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.”
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.
International speakers
The conference will feature internationally recognized researchers in child psychiatry, neurodevelopment, psychology, and well-being:
- Bruce Perry – psychiatrist and one of the leading researchers of childhood trauma and neurodevelopment; co-author, with Oprah Winfrey, of the New York Times bestseller What Happened to You?;
- Anna Lembke – psychiatrist, professor at Stanford University, author of the New York Times bestseller Dopamine Nation;
- Laurie Santos – professor of psychology at Yale University, creator of “The Science of Well-Being,” the most popular course in Yale’s history;
- Victor Carrion – child and adolescent psychiatrist, professor at Stanford University, researcher of childhood trauma and early-life stress;
- Christina Bethell (live) – professor at Johns Hopkins University, one of the leading researchers of positive childhood experiences;
- Rick Hanson (live) – psychologist, senior fellow at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, and New York Times best-selling author on neuroplasticity and resilience.
Ukrainian speakers
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).
- Oksana Lebedieva – founder of Gen.Ukrainian and Gen.Hope;
- Tymofii Brik – sociologist, Rector of the Kyiv School of Economics;
- Volodymyr Kurpita – Director General of the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, with more than 20 years of experience in public health;
- Iryna Mykychak – Adviser to the Minister of Health of Ukraine and Mental Health Coordinator; consultant on World Bank projects in Ukraine
- Dmytro Martsenkovskyi – child psychiatrist at the Mental Health Center of the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Bogomolets National Medical University; Senior Researcher at KSE; Head of Research Department in Scientific and Medical Center " Medical Research";
- Daria Kasianova – Chair of the Board of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, which unites 54 non-governmental and charitable organizations; Program Director at SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine;
- Iryna Hubeladze – Doctor of Sciences in Social Psychology, Head of Academic Affairs at Gen.Hope;
- Nataliia Masiak – child psychiatrist, head of the Mental Health Center at Superhumans War Trauma Center, child psychiatry expert at the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU), and lecturer at the KSE.
Three thematic panels
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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,” says Oksana Lebedieva, founder of Gen.Ukrainian and Gen.Hope.
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.
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.
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
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE).
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE).
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.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.
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.
Event details
Date: November 20, 2026
Format: online and in person in Kyiv
Language: Ukrainian / English, with simultaneous interpretation
Participation: free; registration required
Registration:
Program:
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.
Date: November 20, 2026
Format: online and in person in Kyiv
Language: Ukrainian / English, with simultaneous interpretation
Participation: free; registration required
Registration:
Program:
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.
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.
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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.
