News, insights & analysis
The challenges facing our societies are complex, fast-moving and deeply interconnected. We convene our Fellows’ community online and in person, creating spaces for constructive dialogue, exchange and learning. Here, you can find individual and collective perspectives, analysis and stories from JST Fellows and partners – leaders working at the frontlines of social change across Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
From policy analysis to personal reflections and practitioner insights, this is where the JST network thinks out loud - curious, constructive and grounded in experience.
Georgia: empowering youth to be active citizens
Youth leader Giga Phartenadze is working to engage young people in politics in Georgia and help them understand their rights against a backdrop of increasing state-led repression.
Moldova: advocating for displaced people’s rights
People who flee Transnistria – a separatist region in Moldova – have no right to protection under Moldovan law. Human rights lawyer Vadim Vieru is advocating for legislation to change this.
Azerbaijan: positive role models for women in finance
Gular Pashayeva is the first woman board member at the Central Bank of Azerbaijan. She is on a mission to improve corporate governance and women’s representation in the financial sector in her country.
The identity of a nation is woven from fragile things
Three years after the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion, the creative community of Ukraine continues to operate within the logic of developmental values rather than mere survival.
Three years on: What peace should be
Three years on from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, JST Fellow Ostap Kryvdyk reflects on what peace should be.
How the power of networking can contribute to a peaceful and democratic future
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine our immediate priority was to support Ukrainian JST Fellows in our network. In the longer term, we have had to rethink how we work.
Ukraine’s stolen children – the silent crisis that threatens the future
Right now, thousands of Ukrainian children do not know if their parents are alive. Tens of thousands have been taken to Russia, while hundreds of thousands have been lost in a broken system.
Resilience and leadership: JST Fellows shaping Ukraine’s future
Three years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, JST Fellows are focusing on systemic change and are at the forefront of Ukraine’s democratic transformation and recovery.
Tajikistan: sustainable banking for people and economy
JST Fellow Suhayli Abdulvahhobov explains how building a strong and sustainable banking system in Tajikistan can grow the economy, mitigate climate change and improve people’s lives.
Belarus: improving political engagement with diaspora communities
How do you sustain an opposition movement when your government has banned political parties? Political activist Ivan Kravtsov talks about his work during the 2020 Belarus election campaign and the challenges of politics in exile.
Belarus: “I want to unite people through education”
Belarusian students have struggled to access international educational opportunities since the regime’s repression of dissenting voices and support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. JST Fellow and political activist Lizaveta Trakhalina is working to change that.
Belarus: an election without an opposition
Exiled journalist and JST Fellow Hanna Liubakova offers an analysis of the political climate in Belarus as President Lukashenka gears up for an election engineered to extend his 30-year rule.