Peter Zalmayev is director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative (EDI), an international non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of democracy and rule of law in post-Communist transitional societies of Eastern and Central Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Zalmayev received his Master's in International Affairs from Columbia University with a concentration in post-Soviet/Eurasian studies. From 2000 to 2006, Zalmayev managed the Central Asia/Caucasus Program at a major international human rights watchdog, the International League for Human Rights. He has provided regular commentary to major U.S. and international print and broadcast media on political, social and economic developments in countries of the former Soviet Union.