BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//132.216.98.100//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20.4// BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260307T053127EST-3432oFuRfL@132.216.98.100 DTSTAMP:20260307T103127Z DESCRIPTION:The Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism welcomes Moldov an human rights researcher and practitioner Slava Balan. He will examine t he various reasons why Moldova failed to attain a democratic regime.\n\nRS VP: pierre-alexandr.cardinal [at] mail.mcgill.ca.\n\nAbstract\n\nIn 1991\, after the collapse of the Soviet Union\, 15 new independent states formed in its place in Eastern Europe\, Caucasus and Central Asia. Except for th ree Baltic states – now members of the EU – transition to democracy and hu man rights in the remaining 12 states can hardly be called successful. “Ir replaceable” leaders\, profaned democratic institutions\, and gross human rights violations are the hallmarks of many regimes in Eastern Europe\, Ru ssia and Central Asia.\n\nAfter a relatively good start in early 1990s and a promising breakthrough in 2010-2012\, by 2018 however\, Moldova slipped into what many describe as “captured state” – a state captured by an olig arch and his clan. The Moldovan democracy was not long-lived\, and broke w ith little effort.\n\nThe failure of democracy and human rights in Moldova and other states of the region stems from faulty foundations of democrati c transition\, since from the establishment of these newly independent sta tes to our days. To a large extent\, democracy building in these states tr ansformed into a merely mechanical creation of “democratic institutions” – Parliament\, elections\, Constitution\, Constitutional Court – without de veloping democracy and human rights culture at the grassroots level – at h ome\, at workplaces\, at schools and in local communities.\n\nWith endemic patriarchal relations in families\, highly prevalent authoritarian leader ship style at workplace\, in private and public institutions\, lack of sel f-organization and search for “higher authorities” or “external powers”\, it is difficult for someone ascending to high state positions from such a grassroots medium to become a democratic and rights-based leader. It is eq ually challenging for the solemnly established democratic institutions – P arliament\, elections\, Constitution\, Constitutional Court – to become fi lled with democracy-understanding public servants. It is generally difficu lt to perform democratically\, without consistently experiencing democracy from childhood throughout life.\n\nThe failed democratic transition owes to both\, national strategic decision-makers in the countries of the regio n\, but equally so to the major assistance-providing development partners – bilateral and multilateral.\n\nAbout the speaker\n\nVeaceslav (Slava) Ba lan is a human rights researcher and practitioner who led the work of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Moldova fro m 2015to 2018. Before joining OHCHR in 2015\, he worked with UN Women and UNDP in Moldova\, as well as with Amnesty International Moldova. In 2004-2 007\, he lectured at the Moldovan Academy of Public Administration.\n\nSla va holds license in law from Moldova State University (2000)\, LL.M. in Co mparative Constitutional Law from the Central European University (2002)\, and LL.M. in Comparative Law from 91˿Ƶ in Canada (2015). He is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law. \n\nSlava’s current areas of professional and academic interest include Un ited Nations human rights system\, human rights based approach to developm ent and law\, protection of minorities. Slava’s master research project at 91˿Ƶ concerned “Equality Mainstreaming on Main Streets: A Hu man Rights Based Approach to Municipal Development (Sweden\, Moldova and C anada)”.\n DTSTART:20190205T163000Z DTEND:20190205T180000Z LOCATION:Stephen Scott Seminar Room (OCDH 16)\, Chancellor Day Hall\, CA\, QC\, Montreal\, H3A 1W9\, 3644 rue Peel SUMMARY:Why democracy and human rights failed (so far) in Eastern Europe: C ase of Moldova URL:/law/channels/event/why-democracy-and-human-rights -failed-so-far-eastern-europe-case-moldova-294360 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR