Civil society in the countries in transition Comparative Analysis and Practice

 

BOOK REVIEW

CIVIL SOCITY IN THE COUNTRIES IN TRANSITION
Comparative Analysis and Practice

Ed. By Nadia Skenderovic-Cuk,Ph.D. and Professor Milan Podunavac, Ph.D

Subotica, 1999

 

The book Civil Society in Countries in Transition - Comparative Analysis and Practice which is put forth to the critical perception of the Yugoslav and international public, comprises a collection of works presented at the International Conference with the same title, organized by the Agency of Local Democracy in Subotica from 28th to 31st May, 1997.

Its main objective is to indicate the dynamics of social and political processes in the societies of Central, Eastern and particularly Southeastern Europe, which are undergoing a complex and antinomic transition and democratic consolidation.

The entire project encompasses not only the concept of civil society that served as a general normative framework for Eastern and Central European self-assessment(Arato), but also as a productive and analytical rationale for a thorough comprehension of the process of dissolution of the old regimes and acknowledgement of ongoing transition and consolidation. Hence, the book is designed to follow this essential idea. Its introductory part reveals both normative and theoretical achievements of civil society torn between its “old image” once aiming at disintegration of non-democratic regimes on one side, and on the other, the “complementary” and “corrective” functions emerging in an open, pluralistic and democratic society. Such a self-assessment includes the analysis of both the existing tensions within the civil society and the ongoing processes of post-authoritarian modernization; of the relation between civil society and the rule of law; of the public recognition of pluralism of identities; of civil initiatives and civil protests.

The six chapters of this work cover articles from many authors on different aspects of the central theme thus explaining and elaborating the subjects here in. These are authors such as:

Chapter 1:
John Keane, Charles Bachmueller, Nenad Dimitrijević, Vukaë in Pavlović, Milan Podunovac and Ivan Vejvoda;

Chapter 2:
Lino Veljak, Sr»an Vrcan, Mladen Lazić, George Ivanov, Silvano Bolšić and Miroljub Radojković;

Chapter 3:
Radmila Vasić, Vojislav Stanovšić, Ilija Vujašić, Ljubomir Madžar and Nadia Skenderović ? uk;

Chapter 4: