Realities of transformation

After the change of power in Kyrgyzstan in March and the massacre in Andijan, Uzbekistan in May 2005, an intimate understanding of the social and political processes in Central Asia now seems more important than ever. Realities of Transformation offers an account of democratization policies and their effects on Central Asia. The authors from Austria, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan investigate democratization policies from various perspectives focusing on the democratization of power structures, democratization through external actors and democratization of the judicial sector. Finally, the authors shed light on the complicated relationship between democratization and security. Realities of Transformation combines scholarly articles with texts from NGO representatives. It is an essential reading for anyone interested in Central Asia, democratization issues, or local realities in transforming societies. Andrea Berg (Ph. D.) and Anna Kreikemeyer (Ph. D.) are Researchers at the Centre for OSCE Research/Institute for Peace Research and Security Studies at the University of Hamburg, Germany.