Democracy at dawn

by Frederick Quinn

From the sweeping changes of democratic reform to the bloody conflict of the Chechen Republic, 1993-95 was a tumultuous and critical time for Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics. During that two-year period, Frederick Quinn traveled the former Soviet empire as head of the rule of law programs of the Warsaw Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). His primary task was to help the new nations of the region write new constitutions and modernize their judicial systems. Keenly aware of the uniqueness of the history he was witnessing unfold, Quinn took notes of his experiences. The result is Democracy at Dawn - a vividly written personal, firsthand account of hope and nascent political and social freedom in a part of the world filled with vivid contrasts - drab cities and lively people, dedicated reformers and traditional governments. Quinn recounts the difficulties of many of the countries,