Lustration is the government process regulating the participation of former communists, especially informants of the communist secret police,^[1] in the successor political appointee positions or in civil service positions in the period after the fall of the various European Communist states in 1989 – 1991. It also applies more broadly to the process of nations' dealing with past human rights abuses or injustices that have occurred.^[2] The term is taken from the Roman lustrum purification rituals.^[3]

Policies and laws[link]

In the period of post-communism after the fall of the various European Communist states in 1989–1991, the term came to refer to governments' policies of "mass disqualification of those associated with the abuses under the prior regime".^[2] They excluded participation of former communists, and especially informants of the communist secret police, in successor political positions, or even in civil service positions. This exclusion was part of the wider decommunization campaigns. In some countries, however, lustration laws did not lead to exclusion and disqualification. Lustration law in Hungary (1994–2003) was based on the exposure of compromised state officials, while lustration law in Poland (1999–2005) was based on confession.^[4]

Lustration law "is a special public employment law that regulates the process of examining whether a person holding certain higher public positions worked or collaborated with the repressive apparatus of the communist regime.".^[1] The 'special' nature of lustration law refers to its transitional character. The 'public employment' nature of lustration law distinguishes it from other methods of criminal justice, such as criminal trials, amnesties, or qualified amnesties. 'The process of examining' refers to the very process of 'lustration', which means examining or screening against secret police archives.

As of 1996, various lustration laws of varying scope were implemented in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, the Baltic States: (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia); Germany, Poland, and Romania^{[citation needed]}. Regional differences were significant; for example, in the Czech Republic and Germany, lustration was much stronger than in other countries^{[citation needed]}). As of 1996 lustration laws had not been passed in Belarus, nor in the former Soviet Central Asian Republics of (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) (Ellis, 1996).

The main goal of lustration is to prevent continuation of abuses that had occurred under a former regime. This purification process is carried on in many ways, such as banning former members of the communist parties, from being involved in public positions.^[2]

Benefits[link]

Lustration can serve as a form of instant revenge for those who were abused by a past government. Political figures are often banned immediately from government, and the process therefore serves as a more efficient form of justice than pursuit of such figures through court trials. In addition, court trials (another method used when dealing with transitional justice) can be extremely expensive, lengthy, and may be unsuccessful.

Legitimacy is a key factor in having efficient governance. Lustration laws serve as a new set of rules to be implemented to create a new regime and governmental structures.^[2]

Lustration systems based on dismissal or confession are able to increase trust in government.^[5] Lustration systems based on confession are able to promote social reconciliation.^[6]

Costs[link]

Because the process may take place without adequate documentation or investigation, the innocent can be wrongfully accused and held responsible for crimes they may not have committed. Often records are tampered with, and the wrongfully accused are held accountable. This often occurs for the political gain of a new party.^[2]

The excluded people are often the most experienced in doing their jobs. Loss of these experienced workers is problematic.

Examples[link]

Lustration in Czech Republic[link]

The Czech transition to democracy was quite different from that of other countries. Unlike many of the neighbouring states, the new Czech government did not adjudicate under court trials, but rather took a non-judicial approach to ensure changes would be made.

The new regime was intended to purify the country of past human rights abusers. All those involved with the Communist Secret Police (StB) were blacklisted from holding public office. This included upper reaches of the civil service, the judiciary, procuracy, the security service (BIS), army positions, management of state owned enterprises, the central bank, the railways, high academic positions, the public electronic media.

The lustration laws in the Czech Republic were not meant to serve as a form of justice but to ensure that events such as the Communist coup of February 1948 would not happen again.^[7]

Lustration in Germany[link]

Vergangenheitsbewältigung, Germany's "struggle to come to terms with the past" after the Nazi era, is a forerunner of the late 20th century issues of nations' coming to terms with Communist rule. In some ways it has resembled the later problem of people's dealing with the legacy of East German communist rule.

Lustration in Poland[link]

See Lustration in Poland.

See also[link]

Look up lustration in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Proclamation of Timişoara
• Truth and reconciliation commission
• Denazification

Further reading[link]

• Williams, "A Scorecard for Czech Lustration", Central Europe Review
• Jiřina Šiklová, "Lustration or the Czech Way of Screening", East European Constitutional Review, Vol.5, No.1, Winter 1996, Univ. of Chicago Law School and Central European University
• Rohozinska, "Struggling with the Past - Poland's controversial Lustration trials", Central European Review
• Human Rights Watch - http://www.hrw.org/reports/1993/WR93/Hsw-03.htm
• Roman David, Lustration and Transitional Justice: Personnel Systems in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011.

