Xref: utzoo comp.misc:5982 comp.society.futures:1188 talk.politics.soviet:1091 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!husc6!cmcl2!ccnysci!patth From: patth@ccnysci.UUCP (Patt Haring) Newsgroups: comp.misc,comp.society.futures,talk.politics.soviet Subject: USA/GDR DataBank - Perestroika OnLine Message-ID: <1884@ccnysci.UUCP> Date: 6 May 89 14:02:44 GMT Reply-To: patth@ccnysci.UUCP (Patt Haring) Organization: City College Of New York Lines: 88 USA/GDR DATABANK 202-529-0140 A new public computer Bulletin Board on Perestroika in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe - now available in Washington, D.C. "USA/GDR Databank," a new computer bulletin board in Washington specializing in political, social and economic change in the Soviet Union and other socialist countries, is now available to the public. The board may be used by any university, research institute, organization, church, business firm or individual whose personal computer is equipped with a modem, an inexpensive device that permits computers to communicate over phone lines. USA/GDR DataBank is sponsored by the Council on USA/GDR Relations, a project of the North American Christian Peace Conference. Through USA/GDR DataBank's file subsystem, subscribers will have access to a growing library of information and analysis on perestroika in the Soviet Union and political change elsewhere in the socialist community, including the German Democratic Republic. The board's selection of files, which can be transferred quickly from the system to a subscriber's personal computer, includes articles and documents on church-state relations, economic reform, human rights and other issues in the politics and society of socialist countries. The file subsystem also provides a choice of software for communications, word processing, databases and other applications. USA/GDR InfoBank's bulletin subsystem provides: o News on the latest developments in Soviet perestroika, glasnost and "new thinking." o News from the German Democratic Republic and other socialist countries. o A calendar of national and local events. o An up-to-date list of organizations involved in East-West citizen diplomacy and GDR studies. o Opportunities for inexpensive tourism and study in Eastern Europe, including details on academic programs for North American students in the GDR. o Information on business opportunities in the GDR and news on developments affecting trade between the United States and Eastern Europe. Subscribers may use USA/GDR DataBank's electronic mail subsystem to debate issues and exchange ideas. In the near future a separate mailroom will be organized for researchers, academics and other specialists in GDR and Soviet studies. Later in 1989, USA/GDR DataBank will create a new national "echomail" conference on political change in Eastern Europe. The conference will permit subscribers in several local calling areas to exchange electronic mail with USA/GDR DataBank without paying for a long- distance call. USA/GDR DataBank operates from 12 midnight to 9 p.m. EST Monday through Friday at 202-529-0140. The system accepts calls at 1200 and 2400 bps. Parity, data bits and stop bits should be set to 8 N 1. Please call only during the posted hours. THe board will expand to 24-hour operations later in 1989. The Council on USA-GDR Relations is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of United States citizens who support improved economic, cultural, and political relations with the German Democratic Republic. The Council is self-supporting and receives no funds from any government. For further information, please write (or call the BBS and leave a message for): Andrew Lang Council on USA-GDR Relations 1267 Newton Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 0017-2512 -- Patt Haring rutgers!cmcl2!ccnysci!patth patth@ccnysci.BITNET