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Welcome to the website of the Project on Democratic Transitions! We hope this site, currently under construction, will become a useful resource for development practitioners, policy-makers, civil society leaders and scholars interested in building democracy and transatlantic cooperation, and a mechanism for sharing research and experience related to the democratization process. The Project, launched in 2005, examines the dramatic political-economic transformation of post-communist Europe and Eurasia since 1989 through a wide-angle lens.  In comparing the diverse trajectories of these countries, the Project seeks to understand the internal and external factors contributing to successful democratization and to learn from both the successes and failures of the past to support those building democracy in the region.  The PDT is guided by a unique Transatlantic Steering Group, composed of over two dozen senior European and American practitioners, scholars and policy thinkers involved in post-authoritarian reform.

           The Project is now in the second, operational phase, focused on sharing its conclusions on lessons learned from the first 19 years of postcommunist transition. In this phase, the PDT will disseminate its conclusions and operational recommendations to two distinct, target audiences:  emerging political, social, and economic leaders in key countries of the region where democracy is fragile and uncertain; and policymakers in the United States and other Western capitals whose support for democratic initiatives can make a difference for their survival.

Ambassador Adrian A. Basora

Project Director