On 21 September 2026, the OSCE Academy in Bishkek hosted the seminar “Ultra-citizens or Non-citizens? War Volunteers in, out, and across Post-socialist Eurasia,” delivered by Matteo Benussi, Researcher at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
The seminar examined international war volunteering in Ukraine and northern Syria/Rojava, comparing the experiences and motivations of three groups of volunteers. Matteo Benussi introduced the concept of “ultra-citizenship” to explore how participation in armed conflicts can reshape ideas of citizenship, political belonging, and relations between individuals and the state.
The presentation also considered the experiences of Central Asian returnees from Syria who had joined ISIS, placing them within broader discussions of mobility, ideology, and political participation across post-socialist Eurasia.
The seminar concluded with a Q&A session, during which participants discussed the different forms of war volunteering and their implications for citizenship and belonging.
