The Post-Soviet Handbook: A Guide to Grassroots Organizations and Internet Resources

The Soviet Union's demise in 1991 resulted in new independent nations faced with enormous challenges -- radical economic restructuring, crime, corruption, even civil war. But it also spawned the formation of thousands of dynamic new organizations by public-spirited citizens seeking to make their societies more humane, economies more productive, environments cleaner, and legal systems more just.

This thoroughly revised edition of The Post-Soviet Handbook documents the variety of grassroots efforts in Russia, Ukraine, and five other nations of post-Soviet Eurasia, providing concise descriptions and accurate contact information for these diverse organizations. Many of the new entries represent projects based in provincial centers, reflecting powerful trends in post-Soviet societies toward autonomy and decentralization. Internet users will find a wealth of new resources. A new element is the inclusion of projects based in Canada. Whether the issues are the environment, the disabled, the excesses of "wild capitalism", human rights, or ethnic conflict, The Post-Soviet Handbook shows how grassroots self-organization accomplishes real change.

The authors are associated with the Center for Civil Society International, a nonprofit group supporting collaborative activities between citizen organizations in the West and in the former Soviet Union.