Subject: Introduction
From: Janna van der Velde (fier@euronet.nl)
Date: Sat Apr 17 1999 - 02:49:02 EDT
The Hague, April 16, 1999
Dear subscribers,
Being a Russian language specialist by education, I now work for the
Hague-based Foundation on Inter-Ethnic Relations (FIER) as a senior
programme officer. FIER was established in 1994 to support the work of the
OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Mr. Max van der Stoel, and in
general that is still what we focus on.
The activities of FIER in the Ferghana Valley include monitoring of the
inter-ethnic relations in the Osh and Jalal-Abad Oblasts, in particular the
relationship between the ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. The aim of the monitoring
is not only to function as an early warning system for detection of rising
tensions and potential conflict (for the use of the relevant Kyrgyz
governement institutions as well as the OSCE High Commissioner on National
Minorities), but also as a means to find out what the factors are which
influence inter-ethnic relations in the Ferghana Valley. Our foundation
coordinates a similar monitoring project in Kazakstan, and the results of
both projects will also be used to draw conclusions on monitoring of
inter-ethnic relations and the factors which influence them in more general
terms.
I have visited the Kyrgyzstan part of the Ferghana Valley twice during the
last half year. In September '98 I was most surprised to find a huge
difference between the northern and southern part of one country and shocked
by the enormous poverty and lack of prospects of the last, especially in
relationship to the atmosphere in Bishkek. I greatly admire those southern
local ngo people who try to improve the situation and hope that this list
can be of help to them. A way to get them more involved in this list could
be to organise meetings at the local resource centers to discuss this list,
its contributions and answers to them, with the assistance of those who know
English. (to the resource centers: Sorry to suggest an addition to your work
load: perhaps you can make a special project of it? Please contact me at my
own email <fier@euronet.nl> if you want to discuss this idea.)
My impressions of the second trip to the south (end of March '99) are a bit
difused by the fact that we were traveling in a large company including high
placed officials. That way you get a better impression of how these
officials work than of the situation at the spot. Vostok delo tonkoye, and
it is hard to draw any conclusions on the basis of such short visits. The
situation becomes more and more alarming it seems, with Uzbekistan fuelling
the tension. But to which degree real tension exists between Kyrgyzstan's
inhabitants is not clear to me. This is the ultimite question I would like
to hear answers to, apart from discussion of the factors which influence them.
I started receiving the list as of Peter Bloch's contribution and found
other people referring to an interest of earlier subscribers for
inter-ethnic relations. Did I miss anything?
Greetings,
Janna van der Velde
Foundation on Inter-Ethnic Relations
Prinsessegracht 22, 2514 AP The Hague, The Netherlands
T: +31 (0)70 363 6033, F: +31 (0)70 346 5213
FIER@Euronet.nl
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