References[link]

• 1904 (Merriam) Webster's International Dictionary of the English Language says: "a sacrifice, or ceremony, by which cities, fields, armies, or people, defiled by crimes, pestilence, or other cause of uncleanness, were purified"

Christian Day (born 24 June 1983 in Blackpool, Lancashire) is a rugby union player for Northampton Saints in the Aviva Premiership. Day previously played all of his professional career at Sale except for a 3 month temporary contract at French giants Stade Français.

He previously captained England Under 21s and also has represented England at schools and under 19 levels.

Day's position of choice is as a lock.

References[link]

External links[link]

• ESPN Scrum profile

Selena Fox
Born	20 October 1949
Occupation	Wiccan Priestess Psychotherapist
Spouse	Dennis Carpenter

Selena Fox (born 20 October 1949 in Arlington, Virginia ^[1]) is a Wiccan priestess and activist, psychotherapist, self-published author and lecturer in the fields of Neopaganism, Wicca, New Age and comparative religion.

Circle[link]

Rev. Fox is the founder of the "Circle Craft" tradition of the Wiccan religion.

Selena, along with others, founded Circle Sanctuary in 1974, which is one of America's oldest Pagan centers and Wiccan churches. Circle Sanctuary is headquartered on its 200-acre (0.81 km²) Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve, founded in 1983. Circle Sanctuary's quarterly journal CIRCLE Magazine (formerly, Circle Network News) was first published in 1978 as a newsletter, then as a newspaper in 1980, and in magazine format in 1997. Fox also is the founder of the Pagan Spirit Gathering, one of the oldest Nature Spirituality festivals in the United States.

Psychotherapy[link]

Fox is a trained counselor and psychotherapist, having received her Master's Degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1995,^[2] where her thesis was entitled When Goddess is God: Pagans, Recovery, and Alcoholics Anonymous (1995).^[3] She is a member of the American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, Association for Transpersonal Psychology, and American Academy of Religion.^[4]

Media appearances[link]

Fox attended her first Neopagan ritual at the age of 21 and has represented Neopaganism in the public sphere since 1973, making appearances on television and radio.^[4] She has also been mentioned in print publications, such as brief mention in a Time Magazine article on Goddess Spirituality.^[5]

Wiccan Activism[link]

Fox is the founder and executive director of the Lady Liberty League, a networking organization dedicated to religious freedom for Wiccans, Neopagans, and other nature religion practitioners worldwide. In 1992, she founded the Pagan Academic Network, an association for professors, students, and researchers with an academic interest in Neopaganism.

Bibliography[link]

Periodicals[link]

• Circle Network News. Editor, publisher and primary contributor of Circle Sanctuary's newsletter/newspaper from 1978 to 1997.^[6]
• Circle Magazine. Editor and publisher of the quarterly magazine replacing Circle Sanctuary's newspaper in 1997.

Books[link]

• Circle Magick Songs (1979) with Jim Alan. Circle Publications.
• Goddess Communion: Rituals and Meditations (1988). Circle Publications.
• Planetary Healing Rituals: Meditations, Rituals & Prayers for a Healthier World (1991). Circle Sanctuary.

Discography[link]

• Circle Songs and Chants - Jim Alan & Selena Fox (self-produced cassette)
• The Magickal Movement: Present and Future - panel discussion with Isaac Bonewits, Margot Adler and Robert Anton Wilson (ACE cassette)
• Magick Changing the World, the World Changing Magick - panel discussion with Bonewits, AmyLee, Jeff Rosenbaum and Robert Anton Wilson (ACE cassette)

Notes[link]

General references[link]

• Hopman, Ellen Evert; Lawrence Bond (1996). "Circle Sanctuary". People of the Earth: The New Pagans Speak Out. Rochester, Vermont: Destiny Books. pp. 236–244. ISBN 0-89281-559-0. 
• Vale, V. and John Sulak (2001). Modern Pagans. San Francisco: Re/Search Publications. ISBN 1-889307-10-6. p. 201 - One page interview with Fox about Circle Sanctuary.

External links[link]

• Circle Sanctuary website
• Selena Fox's website
• Program listing for festival appearance, with biographical details