ABSTRACT
The collapse of the communist regimes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and the emergence of new states there are accompanied by an outburst of ethnic nationalism, territorial disputes, tension in interethnic relations and, in the worst cases, by direct ethnic conflicts. 1 This brings to the fore the position of anthropologists and other scholars toward these conflicts, their professional responsibility and moral standing on the issue. To many of our colleagues in the East this is not a purely academic dilemma. Their attitude and behaviour directly affect their professional career, social reputation, livelihood: it may literally become a matter of life and death. I know at least four cases when anthropologists in the ex-Soviet Union fell victim to assassinations, apparently because they were advocating policy that did not suit some extreme groups in their societies. However, even Western anthropologists, particularly those who are doing fieldwork in the regions affected by ethnic strife, often face similar problems: whether they should remain neutral or take a side in the conflict. Again, in making their choice they have to take into account practical considerations, including the very possibility of continuing their work in a given region.
