Human rights and political dissent in Central Europe : between the Helsinki Accords and the fall of the Berlin Wall / Jakub Tyszkiewicz -- U.S. policy toward political opposition in Poland (1975-1981) / Jakub Tyszkiewicz -- Human rights in British policy on Poland (1975-1979) / Jacek Tebinka -- Basket III provisions in French and the Federal Republic of Germany policy toward the Polish People's Republic (1975-1980) : a comparative approach / Wanda Jarza·bek -- Human rights in the policy of Sweden toward Poland (1975-1981) / Pawe¿ Jaworski -- Between human rights and national opposition : Polish Opposition (1976-1989) / ¿ukasz Kaminski -- Exit, voice, duplicity : human rights in Romanian understanding (1975-1989) / Cristina Petrescu -- The Catholic Church, human rights and the democratic opposition in communist Poland : the case of Father Ludwik Wisniewski / Bozena Szaynok -- The role of human rights in the situation of Slovak church and persecution of Christians in Slovakia in (1975-1989) / Robert Letz -- John Paul II on human rights in Poland / Monika Jab¿onska -- Political opposition, human rights and political changes in Czechoslovakia in 1989 / Peter Jasek -- Resistance, dissent and opposition movements : antecedents of the Hungarian regime change / Reka Kiss -- Revisiting the revolution of 1989 : the end of the communist rule in Romania / Dragosʹ Petrescu -- The United States and Hungary (1956-1990) / Laszlo Borhi -- The Polish American Congress, Polish diaspora and human rights movement in Poland / Joanna Wojdon -- The ideas of human rights and their impact during and after Soviet rule / Aaron Rhodes.
Summary:
"This volume examines to what extent the positive atmosphere created by the Helsinki Accords contributed to the change in political circumstances seen in the countries of Central Europe, under Soviet domination. It focuses in particular on - firstly - a consequent new impetus to bolster human rights in international politics, as Western democracies - especially the US - integrated human rights concerns into its foreign policy relations with Soviet Bloc countries and - secondly - how this Western embrace of human rights seemed to create new incentives for increased dissident activity in Central and Eastern Europe and from 1976 onward. Finally, the book reminds us of the significant role of the Helsinki Accords in developing democratic practices in Eastern European societies under Soviet domination in 1975-1989 and in creating the conditions for the peaceful transition to democratic government in the years that followed. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of the history of communism, post-Soviet, Russian, and central and East European politics, the history of human rights, and democratization"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.