European Transitions from Dictatorship to Democracy in the late 1980's

Participants meet in Berlin during the workshop

This workshop focused on the 1989 regime changes in Europe and other political transitions of the late 80's.

During the workshop, 13 Europeans engaged in a 6-hour simulation centered around a fictitious country in the throes of political upheaval and regime change. This society's dominant interest groups must come together to negotiate a course of action that is acceptable to all:

A general climate of discontent and economic depression has emerged in "Allonia," a fictitious communist country. Due to recent food shortages, public demonstrations have begun and are quickly gaining power. If the status quo is maintained, the demonstrations threaten to erupt into full-scale revolution. Each of the simulation participants is assigned to one of seven distinct interest-groups representing key players in the country's stability and governance. Each with its own set of priorities, the interest groups must negotiate in order to arrive at a common statement, accepted unanimously by all.