Café Europa: Life After Communism
, Slavenka Drakulic. Penguin Books, 1996.
Author is a Croatian journalist with many books to her credit. Very readable
account of personal experiences that cover a broad range of aspects of
post-communist life in Eastern Europe. Author is married to a Swede—a
“Westerner”--whose reactions she contrasts to her own. Good bedtime
reading to give one a “feel” for what it must be like to be there.
Prof. Wachtel, Northwestern University, cautions that this is written for a
popular audience and does tend to simplify and sterotype somewhat—but he
also says that is one of the better of this type of book. Drakulic also wrote
an earlier novel,
How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed
, published in 1993.
A Concise Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe
, Dennis P. Hupchick and Harold E. Cox. Palgrave Macmillan, 2001. (Small
paperback, good maps, very accessible.)
CultureGrams
Produced by Brigham Young University. 4-6 page overviews of countries. Gives
a little information on many aspects of the society, “customs and
courtesies, lifestyle”, etc. Good introductory piece. Available as
single country or sets; schools/libraries can subscribe for annual updates.
Available on-line at
www.culturegrams.com
Global Studies: Russia, the Eurasian Republics, and Central/Eastern Europe
, Minton Goldman.
The 8
th
edition has 2001 date and is helpful until the new edition is ready. Features
(1) “country reports” which provide general background information on
countries and overview of current issues facing the country and (2) articles
from the world press focusing on selected topics. The 8
th
edition is a little heavy on Russia with little coverage of some countries.
Maybe the 9
th
edition will be more balanced. Contact: 1-800/338-3987, McGraw-Hill/Dushkin,
http://www.dushkin.com
.
Historical Atlas of East Central Europe
, Paul Robert Magocsi. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1993. Large
hardback atlas. A new edition is scheduled to come out this fall.
Inventing Eastern Europe: The Map of Civilization on the Mind of the
Enlightenment
, Larry Wolff. Stanford University Press. (Comprehensive)
Russian and East European Center – Update
.
Periodic publication with annotated listing of current resources. University
of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Tel: 217/333-6022; Fax: 217/333-1582; E-Mail:
lypark@uiuc.edu. Lynda Park, Assistant Director.
PRINT: BY COUNTRY
Czech Republic
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
, Milan Kundera, Harper Perennial, Reprint edition, May 1999. A great novel
about the Czech Republic.
The Coasts of Bohemia: A Czech History
, Derek Sayer. Princeton University Press, 1998.
The title is taken from Shakespeare's
The Winter's Tale
; it serves as a metaphor for the West's frequent ignorance and often tragic
indifference to this landlocked nation in the center of Europe. Sayer clarifies
and contextualizes social movements in the Czech lands from before the Hussites
to the modern period, but the reader learns late in the book that his passion
owes something to his father-in-law, a professor lost to the world when he was
removed by the Nazis as they closed the universities in Czechoslovakia in the
40s. An excellent read.
Daylight in Nightclub Inferno: Czech Fiction from the Post-Kundera Generation
, by Elena Lappin. A compilation of 16 writers from the Czech Republic. Catbird
Press, 1997.
Out of the Red : Building Capitalism and Democracy in Postcommunist Europe
,
Mitchell Orenstein, University of Michigan Press, July 2001. This book
provides a critique of neoliberal strategies implemented in Poland and the
Czech Republic emphasizing the role of democratic change in policy reform. It
paints a clear picture of the policymaking process in these two post-communist
countries and does not characterize either country as good or bad. The book is
well-written and provides a clear and comprehensive analysis of what has
happened in these transition countries over the past ten years.
Estonia
The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Path to Independence
, by Anatol Lieven. Written by a western journalist permanently based in the
Baltic during the struggle for independence. The book explores the
characteristics and personalities of the Baltic peoples, their religious and
national differences, their relations with Russia and the West, and their
prospects for the future. Yale University Press, 1994.
The Baltic States : Years of Dependence 1940-1990
, by Romuald J. Misiunas and Rein Taagepera. The authors describe and analyze
how the Baltic nations survived fifty years of social disruption, language
discrimination, and Russian colonialism. Co-authored by the Dean of the School
of Social Sciences at Tartu University in Estonia. Westview Press, 1993.
