Nearly 13 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, prospects for democratic reform in Central Asia are disappearing, warned opposition leaders from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan at a recent conference in London. (Mevlut Katik, 14 December 2004)

Fifteen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the unfolding situation in Ukraine is part of a new wave of democratic fervor sweeping across the former Soviet Union. We should ensure this vibrant movement for democratic change in the region is given a voice. (Dario Thuburn, 9 December 2004)