St. Petersburg International Conference on "Parliaments as Agents and Objects of Change"

Call For Papers and Participants

St. Petersburg International Conference on "Parliaments as Agents and Objects of Change"
June 28 - July 1, 1999

Sponsored by:

The Research Commitee of Legislative Specialists
The International Political Science Association (U.S.A.)
The Center for Civil Society and International Cooperation (Russia)
St.Petersburg State University, Department of Political Psychology (Russia)

With the support of:

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Germany)
The Center for New Democracy and Social Change (U.S.A. - Kyrgyzstan)
The Academy on Civil Society (U.S.A.)
The St.Petersburg Association for Scientists and Scholars (Russia)

An international scholarly conference on "Parliaments as Objects and Subjects of Change" will bring a number of leading international and Russian scholars together in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 28 - July 1, 1999 to consider the roles of parliaments as catalysts of change in a regime as well as institutions themselves profoundly influenced, and sometimes transformed, by social and political change in a nation. This inquiry is of central importance in countries such as Russia which are going through far-reaching political and economic transitions and facing unresolved problems in defining the roles of a legislative branch of power in rapidly changing conditions.

The central focus of the St. Petersburg International Conference will be on the reciprocal relationship between legislatures, both as changing institutions and as agents of regime change. Other broadly related topics and inquiries concerning contemporary parliamentary politics, however, will also be examined and are suitable for conference inquiry, including internal parliamentary political issues, psychological determinants of legislative actions, individual members' behavior, the psychology of parliamentary leadership, individual and collective members' perceptions of regime change, and the influence of change on members' behavior and activity. Although many papers may deal with these topics in the context of Russian and regional experience, it is expected that most of the papers of the St. Petersburg International Conference will examine in cross-national perspective aspects of legislatures as agents and objects of change.

St. Petersburg, built as Russia's window on the West, can also serve as the West's window on Russia. The St. Petersburg International Conference will provide the opportunity for international and Russian scholars to engage in fruitful scholarly exchange and inquiry. Sessions of the International Conference will be held at St. Petersburg State University as well, possibility, in meeting rooms of the City Council and the St. Petersburg Executive(Mayor), especially for receptions and other special conference functions.

St. Petersburg is considered to be one of the most stable cities in Russia, yet the St. Petersburg International Conference will provide a fascinating and historic opportunity to examine a city and nation undergoing fundamental economic and political change.

Potential participants interested in the St. Petersburg International Conference are invited to indicate their interest by means of correspondence (E-mail, Fax, or air mail) to either of the international conference organizers:
Professor Elena Labkovskaya
Director, Center for Civil Society and International Cooperation
Fontanka 56-20
St. Petersburg 191002,Russia
Tel. +7-812-112-5368
Fax +7-812-251-1052
E-mail: [email protected]
OR
Professor Lawrence D. Longley
Department of Government
Lawrence University
Appleton,Wisconsin 54912, USA
Tel. +1-920-832-6673
Fax +1-920-832-6962
E-mail: [email protected]

The deadline is May 10, 1999

Last updated:    April 30, 1999

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