Sarah Lindemann-Komarova

"Why People Like Putin: The Siberian Perspective"

Monday, February 18, 2008
4:00 pm - 125 DeBartolo Hall

Synopsis

Freedom House has just down-graded Russian from “not free” to even more unfree in their latest ratings released in January. Using evidence from NGOs and citizen participation at the local, regional, and national levels in Siberia and
elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, this presentation asks us to rethink the Freedom House and other assessments. The dynamics taking place in Russia today are as complex as those in any democracy. The majority of people support
President Putin but remain passive when it comes to taking advantage of the opportunities that have been provided for them to influence the quality of life in their communities. Nevertheless, the opportunities are much more pervasive than reported, and many Russians are benefiting.

The presentation should appeal to students of Russia and, more broadly, to students of civil society and democratization. Those who are interested in Russia will be given a much broader perspective on what is happening. Those interested in civil society and democratic development in a general sense will learn about methods that have proven effective in generating positive results in a very challenging environment. For everyone, the major question is: Are these positive changes at the grassroots level significant? What do they tell us about the future of democracy in Russia? Are the mechanisms replicable
forother countries?

Biography

Sarah Lindemann-Komarova has been living in Siberia since 1992. In addition to her work in Russia, she has conducted seminars and served as an expert to citizen leaders from Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.