The Baltic World 1772-1993: Europe's Northern Periphery in an Age of Change
,
David Kirby. A good reference book. Addison-Wesley Pub Co, April 1995.
Estonian Short Stories
:
Writing from an Unbound Europe
,
Kajar Pruul, Darlene Reddaway and Ritva Poom. The stories illustrate the
history of the Estonian writers' interaction with their culture and government
and portray Estonia as a literary conduit between the first and second worlds.
(Available at
ttp://www.Nupress.northwestern.edu
, $18)
Uzbekistan
The Aral Sea Basin
(NATO Asi Series. Partnership Sub-Series 2, Environment, Vol. 12),
by Philip Micklin and William Williams. This book explores environmental
issues focusing on the drying of the Aral Sea, land and water pollution,
ecosystem deterioration and the adverse effects on those who live in the
region. Springer Verlag, 1996.
Calming The Ferghana Valley: Development and Dialogue in the Heart of Central
Asia
, by Barnett R. Rubin, Nancy Lubin and Keith Martin. The Ferghana Valley spans
parts of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. This book assesses the
potential for conflict in Central Asia; the area's increasing importance to
U.S. national security, commercial, and foreign policy interests (oil, gas and
gold); the effects of fierce conflicts in Tajikistan and Afghanistan; and the
persistence of relatively corrupt and authoritarian
governments. The Twentieth Century Fund, 2000.
Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia
, by Ahmed Rashid. In the aftermath of September 11, many American's turned to
Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid's book
Taliban
, a well written account of the fundamentalist Islamic regime in Afghanistan.
With
Jihad
, Rashid offers a companion volume on five of Afghanistan's
neighbors--Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan--and "the New Great Game" about to be waged over them
between China, Russia, and the United States. Rashid concludes that radical
Islam will remain popular in Central Asia as long as the governments there are
oppressive. Yale University Press, 2002.
The New Central Asia: The Creation of Nations
, by Olivier Roy. How were these new nations built, among peoples without any
traditional nationalist heritage and no history of independent governance? A
well-researched examination of new nations in search of identity. New York
University Press, 2000.
The Silk Road: The Making of a Global Cultural Economy
, Richard Kurin. “AnthroNotes,” Museum of Natural History
Publication for Educators, Vol. 23, No. l, Winter/Spring, 2002. (Uzbekistan
featured; Teacher's Corner, p. 11--lesson on mapping and the silk road.)
Uzbekistan Legal Texts : The Foundations of Civic Accord and a Market Economy
(CIS Legal Texts Series)
, by William E. Butler. An extensive collection of Uzbekistan legal texts
translated and edited by the eminent scholar William E. Butler. All material
is prefaced by an introductory note on the legislative history of each
enactment and by a contextual observation. The documents translated in this
volume have been chosen for their fundamental importance in understanding the
Uzbekistan State structure and legal system. Kluwer Law International, 1999.
http://www.journalofdemocracy.org/
Published quarterly. Sample copies available upon request. See
Teaching Democracy in Post-Communist Countries,
Krzysztof Stanowsk.
Journal of Democracy,
July 1998, John Hopkins University Press.
Partner Organizations:
http://www.closeup.org
The
Close Up Foundation
informs, inspires, and empowers people to exercise the rights and accept the
responsibilities of citizens in a democracy. Close Up connects individuals
of all ages to their communities and institutions through challenging
educational programs and products.
http://www.crfc.org
The
Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago
(CRFC) helps schools foster critical thinking skills and responsible civic
action in students. CRFC has been a national leader in the design and
implementation of quality law-related education programs for elementary and
secondary school students and their teachers. CRFC's website is updated
regularly with new information about DEEP, DEEP partners and other helpful
resources.
http://www.crf-usa.org
Constitutional Rights Foundation
(CRF) is a non-profit, non-partisan, community-based organization dedicated to
educating America's young people about the importance of civic participation in
a democratic society.
http://www.ccsso.org
The
Council of Chief State School Officers
is a nationwide, nonprofit organization composed of public officials who lead
the departments responsible for elementary and secondary education in the
states. CCSSO works on behalf of the state agencies that serve pre k-12
students throughout the nation.
http://www.globaled.org
The American Forum
provides leadership and assistance to school systems, state departments of
education and colleges and universities, by initiating hundreds of programs and
developing educational materials, teacher training seminars and publications
focused on giving young Americans a global perspective as an accepted part of
their educational background.
http://www.iearn.org
i-EARN
is a non-profit that enables young people to use the Internet and other new
technologies to engage in collaborative educational projects that enhance
learning. Visit the DEEP/i-EARN forum at
http://foro.iearn.org/
.
http://www.insites.com
InSites
conducts planning, evaluation, research, and related professional development
for and with local and state education and social services organizations.
