The National Civic League Welcomes Delegation from Kyrgyzstan

Friday, May 3, 2002

On Friday, May 3, 2002, The National Civic League welcomed a delegation of leaders from the country of Kyrgyzstan to discuss conflict prevention and other challenges their country is facing. The delegation was invited to the United States under the auspices of the State Department's International Visitor Program hosted by the Institute of International Education. Participants consisted of leaders from the business, education, and government sector of the Aksy and Leilek region of Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan is located in Central Asia, west of China. The population of Kyrgyzstan is approximately 4 million people with an estimated population growth of 1.44%. The Kyrgzyzstani people are very diverse with five major ethnic groups currently residing in various parts of the country. Some of the current concerns of the country include privatization of state-owned enterprises, expansion of democracy and political freedoms, inter-ethnic relations, and terrorism. Kyrgyzstan has experienced an increase of disputes resulting from resource scarcity, complex ethnic division, and a decline in economic conditions and living standards. These concerns are particularly evident in the three southern regions of the Kyrgyz Republic: Batken, Jala-Abad and Osh.

The focal point of Friday's discussion was around the City of Osh. As mentioned by Mr. Jumadil Isakov, Vice-Mayor of Osh, the City has only been operating democratically for the past year. The City's leadership consists of a 30-member legislative body, elected by the populous, and a Mayor chosen by the legislative body from a pool of candidates established by the President of Kyrgyzstan. Some of the many challenges that the City of Osh is currently facing are how to deal with ethnic diversity, which often leads to international conflict due to border sharing, water flow issues, and the 130 pieces of land that are currently in dispute within the City. The delegates also mentioned that due to border sharing, there is an overlap of international influence and presence within the region.

The delegation's main objective is to study the best practices of both the United States and European systems and to develop a specific plan they can use in their regions to deal with conflict prevention and resolution. Aside from their visit to Denver, the delegation also visited four other major cities throughout the United States, and was headed to New York before returning home. Although premature, the delegation was pleased with their visit and the discussions they had with conflict prevention experts throughout the United States. It will be very interesting to watch the outcome of this country's future as the leaders began to implement strategies to deal with their current crisis.