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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 2
FORWARD ................................................................................................................................ 4
NOTES OF A DIPLOMAT: 20 YEARS AFTER ........................................................................... 6
CELEBRATING GIRLS .............................................................................................................10
YOU LIVE WHERE? .................................................................................................................14
MAPPING A PATH TO THE FUTURE ......................................................................................19
THE SCIENTIST-DIPLOMAT ....................................................................................................22
MERRY CHRISTMAS IN KAZAKHSTAN ..................................................................................25
CENTRAL ASIA: A VIEW FROM WASHINGTON .....................................................................28
NEW SILK ROAD .....................................................................................................................31
HORSE DIPLOMACY ...............................................................................................................35
WHY WE GAVE OUR AMERICAN DAUGHTER A KAZAKH NAME .........................................39
ELVIS PRESLEY - ALIVE AND WELL IN KAZAKHSTAN .........................................................42
ALL ROADS LEAD TO KAZAKHSTAN .....................................................................................45
HUBBLE’S 25TH BIRTHDAY: A PERSONAL MEMORY ............................................................49
INTRODUCTION
The opportunity to contribute regularly to the on-line version of Esquire Kazakhstan
came as a complete surprise. While diplomats typically welcome the prospect of
reaching out to larger audiences, few have been presented with a mandate as broad or
open-ended as this one. Essentially, almost any topic has been encouraged, whether
focusing on personal perspectives, professional concerns or a mix of both.
The variety of topics covered in this collection of
Esquire stories reflects the breadth of that
mandate. Some are indeed largely work-related,
covering such topics as the new USAID strategy for
Central Asia, the New Silk Road initiative aimed at
linking South Asia with Central Asia, the importance
of human rights and the relationship of science and
technology to development. Others, while seemingly
focused on work-related topics, quickly move into
more personal territory. For example, columns
marking "International Day of the Girl," "International
Women's Day" and "Victory Day" fall into this
category, starting as they do with a reflection on a
generic commemorative event marked in various
ways around the world but quickly moving to commentary that is deeply personal.
In fact, to a possibly surprising extent the reflections that appear in this e-book do not fit
within the usual stereotypical view of what interests and motivates a diplomat, including
those diplomats whose careers have largely been focused on development. In fact,
most contributions fall very much in this category. What do friends and family think
when we say we work in Kazakhstan? What happens when someone from the United
States brings their love of horses to Kazakhstan? How has the country of Kazakhstan
Ambassador Jonathan Addleton
changed over the last two decades, at least as viewed from the perspective of a foreign
visitor? And in what sense is Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock 'n roll" still alive and well
in Kazakhstan? These themes and more are highlighted in the pages that follow, some
taking a serious approach while others covering more humorous aspects of life in
Central Asia.
Above all, our intent from the outset has been to "humanize" the work of USAID as well
as those United States Foreign Service officers serving in Kazakhstan, especially with
respect to their life, work, activities, encounters and partnerships in Almaty and
beyond. Much of our day-to-day work inevitably focuses on the more technical nature
of important development sectors such as energy, health, education and economic
growth or the more bureaucratic processes involved in planning, budgeting and
implementing projects.
But against that backdrop, we never forget for even a moment how fortunate we are to
experience life in Central Asia and especially in Almaty, an attractive city with a diverse
population and wonderful views of the Tien Shan. And, like people everywhere, we
can't help but respond to that environment, not as bureaucrats or international civil
servants or stereotypical diplomats but rather as interested and curious human beings,
interested and engaged with those around us.
Our hope is that this e-book presents, preserves and consolidates in one place a wide
variety of views by the various American diplomats that have appeared in the on-line
version of Esquire over the past many months. Those of us that have contributed have
very much appreciated the opportunity to look beyond the parameters of our usual
workday. Indeed, our sincere hope is that the readers of these articles will enjoy them
as much as those of us who were privileged to have written them!
Johnathan Addleton
Regional Mission Director, USAID Mission to Central Asia
Almaty, Kazakhstan
FORWARD
This series began - as so many wonderful ideas do - as an idea mentioned in passing.
Twenty-five years into our operations around Central Asia, we’d done a decent job
describing USAID’s work around the region. Our programs, our impact, our
beneficiaries; these stories regularly appeared in news outlets.
But this coverage missed out on an important aspect of our operations; our people.