InSites assists educators, human services personnel, policymakers, and
community members as they modify education and other social systems to support
the well-being and learning of children, youth, and families.
http://www.indiana.edu/~global/center.htm
The
Center for the Study of Global Change
sponsors a broad range of educational programs and research on global issues
in the contemporary world. These encompass the effects of fundamental societal
transformation, the impact of power on social and political life, problems of
differentials in the access to resources, sustainable development, and the
growing influence of nationalism and movements of cultural identity.
http://www.ssecinc.org/
The
Social Science Education Consortium, Inc.
supports social science and history education in schools, K-12,and works to
improve social science education at all levels by promoting collaboration among
social scientists and social studies educators.
http://www.streetlaw.org
Street Law
is practical, participatory education about law, democracy and human rights.
Through its philosophy and programs, Street Law empowers people to transform
democratic ideals into citizen action. Street Law's programs do not end at the
door of the classroom; each student gains essential lessons that can be used
for life.
Other Resources:
http://www.reec.uiuc.edu
Russian and East European Center, U of Illinois
, Champaign. Excellent source for DEEP project.
http://www.wmd.org/cee-nis/cee-nis.html
The
World Movement for Democracy
is a global network of activists, practitioners, academics, policy makers, and
funders who have come together to promote democracy. Includes a section on
CEE/NIS countries.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/uztoc.html
Comprehensive book-length information about Uzbekistan from the Library of
Congress.
http://www.choices.edu
CHOICES, Brown University
. Teacher resources, topical units for World Studies, World History,
Government, etc.
http://www.essex.ac.uk/elections/
A research project on Political Transformation and the Electoral Process in
Post-Communist Europe.
http://www.ku.edu/~herron/
Erik Herron's Guide to Post-Communist States on the Web. The site is
designed to facilitate research on the politics and economics of transition
states in Europe and Asia.
http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/civsoc
The
Civil Society and Governance Programme
is a 3-year research program funded by the Ford Foundation examining the
interplay between civil society and governments in 22 different countries,
spanning 6 international regions. There are several discussion lists that you
can join.
http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~iseees/9-11page.html
The
Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of
California at Berkeley
. Designed for students and faculty who conduct research and teaching on the
geographic region of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. They also
publish a
biannual newsletter during the academic year and maintain a reading room with
subscriptions to area-related newspapers, journals, and reports. The Center
also conducts an active program of teacher outreach, both individually and as
part of ORIAS, a program for teachers in K-12 that is jointly supported by the
area centers at UC Berkeley.
http://www.rpcv.org/pages/globalteachnet.cfm
The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) - the network of alumni, family
and friends of the Peace Corps - launched
Global TeachNet
(GTN) to directly implement that global perspective in U.S. classrooms. The
objective of Global TeachNet is to promote students' knowledge of,
understanding of and respect for the people, cultures and nations of the world.
Provides extensive global education links and teaching resources.
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~nrc
The
National Resource Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies
(NRC REECAS) at Harvard University
is a resource for K-12 teachers. NRC conducts professional development
workshops, produces a newsletter and maintains the Teaching Resource Center
Lending Library through which you can use their materials for free. Very
friendly and very helpful staff! Materials sorted by grade.
http://www.studycircles.org/
The
Study Circles Resource Center
is dedicated to finding ways for all kinds of people to engage in dialogue and
problem solving on critical social and political issues. SCRC helps communities
by giving them the tools to organize productive dialogue, recruit diverse
participants, find solutions, and work for action and change.
Last updated: July 17, 2002
Please forward all inquiries regarding the website to
webmaster@crfc.org
, or use the
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. This website is provided courtesy of the Constitutional Rights Foundation
Chicago. Copyright 1998-2002.
