About IDEEInstitute for Democracy in Eastern EuropeIDEE_dfd712a8-b995-11e7-bdeb-02f29b42c8d9IDEE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible.Eastern EuropeIDEE also seeks to share the varied experiences of democratic movements and the transitions from communism in Eastern Europe with political and human rights movements seeking democratic change in other parts of the world.Democratic MovementsCommittee in Support of SolidarityThe Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe (IDEE) was formed in 1985 by the Committee in Support of Solidarity -- started in December 1981 to aid Poland’s Solidarity movement after the imposition of martial law -- with the aim of helping the growing democracy and human rights movements in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. IDEE organized substantial assistance to opposition groups at the forefront of the 1989-91 revolutions that brought about the fall of communism in the region. Since 1989, it has helped democrats in the region to overcome communism’s legacy, build democratic institutions, and oppose new forms of authoritarianism.Communist CountriesOver 30 years, IDEE has organized programs reaching all thirty former communist countries as well as Cuba, including direct help to more than 3,000 independent publications, civic, trade union, and human rights organizations, citizens’ initiatives, and opposition movements. Its innovative programs have been models for the region and IDEE has also shared its experiences with democratic and civic activists from many other countries.CubaDemocratic ActivistsCivic ActivistsCenters for PluralismIn 1992, IDEE created the Centers for Pluralism, the first and most enduring network in the region of democratic activists. Starting with representatives of civic and pro-democracy groups from six countries, the network grew to include activists from twenty-four post-communist countries having the aims of consolidating and expanding liberal democracy throughout the region and of sharing the varied experiences of the transitions from communism with themselves and those seeking democratic change in other countries. Through the Centers for Pluralism network, IDEE also organized international election monitoring missions to numerous countries, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Georgia.AzerbaijanBelarusGeorgiaIEEE DirectorsIDEE's co-founders and principal directors are Irena Lasota and Eric Chenoweth, who have worked together for 35 years in the human rights and democracy movements.Irena LasotaIrena Lasota has been President of IDEE since its founding in 1985 and co-director since 1994. From 1981 to 1989, she was President of the Committee in Support of Solidarity, leading one of the most comprehensive information, assistance, human rights, and international solidarity campaigns in NGO history. As president and director of the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe for 30 years, Ms. Lasota provided direct support to the opposition movements in Eastern Europe that brought about the 1989-91 revolutions and the fall of communism and has developed, overseen, and implemented hundreds of assistance, training, and development programs for democratic activists, human rights groups, civic organizations, independent media, trade unions, women, and youth in twenty-seven countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union as well as Cuba . Many of these programs have become models for other Western foundations and NGOs, including small grant competitions, media support programs, women’s training programs, and international solidarity initiatives, most significantly the Centers for Pluralism (see also Programs section at www.idee.org). Ms.Lasota was Editor-at-Large for Uncaptive Minds (1988-97); the editor of Konfrontacje, a series of books on international affairs in Polish (1986-90); co-editor with Eric Chenoweth of El Camino del Solidaridad (1987-88); guest editor of World Affairs; author of numerous articles in Western and Eastern European publications; a freelance journalist for Radio Free Europe; an adjunct professor at Fordham University; among other accomplishments.Eric ChenowethEric Chenoweth was the founding director of IDEE from 1985 to 1987 and has been its co-director since 1994, overseeing fundraising, publications, and special programs. Among the programs he directed was Civic Bridges in Yugoslavia, which helped civic movements to organize under the Milošević dictatorship, and promoted civil society and democracy in Serbia and other republics of former Yugoslavia. From 1981-88, Mr. Chenoweth was Executive Director of the Committee in Support of Solidarity developing its fundraising, advocacy, human rights, information, and other activities. From 1987 to 1991, Mr. Chenoweth worked in the International Affairs Department of the American Federation for Teachers, where he directed the Education for Democracy/International project, and from 1991 to 1993 in the International Affairs Department of the AFL-CIO, before returning to work full time for IDEE. From 1988 to 1997, he was editor-in-chief of Uncaptive Minds, a journal of independent opinion and analysis featuring democratic activists, thinkers, and journalists in the region and at IDEE he has edited all of its other English-language