Mariia Kutniakova
Articles
What We Built Together in 2025
In a year shaped by war, social transformation, and growing pressure on democratic and inclusive societies, Austausch e.V. focused on what matters most: supporting people, dialogue, and solidarity. We launched new initiatives, deepened international partnerships, and worked closely with civil society actors, educators, activists, and local communities across Europe and beyond. At the core of our work were inclusion and disability rights, historical memory and education, democratic dialogue, and environmental justice.
How Do We Teach History When the World Is Shifting?
Final Event of “Lost in Transition?” and “Remembrance in Dialogue”
Art Project with Zlata Zhuravlova: Introducing the Werner Schulz Initiative Fellow
Austausch e. V. is preparing to co-present a new artistic photo project developed by Werner Schulz Initiative fellow and Ukrainian artist, poet, and cultural organiser Zlata Zhuravlova. The project is being created together with American photographer Jonathan Benjamin Small, Marta Pysanko, and Willy Gladisch, and will be co-presented by Austausch e. V. and the Robert-Havemann-Gesellschaft e. V., with Zlata’s association Dva Svity e. V. involved as an associated partner.
Strengthening Civic Space and Security Dialogue: Austausch e.V. at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference 2025
This year, Executive Directors Igor Mitchnik and Jacob Riemer took part in discussions that ranged from financial accountability to regional security and civic participation.
Stories of Change: Celebrating the Winners from Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine
Through Lost in Transition?, Austausch e.V. and its partners aim to challenge singular historical narratives, uncover hidden conflicts, and foster constructive dialogue across generations. The project also develops innovative online learning tools with a special focus on civil society actors and vulnerable groups during the transition period.
Climate and Environmental Challenges in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan: An Overview by Austausch e.V.
This overview highlights the major environmental and climate-related challenges facing both countries – from the destructive impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on ecosystems and climate processes, to the growing risks of desertification, water scarcity, and air pollution in Kyrgyzstan.
Where Past and Present Intersect: Remembrance in Dialogue in Ivano-Frankivsk
From 12 to 14 September 2025, a group of teachers, educators, and researchers from Germany, Poland, and Ukraine took part in a study trip to Ivano-Frankivsk within the framework of the EVZ-funded international project “Remembrance in Dialogue.” The project explores Holocaust remembrance in times of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, while preparing participants to become multipliers of remembrance culture in their professional environments.
“2020 Was an Explosion of Pent-Up Anger”: Journalist Glafira Zhuk on Protests, Repression, and the Future of Belarus
In August 2020, Belarus was swept by the largest protests in the country’s history. Millions took to the streets to voice their anger over the rigged elections and decades of authoritarian rule by Alexander Lukashenko. Belarusian journalist Glafira Zhuk explains why 2020 became a turning point, how people protested, and what lies ahead for Belarus.
Dehydration as a Weapon of War: Russia’s Environmental Crime
An environmental catastrophe is unfolding across the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Russia, waging a war of aggression, has turned water scarcity into a weapon – a tool to pressure and destabilize entire regions. Its actions not only violate international humanitarian law but also inflict irreversible damage on the environment, human health, and ecosystems.
Reviving the Spirit, Confronting the Crisis: Austausch at Helsinki+50
At the Helsinki+50 high-level conference on 31 July 2025, hosted by the OSCE Chairpersonship of Finland, Austausch e. V. helped put these values back at the centre of international debate — not as nostalgic reference, but as a call to action.
