[Discussion] Graduate Conf. on the Post-Communist World

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Distrib. by: Central-Eurasia-L - Announcement List for Central Eurasian 
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CONF./CFP- Graduate Conf. on the Post-Communist World, CEU, Budapest, 
May 12-15

Call for Application/Papers

Graduate Conference on the Post-Communist World
Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
May 12-15, 2004

B.C- A.D. - P.C. Reconstructing the Visions and Realities of Post-Communist
World

Deadline: April 25, 2004

Now is the year 14 P.C. Fourteen years have passed since November 9th 1989,
which accidentally became a significant day - a wall that was dividing a
city and a continent fell. The wall displayed communism's failure and was
symbolizing its grip by preventing movement (escape). Behind it freedom of
thought, expression and individual enterprise were prohibited. Generations
lived in a drab constrained surreality. However grand a structure, the 
force
that destroyed the wall was the popular resentment, shortly afterwards the
house of communism like a house of cards fell apart. The passing away of
communism was long in coming but over night the realities of the former
world of order and totalitarian equality were displaced.

Now is the year 14 P.C: What have we become? On account of the very
different courses of our transitions, different levels of democratic
consolidations and economic performances, societal renewals or decays and
disastrous conflicts we have diverged from a (supposedly) one Communist
World to several post-communist Worlds. Today, the post-communist populace
seems either to be living the Western dream (in Central Europe), missing an
Eastern Empire (in Russia) and living the autocratic nightmare (e.g. in
Turkmenistan) or to some extent all of the above (e.g. Belarus). After the
idealistic inebriation following the acts of freedom the countries and 
their
leaders had the task to build or rebuild democracy, design state
institutions, develop economies and allow civil societies to evolve, to
start the quest for liberty and prosperity. It was no easy undertaking and
is in fact still in the process of being accomplished with varying degrees
of success. Naive expectations have due to the overnight impoverishment and
contractions of economies not come true in several of the Post-Communist
realities, while some can boast with a moderate and even greater success.
Areas like Transdniester, BIH, Kosovo, Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia, Crimea,
Chechnya and many others may serve as a starting examples to discuss the
conflictual heritage left by the Iron Curtain. In addition to the quagmire
of differing events, with Eastern European accession into the EU and NATO
the divide will become greater.

The general purpose of the conference will be to discuss the following two
issues:

a) The changes of realities, theories and visions ensuing from the collapse
   of former ideologies and ways of life while encompassing the current
   processes of EU and NATO integration of most of Eastern Europe
b) The prospects and developments in post-communist countries - as 
connected
   to conflict resolution, democratization dilemmas and emerging civil 
society.

The aim of the conference is to provide an interdisciplinary academic 
debate
and contribute to developing knowledge networks among peers in the 
field. We
hope to connect the different angles and produce an academically
stimulating, idiosyncratic thought provoking and hopefully inspiring
conference.

BC-AD-PC: Reconstructing the Visions and Realities of the Post-Communist
World (12th to 15th of May) is a graduate student initiated and organized
conference, taking place at the Central European University in Budapest,
Hungary. Central European University is a unique institution, providing an
international environment most appropriate for the discussion of these and
similar topics as almost all of its students come from outside of Hungary
and from different parts of the world. The organizing team consists of
people coming from Europe, Central Asia and Africa. In three days a number
of issues and problems will be presented in the workshops and panels.

Some of the invited speakers:

 - Arpad Goncz* President of Hungary (from 1990-2000)
 - Yehuda Elkana*, Rector and President, Central European University
 - Janos Kis, CEU Professor, Philosophy and Political Sciences departments,
   First chairman of the Alliance of Free Democrats, Hungary's liberal 
party.
 - Sorin Antohi, Pasts Inc., CEU Professor, History department, Former
   Romanian State Secretary of Education
 - Attila Csikan*, Laszlo Csaba*, Andras Bozoki, Zsolt Enyedi

Call for Papers:

We encourage Graduate students and young faculty to contribute papers and
participate in the workshops. The workshops will take place in two days.
Each of them will comprise of 3 panels. Each panel will include
approximately 3 presentations by young scholars. Another young scholar will
participate as a discussant. Each panel will host a senior scholar or 
expert
in the relevant field of study. Ample time will be left for discussion. The
working language will be English. The topics to be covered by the 
conference
encompass interdisciplinary social science approaches to analysis and
problem solving in the post-Communist space and may fall within the
following workshops (titles subject to change):

A. The New Polity - Is Democracy a far-off Dream or Plausible Reality?
 - Workshop 1. Designing and Modifying Political Institutions
 - Workshop 2. Impediments to democratization
 - Workshop 3. Political freedoms, human rights and civil liberties

B. The New Security and International Relations:
 - Workshop 1. From Burying the Cold-War Security Paradigm to Proactive 
Risk
   Management
 - Workshop 2. Stretching the Pan-European Layers of Security-Russia and
   other CIS states
 - Workshop 3. SEEcurity - Injecting Stability into ex-Yugoslavia

C. The Emerging Civil Society and State in the 21st Century: 
Facilitiating A
   Constructive Cooperation
 - Workshop 1. Public Policy Networks
 - Workshop 2. The Innovative Stimulus of Non-governmental actors in Public
   Policy Making
 - Workshop 3. Grass-root Initiatives: Fostering a Vibrant Civil Society

All the topics stated above do not necessarily limit the scope of the
conference. Therefore, proposals are invited on any aspect of the
(relevant)subject. Case studies are especially welcome.

Please e-mail the above to the conference committee:

BCADPC@CEU.HU, or Ales Vidmar (p03via01@student.ceu.hu)

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: 25th April 2004

Updates will be included in the conference web page: www.gradconf.ceu.hu

Fee:

There is no registration fee for qualified participants. Meal and
accommodation (at the CEU Residence and Conference Center) will be provided
by the organizers. Applicants can apply for a travel grant for the cheapest
means of travel. Priority will be given on the basis of academic merit and
financial need.

The Conference Committee will assist the participants outside of the EU
area, whose paper proposals have been approved by sending official letters
necessary for acquiring entry visas into the Hungary.