US - English 9 Research Romania: Romania and Communism

An English 9 research unit

Romania and Communism

Stage 1

Essential Question:

"In what ways did Communist government of Ceauçescu control their people and what lasting effects (both immediate and long term) might this have had on the Romanian people?"

The links and video below will help us to begin to address the above question

5 Things You Only Know If You Grew Up in a Communist Regime
Blog post
Communism and women in Ceausescu's Romania
"OneEurope is one of the largest European citizens media. We are completely independent, non-partisan and non-profit. We do not receive any funding directly or indirectly, from the European Union or any other institutions and organisations."
Inside Ceausescu’s Romania: An Unquestionably Efficient Police State
Dr Kelly Hignett is a historian and a lecturer at Leeds Beckett University. Kelly’s interests primarily relate to communist and post-communist Eastern Europe.
Interview: Former 'Newsweek' Correspondent Recalls Life And Death In Ceausescu's Romania
Our Mission: RFE/RL journalists report the news in 23 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate (mission statement).

History and Politics

Romania from Infoplease
"Combining the contents of an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas and several up-to-the minute almanacs loaded with statistics, facts, and historical records, Infoplease places the resources of an entire reference information center at your fingertips."
Romania : a country study
A country study in the Library of Congress catalog published by the Federal research Division.
Romania
Amnesty International Country Report
Romania
Human Rights Watch country report
Nicolae Ceausescu: a profile of the former communist dictator
Profile from The Telegraph
The Romanian entrepreneurs making money from communism
From BBC news
Twenty-five years after Nicolae Ceausescu was executed, Romanians seek a ‘revolution reborn’
"Romania’s elite remained in power after the communist dictator was executed. Hopes for change now centre on a new president" The Guardian
Romanian court makes history with ruling over communist-era crimes
"Efforts to bring to justice communist-era figures accused of wrongdoing given big boost as prison commander’s appeal dismissed" from The Guardian

Romania and Social Issues

'Placing the order': how human trafficking works in Romania
Report by Caritas.
‘Reaching Out’ Romania works to bring better lives to trafficked girls
from Women's New Network
Remaining challenges in social sectors
A UNICEF Romania report
Romania’s poorest, out of mind, but not out of sight
A review in the Economist of a documentary film.
Being a "Gypsy": The Worst Social Stigma in Romania
A report from the European Roma Rights Centre
Caritas Cares Romania Report November 2015
"This report describes the main challenges related to poverty
and social inclusion in Romania and provides recommendations for policy makers to address these challenges.
Who are the Roma people?
The Roma are one of Europe’s largest minority groups - and its most disadvantaged. Rachel Titiriga under a Creative Commons Licence
The Roma: A thousand years of discrimination continues in Europe, advocates say By David Simpson, CNN
EU and Roma
European Commission>Justice>Tackling discrimination>Roma2

Top 10 Intriguing Facts About Romania

Children of the Decree

Please note that the following documentary films contain disturbing images of some of the abuse orchestrated by the Communist government of Nicolae Ceausescu.

Book Club

Carmen Bugan Lecture and Reading

BBC Documentary

The Man Who Went Looking For Freedom

The Documentary

In 1983, Ion Bugan made a personal demonstration against the system in Romania in the midst of food shortages, electricity rationing, and surveillance of ordinary people by the secret police. He was jailed immediately. From then, until the day they left for America six years later, his family were followed by secret police wherever they went. Their friends and relatives were intimidated and interrogated.

Now, almost a quarter of a century after they left, the Bugans return to Romania for the first time to retrace Ion’s steps: the jails he was held in, the Securitate HQ where the thousands of files about them are kept, and finally back to their home village.
Presented by Carmen Bugan. Produced by Monica Whitlock.

Photograph by kind permission of Catalin Bugan.

the Man Who Went Looking for Freedom
Link to the BBC documentary

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