Subject: introductions
From: Daniel Waugh (dwaugh@u.washington.edu)
Date: Sun Apr 18 1999 - 01:50:40 EDT
This one will be somewhat different from the fascinating information
others, who have been actively working on Ferghana Valley issues, have
been providing. I have been through Ferghana two or three times on the
way to the mountains, spending a few days in Osh in 1991, where, just to
make sure we were "safe" our climbing group had a police escort to get us
out of town, a precaution that seemed rather odd to someone who had not
been there the year before.
My main interest in the region is academic, since I have just
started teaching an ambitious new survey course on "The Silk Road." Among
other things, I am having the students read some of what Babur said in his
memoirs regarding the region.
I have been involved in one project of contemporary relevance,
which may be of interest to list members. A year ago Center for Civil
Society International and the Johns Hopkins Central Asia-Caucasus
Institute sponsored a conference in Washington, D.C., on "Civil Society in
Central Asia." A book with the same title (edited by M. Holt Ruffin and
yrs. truly) based on the conference is about to be published by the
University of Washington Press (it should be out by summer). The book
will include various essays by conference participants, including a couple
that deal in part with issues directly related to the Ferghana Valley, and
a large section of information highlighting the activities of selected
Central Asia-based NGOs.
Daniel Waugh
History and International Studies
University of Washington (Seattle)
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a22 : Sat May 29 1999 - 07:34:14 EDT