publications. Since 2005, Mr. Chenoweth has also worked as a consultant for the Albert Shanker Institute, working on a variety of projects, including as principal author of the Democracy Web, which includes 12 chapters on basic principles of democracy and 36 country studies. Mr. Chenoweth has written and published widely on Eastern Europe and democracy issues.Democratic change around the world._dfd713ac-b995-11e7-bdeb-02f29b42c8d9To promote democracy, civil society, and human rights throughout Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and other communist or post-communist countries._dfd71442-b995-11e7-bdeb-02f29b42c8d9DemocracyHuman RightsProgramsSupport publications, civic and human rights organizations, political groups, and opposition movements in post-communist countries_dfd714d8-b995-11e7-bdeb-02f29b42c8d9In thirty years since its founding in 1985, IDEE has implemented more than one hundred publicly and privately funded programs that have directly supported several thousand publications, civic and human rights organizations, political groups, and opposition movements in twenty-five post-communist countries as well as Cuba. Many, like the Centers for Pluralism, Civic Bridges, Women in the Caucasus, and Democracy for Cuba, were multi-year programs with multiple small grant, training, exchange, educational, and publication features. These, in turn, have supported directly and indirectly thousands of local initiatives reaching tens of thousands of civic and democracy activists.Soviet BlocSupport opposition, human rights, and independence movements in the communist dictatorships of the Soviet bloc countries._dfd7156e-b995-11e7-bdeb-02f29b42c8d91Soviet Bloc CountriesIn the period of 1985 to 1991, IDEE supported the growing opposition, human rights, and independence movements in the communist dictatorships of the Soviet bloc countries. It carried out nearly 50 direct assistance programs for independent publications and groups at the heart of the 1989-91 revolutions in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltic countries, Belarus and Ukraine.Post-Communist RegionHelp democrats throughout the post-communist region in their efforts to dismantle communism's legacy, build democratic institutions, foster a plural and open society, and combat the rise of authoritarian governments and anti-democratic forces in the region. _dfd716ea-b995-11e7-bdeb-02f29b42c8d92DemocratsSince then, through the Centers for Pluralism and other programs, IDEE has helped democrats throughout the post-communist region in their efforts to dismantle communism’s legacy, build democratic institutions, foster a plural and open society, and combat the rise of authoritarian governments and anti-democratic forces in the region. IDEE is proud that its innovative programs created models in the region, such as small grants for independent media, East-East internships, regional networking (its Centers for Pluralism program was the model for the initial World Movement for Democracy), among others. Unlike many programs in the region, however, IDEE's initiatives were without bureaucracy and relying on networks of individuals and groups with similar and shared values.Democratic TransitionFocus attention on countries and regions where the fall of communism did not result in democratic transition._dfd71780-b995-11e7-bdeb-02f29b42c8d93For the last twenty years, IDEE has focused particular attention on countries and regions where the fall of communism did not result in democratic transition but instead brought continued dictatorship or war, especially the Balkans, Belarus, the Caucasus and Central Asian countries, Chechnya, Crimea and Ukraine, as well as Cuba, the only country aligned with the Soviet Union to retain its repressive communist system. Descriptions of a number of IDEE’s programs from 1992 to 2012 may be found on the Programs Page of its original web site (www.idee.org). Also on its original web site are annual or bi-annual reports on its activities starting in 2000. IDEE is preparing its archives for deposit at the Hoover Institution and as part of this effort will post additional materials related to its earlier programs on its current web site.Ideas & StrategiesAssess the outcomes of revolutions across the region and to develop ideas and strategies for taking on the unfinished business of that era._dfd71848-b995-11e7-bdeb-02f29b42c8d94In 2014, IDEE launched a new program, "25 Years After the 1989-91 Revolutions" an effort to assess the varied and different outcomes of those revolutions across the region and to develop ideas and strategies for taking on the unfinished business of that era. In a first step, IDEE gathered 22 veterans of the 1989-91 Revolutions and democratic movements for a unique seminar held in Warsaw in October 2014 around the 25th anniversary of the 1989 events. Out of the seminar, IDEE has published a Special Report, which includes a description of the findings and recommendations of the participants and summaries of the sessions, as well as a special issue of Uncaptive Minds, IDEE's previous journal of information and analysis on the region published from 1988 to 1997, which includes the full proceedings.2017-10-25https://idee-us.org/about-idee-2/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net