Jonathan Addleton, who penned many of the stories that follow, first arrived in Almaty
back in 1992 as a junior officer, soon after Kazakhstan’s independence and the opening
of our our first office here.
Today, he has returned to
head up our operations. In the
decades in between, countless
Americans have lived in
Almaty, working on our
operations in Kazakhstan and
around Central Asia.
We fell into discussion with
Gulnara Bazhkenova, Editor
for Esquire’s online platform in
Kazakhstan, well known for its
dynamic and insightful
journalism. Gulnara mentioned
Esquire’s desire for interesting
content; we started sharing the stories of our diplomats around the region. “Wouldn’t it
be great,” we wondered, “to put together a series at the intersection of US diplomatic
efforts around the country and the American diplomats doing this work.” And thus, a
series was born. Zapiski Diplomata. The Notes of the Diplomat.
For nearly 25 years, USAID has partnered with the Government
and people of Kazakhstan in building social and economic
prosperity. Here, USAID promotes healthy lifestyles among
youth on the occasion of World HIV Day.
These are our stories. Our staff include climbers, mothers, bakers, travelers, scientists,
musicians, and enthusiasts of any number of human pursuits. Some speak Russian or
Kazakh with confidence. Others struggle to find their way. All benefit from their
engagement with this with this wonderful country.
These stories point to the fantastic collaboration our countries have enjoyed for the
better part of three decades. We hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as we’ve
enjoyed writing them. The stories that follow are personal and do not necessarily reflect
the views of the US Government.
Aler Grubbs and John Harris
USAID/Central Asia, Strategy and Program Office
Almaty, Kazakhstan
NOTES OF A DIPLOMAT: 20 YEARS AFTER
Originally published September 2014.
Jonathan Addleton
wenty-one years ago this month -- in October 1993 -- my Scottish wife and I
arrived in Almaty for the first time. Having spent part of my own childhood in
the mountains of northern Pakistan, I often wondered what was on the other
side of the Himalayas. Now we
welcomed the opportunity to finally
find out.
Our USSR era guidebook provided
details on various highlights
including Koktobe and the television
tower, Medeo and the Kazakhstan
Hotel. Our Embassy told us to plan
for a very cold winter. Diplomatic
colleagues mentioned that we could
expect to live with our two small
boys in an a three-room apartment
measuring 50 square meters.
Then emerging as a newly
independent state, Kazakhstan at
that time had hit rock bottom. Old
women sold used socks on street
corners. When Zippo lighters arrived
for the first time, lines formed to buy them. Later that fall the tenghe was introduced, the
notes featuring various heroes from Kazakhstan's past such as Abai and Ablai Khan. It
cost 17,000 old Russian rubles, once representing a lifetime of savings, to buy a single
Snickers bar.
T
Author and his family in Medeu, 1993
Returning to Almaty all these years later, the city has changed dramatically. The skyline
is nearly unrecognizable. Furmanov is still called Furmanov but the crowded streets are
very different from the ones we first saw more than two decades ago. Traffic, apartment
buildings, restaurants, shopping malls -- the overall effect is utterly different.
Meeting former friends and colleagues after a lapse of many years is one of life's
special pleasures:
The first Kazakh citizen who met us at the old Almaty airport terminal when we arrived
has become active in her country's environmental movement while also promoting
tourism and following
her love of jazz.
The daughter of
another friend, having
spent one year as a
high school student
on an exchange
program in the
southern United
States, returned to
study in Kazakhstan
and now works as a
well-respected
business consultant.
Another person we were very close to at the time became an interior decorator and now
owns property, not only in Almaty but also in Antalya and Minsk.
Author and his family in Panfilov Park in the 1990s.
"And I owe it all to the Addleton family," she informed us when we returned after nearly
twenty years away.
"How so"?
"Well, your wife taught me English. You said things would get better. And you
introduced me to your cousin Jim."
My cousin Jim is a fireman. Like many firemen in the United States, he has a second
job -- in his case "flipping" houses. Put another way, he would buy a derelict house, put
"sweat equity" into it to improve it and then sell it for a profit. Several years later his
family was well taken care of and he was earning much more than was possible on
only a fireman's
salary.
"We did the same
thing," our friend said,
having ridden the
Almaty real estate
wave -- and survived
the Almaty real estate
bubble of 2008-2009 -
- with great success.
