Yerevan /Mediamax/. According to the report by International Alert, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has affected people across the region so deeply that it has become a key part of their identity.

The study conducted for this report through over 100 in-depth interviews in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Karabakh.

The surveyed shared their views on how conflict has impacted their lives, and prospects for reconciliation and peace.

The study found that people have come to view conflict as a ‘normal’ state of affairs. According to the authors of the report, it could hinder attempts at conflict resolution.

One interviewee said: “I haven’t even thought about what my life would be like without the conflict.”

A key finding was that the people most prepared to resolve the conflict peacefully were those most affected by it personally.

“This report’s findings suggest we should draw upon the peacebuilding potential of those who have first-hand experience of war and of living with people from the ‘other’ side. These individuals understand the importance of resolving this conflict and can take practical steps to promote peacebuilding initiatives,” said Carey Cavanaugh, retired U.S. ambassador and former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, who is now Chairman of the Board of International Alert.

The results of the study showed that people consider the conflict too vast and impossible to resolve themselves. Many feel that it should be resolved by the authorities or external players such as the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States or Russia.

At the same time, the report also found that people did not trust these actors.