The movement toward democracy in the Eastern European country of Romania will be examined Tuesday, Feb. 28, as part of Allegany College of Maryland’s Democracy Commitment. ACM faculty member Dr. Mihaela Wood will present an overview of her nation’s recent history in “The Making of Democracy in Romania After Socialism.” It begins at 12:30 p.m. in the College Center Theatre and is free and open to the public. Her talk is part of spring-semester activities at ACM in the Democracy Commitment, a national effort to promote active engagement in the democratic process by community college students. 

The new initiative features programs and projects to engage students in civic learning and democratic practice. That includes a new survey course, History of Democracy, which Wood is co-teaching with Dr. Stephen Gibson. Democracy in Romania presents that country’s history over the past 30 years ranging from the last decade of communism and democratic changes since the Ceausescu regime’s fall in 1989 until the present.

Wood, a high school student when the dictatorship collapsed, avidly followed the events of her country from Bucharest, the capital city. A former history student at universities in Romania, Hungary and the United States, she now teaches history at ACM and is a specialist in 20^th century European and global history. Wood will survey events in Romania through early this year, when street protests erupted over a combination of factors, including official corruption, presidential over-control, governmental accountability and economic austerity measures. Her talk is presented by ACM and the Democracy Commitment in collaboration with the college’s Diversity Center, Student Government Association and Peace Studies and Human Service clubs.

More information can be obtained by contacting Wood at 301-784-5301. Schools groups and others interested in attending should contact Lynn Grimm at 301-784-5168. Information is also available on the college Web site, www.allegany.edu