Looking back, those
three years that we
spent in Almaty during
the middle 1990s now
seem like a distant dream. Our two boys who once attended detski-sat and learned
Russian in Almaty are now adults. Our daughter who was born when we first lived in
Almaty turns twenty next month.
Author’s wife at bread kiosk, Almaty, 1996
Yet we still remember the hospitality of the citizens of Kazakhstan whom we first met in
the fall of 1993, the warm gestures of welcome as we settled into our new home. We
remember their resilience, fortitude and ability to survive wrenching change as well.
Having returned to Almaty after these many years, we most enjoy waking each morning
to the view toward the south that makes this city very special, the opportunity to look
once again at the one aspect of Almaty that has not changed despite the relentless
passage of time -- the stunning panorama of the magnificent snow-covered Tien Shan.
Note on Author: Jonathan Addleton is Director of the Regional USAID Mission to
Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as US Ambassador
to Mongolia; USAID Representative to the European Union; Senior Civilian
Representative to southern Afghanistan; and USAID Mission Director in Pakistan and
Cambodia.
CELEBRATING GIRLS
Originally published October 2014.
Jonathan Addleton
ater this week, on October 11, the world will mark the third annual UN Day of the
Girl Child. Although much more recent and less well known than other global
commemorations such as Labor Day or International Women's Day, it is
certainly worth celebrating the importance of girls as well as the fact that they literally
hold the future of the planet in their hands. Indeed, it is this generation of girls that
makes the next generation possible.
My interaction with the "girl child" has occurred in two main ways -- with my younger
sister Nancy growing up and with my youngest daughter Catriona who will soon turn
twenty. Neither are girls any longer -- but both embody the challenges and
opportunities that girls hold for families as well as for the societies, communities and
countries in which they are
raised.
With two older brothers,
Nancy's arrival completed
our family and my brother
and I felt protective of her
from the beginning,
sometimes perhaps too
protective. We later studied
at different universities and
took different paths. Nancy
married and had a son of her
own. She became a nurse
and then earned a Master's
L
Author’s daughter Catriona
degree in communications and management. Today she is director of health services
for my home county in the southern United States, serving a population numbering
more than 150,000. Her focus includes infectious diseases and many of the issues that
she deals with every day -- including tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS -- are similar to the
ones addressed by our USAID program in here in Kazakhstan.
My daughter Catriona was also the youngest in the family and had two older brothers.
As children, they too experienced the combination of pride and rivalry that is often part
of life for siblings that are close in age and grow up together. She too was protected by
her two brothers but on occasion also intimidated by them. Perhaps youngest children
everywhere inherit
something of a "nurturing"
aspect, passed on to them
by their mothers and
fathers. Like my sister
Nancy, Catriona is
interested in a health
career.
Other families no doubt
take different paths and
pursue other dreams. But
almost always education is
the foundation on which these dreams are built. In that sense, it is appropriate that the
UN Day of the Girl Child this year is focused on one main issue -- education for girls.
In Kazakhstan, as in the United States, boys and girls attend school from first grade
onward in roughly comparable numbers; if a classroom has 30 students, approximately
half of them will be girls. According to the official statistics, "there is no notable
difference in gender distribution," either in Kazakhstan or the United States.
Author’s daughter Catriona in Almaty in the mid 1990’s.
But this is not the case everywhere. I think especially of my previous assignments in
Pakistan and Afghanistan, where lack of education for girls has emerged as an
especially significant issue and is widely regarded as one of the main obstacles to a
better future.
Especially in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan, many girls do not attend school and those
that do start school rarely go beyond fifth grade. Working in southern Afghanistan last
year, I often asked local governors and other officials, most serving in provinces with
populations of more than 300,000, how many girls had graduated from high school in
their province during the last year. In two of the provinces that I visited most often --
Uruzgan and Zabul -- the answer came back as follows: less than fifteen.
Given that this year's UN Day of the Girl Child focuses on education, I also recall Malala
of Mingora, a fifteen year old
girl living in a town in northern
Pakistan who championed
female education in a district
where many girls were
deprived of it. Yet she
persisted, attending school
each day and occasionally
writing blogs published by
BBC about it. Eventually she
became so vocal that the local
Taliban could no longer
tolerate it -- and ordered her
killed.
