Protecting Children’s Development in Times of War and Crisis: Gen.Hope to Host International Conference "Architecture of Childhood"
What helps protect a child’s development when war and danger persist for years? How can scientific knowledge and practical experience be turned into solutions that support children’s mental health, well-being, and ability to build a future?
On November 20, World Children’s Day, Gen.Hope – the Center of Excellence in Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Wartime, established by the Ukrainian non-governmental organization Gen.Ukrainian – will host its first international conference, “ARCHITECTURE OF CHILDHOOD: Protecting Children’s Development and Future in Times of War and Crisis.”
The conference will bring together Ukrainian and international researchers and practitioners, government representatives, and civil society. Participants will hear from researchers at Stanford University, Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of California, Berkeley. Participation is free, online or in person; registration is required.
The discussion will focus on scientific evidence, Ukrainian experience, and solutions that can be applied in professional practice and public systems today. A key aim of the conference is to shift the conversation beyond trauma alone toward an understanding of what protects a child’s development: safe and stable relationships, supportive environments, professional practices, and systemic solutions. The program is grounded in current research on positive childhood experiences.
November 20, 2026. Seating is limited!
International speakers
The conference will feature internationally recognized researchers in child psychiatry, neurodevelopment, psychology, and well-being:
Ukrainian speakers and moderators
The conference will be moderated by journalist and TV presenter Marichka Padalko.
Moderators also include Kateryna Rashevska, an international lawyer and expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights, and Anna Kopyl — editor and book reviewer at In Simple Words, practicing psychologist, and mother of a son with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Moderators also include Kateryna Rashevska, an international lawyer and expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights, and Anna Kopyl — editor and book reviewer at In Simple Words, practicing psychologist, and mother of a son with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Three thematic panels
Panel 1: "Children at the Heart of Recovery: What Is the Cost of Inaction?"
— on the consequences of delayed decisions for children, society, and the country’s future.
Panel 2: "Beyond Trauma: What Protects Child Development During a Protracted War"
— on the protective factors, environments, and practices that help children thrive despite prolonged exposure to war.
Panel 3: "How Can We Make Harm to Childhood Visible and Secure Accountability?"
— on children’s rights, the ethical documentation of wartime experiences, and communication that does no further harm.
— on the consequences of delayed decisions for children, society, and the country’s future.
Panel 2: "Beyond Trauma: What Protects Child Development During a Protracted War"
— on the protective factors, environments, and practices that help children thrive despite prolonged exposure to war.
Panel 3: "How Can We Make Harm to Childhood Visible and Secure Accountability?"
— on children’s rights, the ethical documentation of wartime experiences, and communication that does no further harm.
Following the conference, Gen.Hope will work with the professional community to finalize the framework document “Shared Principles and Practical Recommendations for Supporting Children in Wartime.” It is intended to serve as a practical guide for designing support programs, training professionals, building referral pathways, and developing systemic solutions.
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War affects more than children’s mental health. It reshapes the environment in which they grow up, learn, build relationships, and imagine their future. That is why our response cannot be limited to help after traumatic events. We must understand what protects a child’s development during a protracted war — and create those conditions now
Who should attend
The conference is designed for psychologists and psychiatrists, educators, social workers, researchers, and human rights advocates, as well as representatives of government institutions and civil society organizations who work with children or shape decisions on their support.
The conference is designed for psychologists and psychiatrists, educators, social workers, researchers, and human rights advocates, as well as representatives of government institutions and civil society organizations who work with children or shape decisions on their support.
Protecting children’s development in wartime cannot wait until the war is over. The decisions we make today will shape this generation’s opportunities to live, learn, build relationships, and plan their own future.
Conference partners
- Date: November 20, 2026
- Format: online and in person in Kyiv
- Language: Ukrainian / English, with simultaneous interpretation
- Participation: free; registration required
The in-person program will take place at a venue with an air-raid shelter. Seating is limited.We invite you to join the conversation on how to protect childhood in times of war and crisis.
About Gen.Hope and Gen.Ukrainian
Gen.Hope is the Center of Excellence in Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Wartime, established by the Ukrainian non-governmental organization Gen.Ukrainian. It brings together practice, research, training, and systemic change to develop, test, and scale solutions that protect the mental health and development of children growing up amid war and crisis.
Gen.Hope is the Center of Excellence in Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Wartime, established by the Ukrainian non-governmental organization Gen.Ukrainian. It brings together practice, research, training, and systemic change to develop, test, and scale solutions that protect the mental health and development of children growing up amid war and crisis.
Gen.Ukrainian is a non-governmental organization that studies childhood in wartime and develops innovative psychological rehabilitation programs for children and adolescents who have experienced war-related trauma, including the loss of parents, captivity, forced deportation, and occupation.
100% of the funds raised support our mission to protect childhood in Ukraine
Together, we can help children recover from the impact of war, protect their ability to develop and imagine a future, and build a system of support that will stay with this generation for as long as it is needed.
Our social networks
Psychological support to children is provided free of charge thanks to patronage
The purpose of the Gen.Camp:
stabilization of the psychological and emotional state of a child after a traumatic experience.
The duration of the program: 21 days.
Location: Ukraine.
stabilization of the psychological and emotional state of a child after a traumatic experience.
The duration of the program: 21 days.
Location: Ukraine.
