Civil society in Central and Eastern Europe

The book series Changing Europe contains edited volumes dealing with current political, economic and social affairs in Eastern Europe and the enlarged EU. The core of the series is formed by contributions to the Changing Europe Summer Schools, which are being organised by the Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen. The series is edited by Dr. Sabine Fischer (EU Institute for Security Studies, Paris), Dr. Heiko Pleines (Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen) and Prof. Dr. Hans-Henning Schröder (University of Bremen and German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin). Utilizing a wide range of empirical cases, the contributions in this edited volume highlight the different aspects of the role, development and societal background of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. The first part of the book deals with dissent under socialism. The second part of the book looks at the role of civil society in the Western Balkans in the context of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the related ethnic conflicts. The third part goes on to examine the role of civil society in the post-Soviet region, which is marked by authoritarian tendencies. The fourth part returns to Central Eastern Europe with an analysis of the impact of EU accession on the role of civil society and considers the underlying aspects of a ‘common European memory’. The final section of the book looks at two cases – one from Central Eastern Europe, one from the CIS region – of political participation and lobbying by civil society organizations. This book presents a selection of the papers discussed at the Changing Europe Summer School on ‘Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe’ held at the National University of ‘Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’ (NAUKMA), Ukraine, in July 2009.