This report presents key data findings of the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index (SCORE) held in 2019 in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Research was held in the two oblasts to support the area-based programmatic efforts of DG East and UN RPP programs and to shed light on the human side of the conflict. This report identifies policy entry points and recommendations for strengthening different socio-political, economic and civic dimensions of social cohesion in both government-controlled areas (GCAs) and non-government-controlled areas (NGCAs) of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Current findings will be placed in a national perspective in 2020, when an all-Ukraine SCORE survey is due to be implemented.

The Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index (SCORE) for eastern Ukraine 2019 is a joint initiative funded by USAID to support the Democratic Governance in the East program (DG East), implemented by the Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development (SeeD), and in partnership with the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP).

The aim of the SCORE initiative is to assist national and international stakeholders in their peacebuilding efforts. It provides a solid evidence base for developing policies and programs that strengthen national unity and social cohesion, particularly in eastern Ukraine, as well as for monitoring progress of their implementation.