The rest of the story is well known. The attack on her school bus occurred on October
9, 2012, two days before the first annual UN-organized Day of the Girl Child. By some
USAID support for the NGO UMAI helps provide housing for
children whose parents are unable to care for them.
miracle, she survived and after a long period of recovery continues to champion female
education, not only in Pakistan but around the world.
Her story especially resonates in southern Afghanistan where I then served because
Malala of Mingora's father named her after Malala of Maiwand, a nineteenth century
Afghan heroine who was born west of Kandahar and died there on what was supposed
to be her wedding day, rallying Afghan troops in a battle that they were about to lose by
tearing off her veil, waving it like a flag, and encouraging the soldiers to be brave in
defending their country. Nearly 150 years later, schools and health clinics across
Afghanistan are named after her.
Even today the story of the two Malalas offers an example of bravery involving young
girls that should inspire everyone. In fact, Malala of Mingora in Pakistan was
specifically named by her father after Malala of Maiwand in Afghanistan because he
hoped his daughter would grow up to be courageous and brave.
No doubt Kazakhstan has its own heroines and its own examples of bravery, some
involving young girls who went on to become leaders in their fields, whether as
scientists, doctors, teachers, writers, athletes or in any number of other occupations. In
many cases parents and families provide the initial inspiration -- but surely the
opportunity for education from an early age also plays a vital and even essential role.
Note on Author: Jonathan Addleton is Director of the Regional USAID Mission to
Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as US Ambassador
to Mongolia; USAID Representative to the European Union; Senior Civilian
Representative to southern Afghanistan; and USAID Mission Director in Pakistan and
Cambodia.
YOU LIVE WHERE?
Originally published November 2014.
Andrew Segars
y friends and family in America think I’m a bit strange. You see, I’ve lived in
Central Asia for about 15 years at this point (in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and
Turkmenistan). Not that there is anything strange about living in Kazakhstan,
of course, it is just that most Americans still know relatively little about “our” part of the
world. And even fewer have lived in – or even traveled to – Kazakhstan.
I have heard from many Kazakhstani friends that they have experienced some version
of this conversation when they have traveled abroad.
“Where are you from?”
“Kazakhstan.”
“Where?”
“Kazakhstan.”
“Where is that?”
It often gets worse (and more frustrating) from there. However, as a foreigner who has
lived in this region for many years, I’m excited to see how this is starting to change. For
a variety of reasons (oil, Baikonur, President Nazarbayev, Astana Pro Team, OSCE
Chairmanship, etc.), more and more people in America and Europe are discovering
Kazakhstan.
Certainly, many more people know about Kazakhstan in 2014 than they did in 2004 or
1994. What’s driving this?
Maybe it’s the success of Kazakhstan’s athletes in recent years – Gennady Golovkin
just had another devastating knockout win a few days ago in California, for example.
M
Maybe it’s internationally-acclaimed film directors like Timur Bekmambetov or internet
sensations like Sabina Altynbekova; maybe it’s Kazakhstan’s conscious effort to
increase its international stature by hosting Expo 2017 and being a finalist to host the
Winter Olympics in 2022. Of course, as with any country, Kazakhstan is not immune
to cases of international intrigue (I will let you decide which ones I’m talking about),
which certainly make headlines too.
And, of course, no list of things foreigners “know” about Kazakhstan would be complete
without mention of the infamous
Borat movie. Thank you, Sacha
Baron Cohen (kind of).
All of this, however, is superficial.
Kazakhstan is not one person, or
one thing, or one scandal, or one
movie. Kazakhstan is a relatively
young country, with a complicated
history, in a strategic location, with a
diverse population, and great
ambitions.
When I first came to Kazakhstan in
the winter of 1997-1998 to teach at
Almaty State University, the country
was in a much different place than it is today. The country was only a few years
removed from being part of the Soviet Union and much was unclear. Kazakhstan had
abundant natural resources and grand ambitions, to be sure, but no one really knew
how, or if, this would lead to concrete progress. I saw this central dichotomy in my
students – pride and optimism in themselves and in their country, but perhaps a less
than realistic understanding of what was required for concrete progress.
The author works on his Central Asian geography.
It has been very interesting to see how the country has developed over the past two
decades and how people’s optimism has changed, and has become more realistic and
sophisticated.
But why is this?
