New Approaches to Old Problems: Lessons from an Ethnic Conciliation Project in Four Central and Eastern European Countries

Abstract

This case study of Partners for Democratic Change's Local Ethnic Conciliation Program in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia examines: different social psychological processes and perspectives for resolving ethnic minority‐majority conflicts; the adaptation of a western conflict resolution model in Central and Eastern Europe; challenges and opportunities for strategic organic development of citizen‐based initiatives; and the role of conflict resolution efforts in social change and civil society development in these Central and Eastern European countries. The study suggests a theory‐based framework for evaluating interventions into ethnic conflicts and offers recommendations for future applied research and project development.