Russian-Chechen conflict to be topic of symposium April 1-12
MIDDLEBURY, Vt.-
Event Calendar Listings:
“Struggle for Independence or War on Terrorism? The Example of Russia and Chechnya”
Middlebury College Symposium
April 1-12
Friday, April 1
12:15 p.m.
Keynote Lecture: “Russian Society and Chechen Conflict: Positions of Political Forces and of Social Movements” by Ilya Ponomarev, director of the New Policy Research Center at the Institute for Globalization Studies in Moscow and a member of the Youth Left Front Steering Committee
Free
Conference Room, Robert A. Jones House, Hillcrest Road off College Street (Route 125)
7:30 p.m.
Film: In “Chechen Lullabies,” five war correspondents, including Czech journalist Petra Prochazkova, relate their personal and professional experiences as witnesses to the most recent Chechen war with Russia, the latest clash in a conflict that dates back to the early 19th century. Their testimonies reveal their own frustration and powerlessness as they watch civilians die on a daily basis in a war largely outside the West’s concern.
Free
Room 216, McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Bicentennial Way off College Street (Route 125)
Saturday, April 2
2 p.m.
Lecture and Discussion: “The Russian-Chechen Tragedy: The Way to Peace and Democracy - Conditional Independence Under an International Administration” by Ilyas Akhmadov, minister of foreign affairs for the Chechen Republic and a fellow at the National Endowment for the Humanities
Free
Conference Room, Robert A. Jones House, Hillcrest Road off College Street (Route 125)
Thursday, April 7
7:30 p.m.
Lecture and Discussion: “Chechnya: The Commitment Problem and Recurring War” by Robert Packer, visiting associate professor at Carleton College and an expert on international relations and foreign policy, conflict processes, and international security affairs
Free
Le Château Grand Salon, Château Road off College Street (Route 125)
Friday, April 8
7:30 p.m.
Film: “Assassination of Russia” is a 52-minute documentary that examines the September 1999 explosions in Moscow and several other Russian cities, and focuses on the foiled bombing in the Russian city of Ryazan on Sept. 22, 1999. The tragedy is brought to life via testimonials of those who lived through it. The film vividly portrays the government officials’ reactions to Ryazan, and their later attempts to hold the Chechens responsible. Questions about the possible involvement of the special services are raised.
Free
Room 216, McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Bicentennial Way off College Street (Route 125)
Tuesday, April 12
7 p.m.
Presentations and Personal Reflections: Chechen and Russian students of Middlebury College will recount their own experiences regarding the Chechen-Russian conflict.
Free
Conference Room, Robert A. Jones House, Hillcrest Road off College Street (Route 125)
Several Middlebury College organizations sponsored this symposium: Dialogues for Peace, International Student Organization, Rohatyn Center for International Affairs, and the Office of Institutional Diversity.
For more information, contact Vani Sathisan, student coordinator of the Middlebury College student organization Dialogues for Peace, at ssathisa@middlebury.edu or 802-443-7227.
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