Above: A cameraman documents three UN peacekeepers monitoring the border between Macedonia and Serbia.

recently released documentary about Macedonia--From the Shadow of History--explores how the small Balkan country managed inter-ethnic conflict while nearby Croatia and Bosnia erupted into bloodbaths. The video, developed for use in introducing preventive diplomacy to undergraduate and graduate classes, was researched and produced by Alice Ackerman of the School of International Studies at the University of Miami, with a grant from the U.S. Institute of Peace. Sanjeev Chatterjee, of the university's School of Communication, wrote and directed the video.

"Macedonia presents one of the best case studies for the success of preventive diplomacy," notes Ackerman. The video examines the different players who contributed to the outcome: statesmen, regional and international organizations such as Search for Common Ground, indigenous voluntary agencies such as the Ethnic Conflict Resolution Project, and the multi-ethnic Macedonian populace, "whose indomitable spirit prevailed." Although it remains to be seen what long-term efforts will yield, Ackerman says, today Macedonia continues to show the world that inter-ethnic conflict can be satisfactorily managed through the respect of minority and other human rights, dialogue, negotiation, statesmanship, international cooperation, and grassroots activity.

To order the video (individuals $40.00, institutions $95.00, plus shipping and handling), write to Alice Ackerman, School of International Studies, University of Miami, P.O. Box 248123, Coral Gables, FL 33124, or call 305-538-9187.

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