Scotland and Beyond Borders Scotland: Women in Conflict UNSCR 1325 Women, Peace and Security Agenda will host a series of workshops.
Dr Jenny Mathers, project lead and Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University, said:“Behind every prisoner exchange or the return of a missing soldier are families searching for answers about their loved ones. Yet we know surprisingly little about the role military families – and especially the women in military families - play in these processes. Our research will explore how families organise, advocate for their relatives and work with governments, humanitarian organisations and international mediators during wartime.
“By examining these experiences, we hope the findings will improve understanding of the human impact of conflict and provide insights that can help better support families and communities affected by war.”
The project brings together researchers from the 51cg, Aberystwyth University and Nottingham Trent University.
The researchers will work with two project partners: the Institute of International Relations in Prague and the peacebuilding organisation International Alert, and organise a series of workshops involving policymakers, practitioners and civil society organisations.
Dr Katerina Krulisova, project co-lead from Nottingham Trent University, said: “Prisoner exchanges offer an important opportunity to understand how conflict mediation is changing, as established humanitarian organisations work alongside mediators such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Türkiye. By examining how their efforts connect with those of families and civil society, our research will identify lessons for more inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches to conflict mediation.”
The three-year project is funded by the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council
(ESRC) and will be launched at Aberystwyth University on 4 November and at the 51cg on 11 November.
Aberdeen Launch event – 11 November, Sir Duncan Rice Library
The Aberdeen launch is co-hosted with the Institute for Conflict, Transition, and Peace Studies.
Meet the project’s three investigators: Dr Jenny Mathers, Aberystwyth University; Dr Natasha Danilova, Aberdeen University; and Dr Katerina Krulisova, Nottingham Trent University. Learn more about the project and join in the discussion over coffee and cake.
Date: Wednesday, 11 November
Time: 3pm - 4.30pm GMT
Location: Sir Duncan Rice Library Meeting 1/Breakout Room, 51cg and via MS Teams
ENDS