Youth as an agent for change: the next generation in Ukraine

Young people played important roles in the Ukrainian protest movements of 1990 and 2004. However, they were not able to institutionalize their participation in the political process. While Ukrainian youth have less trust in their country's institutions than do young people in Russia and Azerbaijan, they are more active in non-governmental organizations than their peers in other post-Soviet countries, providing hope that they will once again play a role in politics. However, the current obstacles to entering the formal political system suggest that this participation may ultimately be directed toward further involvement in street protests. Adapted from the source document.