ARCHIVES Danyliw Seminar 2017
ARCHIVES Danyliw Seminar 2017
Program Committee
Program Committee
ARCHIVES Danyliw Seminar 2018
Cynthia J. Buckley
Erik S. Herron
Cynthia J. Buckley (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)
Dr. Cynthia J. Buckley is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on the demography of the former Soviet states, particularly healthcare delivery and migration.
Ralph S. Clem (Florida International University)
Major General (ret.) Ralph S. Clem is Emeritus Professor of Geography and Senior Fellow in the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University. His recent research focuses on the geopolitical dynamics of the post-Soviet space. He has published extensively on the conflict in eastern Ukraine and the impact of military operations in that region.
Erik S. Herron (West Virginia University)
Dr. Erik S. Herron is the Eberly Family Professor of Political Science at West Virginia University. His research interests center on electoral systems and the manner in which elections are administered, especially in Ukraine.
PRESENTATION
Abstract
No Safe Place: Geopolitical and Humanitarian Implications of Medical Care Infrastructure Destruction in the Donbas Conflict
Dr.Cynthia J. Buckley
Major General (ret.) Ralph S. Clem
Dr. Erik S. Herron
The conflict in the Donbas region constitutes one of Europe’s worst humanitarian disasters in recent time. Over 10,000 are dead, about a quarter of whom are civilians, and two million persons have been displaced or remain at risk. Formerly one of Europe’s major industrial regions, the area’s infrastructure has been devastated. Yet, the full extent of harm done to the region’s hospitals and clinics has not been adequately assessed. Can blame for attacks on the area’s medical infrastructure can be attributed to either of the belligerent parties? What impact has this widespread damage had on the residents’ quality of life? What challenges does this devastation represent for the government in reclaiming its legitimacy as a provider of basic social welfare services? The paper probes these vital questions, noting that the Ukrainian state’s ability to restore medical infrastructure in the Donbas is a key consideration. Indeed, it could help determine whether the state can re-establish legitimated control over its sovereign territory, or instead be forced to cede territory to Russia or to Russia-aligned quasi-states.