Program date: Jun 17, 2022
Air date: Jun 20, 2022
From the City Club of Eugene:
The most important international event right now is the conflict caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The consequences of that war have already been felt around the globe. The bravery of the Ukrainian people is an inspiration for us all. What is the history of the relations between Russia and Ukraine leading up to this conflict? What does Russia want to achieve?
Experts on the history and cultures of this region will address these questions and describe the roles that Europe, the US, and NATO play in helping Ukraine. The fate of the Ukrainian refugees in Europe and elsewhere will also be discussed. The speakers have had extensive experience in dealing with Russian and Eastern European countries and migration patterns around the world.
Speakers:
Dr. Julie Hessler is an Associate Professor of History at University of Oregon, with a specialty in the history of the former Soviet Union. Her publications include A Social History of Soviet Trade (Princeton University Press, 2004) and Europe in the Twentieth Century, (coauthored with Robert O. Paxton; 5th edition, Cengage, 2010). She is currently writing a book on the impact of cultural exchanges with postcolonial countries on Soviet intellectuals’ creative development and civic activities. She teaches courses the USSR and Contemporary Russia; Soviet Culture; the Non-Russian USSR; Eastern Europe in the 20th century; and Food in World History. She has regularly traveled to Russia and adjacent countries since 1990 She earned her BA at Yale University, and MA and PhD at the University of Chicago. She joined the UO faculty in 1995.
Retired American diplomat Keith A. Eddins is an adjunct instructor at the University of Oregon. During three decades as a Foreign Service officer, Eddins served as Chargé d'affaires at the American Embassy in Slovakia, and at U.S. embassies in Moscow, Prague, and Santo Domingo, and the US Mission to NATO. His Washington assignments included the State Department’s Russia Desk and its NATO affairs office. At the University of Oregon, Eddins has taught in the School of Law, the Conflict and Dispute Resolution Master’s Program, the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management, and the Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies program. He earned a BA from the University of Virginia, and an MA from Princeton University. Eddins has studied Russian, Czech, Slovak, Spanish, French, German, and American Sign Language.
Dr. Christoph Rass is a Professor of Modern History and Historical Migration Studies at the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS) at Osnabrück University (Germany). During Spring Term 2022, he is serving as the Carroll Professor of History at the University of Oregon. Part of his research focuses on forced migration, mass displacement, and the construction of the international refugee regime throughout the 20th century. His work also includes several collaborative projects in Belarus and Ukraine.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, June 20, at 7:00 pm, on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, contact Silver A. Mogart, City Club of Eugene, Executive Director, (541) 485-7433, administrator@cityclubofeugene.org