Crisis Management in Transitional Societies: The Romanian Experience
Authors: Julian Chifu, Britta Ramberg
In 2002, CRISMART and the Crisis Research Center at Leiden University in Holland were assigned to assess the existing crisis management capacities in three South Eastern European countries (Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania). The results of this joint project were presented in January 2003 at a UNDP regional conference in Bratislava called “Building Transnational Crisis Management Capacity: An Exploration of Viable Ways to Improve Civil Security in South Eastern Europe.” The reports from this conference inspired CRISMART to continue bilateral cooperation, strengthen its contacts with leading academics and practitioners in Romania, and put together a volume on Romanian crisis management experiences. This was made possible by generous funding from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Emergency Management Agency, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Swedish National Defence College. Several of the contributors to this volume are experts in crisis management issues and a few have even directly participated as policy/ decision makers in the Romanian government. Engaging practitioners with valuable insights on the management of recent crises is an important element of the CM Europe Program. Collaboration between the Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Center in Romania and CRISMART were encouraged and stimulated by the late Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anna Lindh.