EXECUTIVE LECTURE FORUM: Activities: 2004: Bio: Almino
 

September 23, 2004 Ambassador João Almino Consul General of Brazil in Miami Born in England (1954), obtained B.A. Honours from the University of Kent at Canterbury (1977), MPhil in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics and Political Science (1981). Consultant on Polish affairs for BBC Television, London, England, 1982-1983; Senior Research Analyst at Radio Free Europe, Munich, Germany, 1984-1985. Joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in 1986 and established the Center’s East European department. The department conducts programs focusing on: security issues, political reform, ethnic conflict, and international relations. Recipient in 1998 of the Distinguished Public Service Award from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Information Agency, and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. Books include Cold Peace: Russia’s New Imperialism (Praeger/Greenwood, 2004), Political Parties of Eastern Europe: A Guide to Politics in the Post-Communist Era (M.E. Sharpe, 2002), Toward an Understanding of Russia: New European Perspectives (Editor) (New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 2002). Ethnic Politics in Eastern Europe: A Guide to Nationality Policies, Organizations, and Parties (M.E. Sharpe, 1994); Nations in Turmoil: Conflict and Cooperation in Eastern Europe (Westview, 1993 -- selected by Choice as one of the outstanding academic books for 1993 -- Second Edition, 1995); Fourth World Conflicts: Communism and Rural Societies (Westview, 1991); Sandinista Communism and Rural Nicaragua (Praeger/CS IS, 1990); East European Fault Lines: Dissent, Opposition, and Social Activism (Westview Press, 1989); and Czechoslovakia: Charter 77’s Decade of Dissent (Praeger/CSIS, 1987). Contributed chapters and articles to numerous books and edited volumes in the United States and in Europe. In 1994, selected by Gale Research for inclusion in Contemporary Authors. Contributor to various newspapers and published in several international periodicals and journals, including Orbis: A Journal of World Affairs, Slavic Review, The Brown Journal of World Affairs, The Washington Quarterly, Nationalities Papers, Journal of Democracy, Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, Stanford Journal of International Affairs, The International Journal on Group Rights, Political Communication and Persuasion, Encounter, The National Interest, Problems of Communism, Uncaptive Minds, The New Republic, and The World & I. Contributor to various encyclopedia and annuals, including the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Americana Annual, and The World Book Chairs the South Central Europe (Balkans) Area Studies program for U.S. Foreign Service Officers at the Foreign Service Institute, U.S. Department of State. Conducted consultancy work for the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the International Republican Institute (IRI), the Free Trade Union Institute (AFL-CIO), the Rand Corporation, the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), the 21st Century Foundation, and several other private organizations and foundations. Former adjunct lecturer at the American University in Washington D.C. Also lectured at the Smithsonian Institution, the Woodrow Wilson Center, the Inter-American College, the National Defense University, and at the following universities: Catholic, Georgetown, School for Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Stanford, Toronto, George Mason, Kansas, Brigham Young, Washington State, Oregon, Berkeley, Westminster (London), and throughout Western and Eastern Europe. Former academic adviser, political analyst, and election observer for the U.S. based International Republican Institute in Albania, Romania, Slovakia, and all the former Yugoslav republics. Helped establish conflict resolution and community rebuilding seminars organized by CSIS in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, and Serbia between 1995 and 1998. Member of editorial board of the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe (IDEE), Washington D.C. and of the advisory board of the School for Politics in Bulgaria. Columnist for the Croatian political weekly, Nacional, Zagreb, for the Kosovar weekly, Koha Ditore, Prishtina, for the Albanian daily Albania, Tirana, and for the Bulgarian weeklies Kapital and Trud, Sofia. Hosted United States Information Agency (USIA) Worldnet TV programs to Eastern Europe. Directed a Council on Foreign Relations project in Washington D.C. in 2001 entitled "Toward an Understanding of Russia." Testified before various Congressional committees, including the Helsinki Commission, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the House Defense Appropriations Committee. Recipient of several foundation grants for research and publishing ventures, including the Earhart Foundation, the Smith Richardson Foundation, and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. Maintains professional contacts, regularly attends conferences, and organizes joint programs with research and policy institutions throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Serves on the advisory boards of the School of Politics (Bulgaria) and the America Institute of Central Europe (Hungary).