From my perspective, both as a foreigner living in Kazakhstan and as a professional
working in the field of development
with the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID),
one of the major reasons people in
Kazakhstan have a more sophisticated
understanding of, and demand for,
development is the simple fact that
they are more exposed to the rest of
the world than ever before.
Increasingly, Kazakhstanis travel
abroad, are educated abroad, even
work abroad. Even for those who do
not have the opportunity to travel,
access to information from a variety of
sources is increasingly available and
affects their outlook, both regarding
their own country and the world.
In fact, one of the most powerful development tools we use at USAID, and one that the
Government of Kazakhstan fully embraced, is exposure to international best practices.
This could be in the field of banking and finance, agriculture development, health
systems strengthening, governance reform, etc.
The author in Central Asia
By exposing people to new ideas, new perspectives, and new ways of doing things,
progress is not only possible, but inevitable.
Through U.S. Government-funded academic exchange programs such as the Fulbright
Program, or the Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program, or the FLEX High School
Exchange Program, and through Government of Kazakhstan-funded education
programs like the Bolashak Presidential Scholarship Program, thousands of
Kazakhstanis have been educated abroad. This investment has already paid huge
dividends, and will continue to do so, as alumni of these programs take up more and
more positions of leadership in the coming years.
For the past several years, USAID has partnered with the Government of Kazakhstan
on the Program for Economic Development, jointly funding projects which help to grow
Kazakhstan’s economy. These investments are powerful and have helped Kazakhstan
reach the point where it is ready to provide assistance itself, through the creation of its
own development agency, KazAID. In some ways, this can be seen as coming “full
circle” – with Kazakhstan moving from the recipient of foreign assistance, to the
provider of foreign assistance.
When I drive to work these days, I pass right by my old university – Almaty State
University. Students stream in and out, just as they did nearly twenty years ago, but
there is something different, more sophisticated about them. You see the same thing
across the city of Almaty, and throughout much of the country. The expectations people
have are more ambitious; the demands they have are more grounded; the criticism they
voice is more direct.
These are telltale signs of progress and development. This also means, however, that
the government will need to be more inclusive going forward, and more responsive to its
citizens. Instead of fighting this trend, the Government should embrace it – using the
strength of its people to take the next steps in development, not only for Kazakhstan,
but for the broader region.
Looking back at my time in Kazakhstan (and believe me, I am in no hurry to leave), I
feel lucky to have lived here during a time of such progress. Of course, many
challenges remain, and many problems still need to be solved, but Kazakhstan is in a
much better place today to tackle the important issues it faces.
It is how Kazakhstan responds to these challenges and opportunities that will ultimately
determine the country’s legacy – and determine which word to insert at the end of this
conversation:
“Where are you from?”
“Kazakhstan.”
“Ah yes. I know it well. Your country is…”.
Note on Author: Andrew Segars is Senior Development Advisor at the Regional
USAID Mission to Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where he works on
projects that seek to build connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia.
Previously, he worked for USAID in the Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan.
MAPPING A PATH TO THE FUTURE
Originally published November 2014.
By Jonathan Addleton
very serious organization has a plan, a strategy and a road map for the future.
Recently the USAID Mission in Central Asia completed its latest strategy,
outlining what we hope to accomplish over the next five years.
I especially appreciated
being part of the process
this time because, twenty
years ago, I was closely
involved in formulating the
very first USAID strategy in
Central Asia. Among other
things, we focused on
partnering with Kazakhstan
to build, strengthen and
consolidate its status as a
newly independent country.
We also sought to bring international experience to the attention of Kazakhstan's
leadership, hoping to inform decisions that would shape the country well into the
future. Lessons learned from this international experience -- including a pragmatic
assessment of "the good, the bad and the ugly" -- have helped Kazakhstan avoid some
of the mistakes that other resource-rich countries elsewhere have made.
As a reflection of this success, Kazakhstan is now on the verge of establishing its own
foreign aid program -- KazAid. Just as in the past Kazakhstan applied "lessons learned"
from other countries toward its development path, it is now positioning itself to share its
own development experience with others
E
The author during a trip to Tajikistan
Of course, Kazakhstan -- as with any other country including my own -- still faces
formidable, even daunting, challenges. But the nature and substance of those
challenges have changed dramatically over time.
Looking ahead, USAID programs in Central Asia over the next five years will focus on
three main areas.
First, we look forward to engaging
on economic issues, especially
those that contribute toward creating
jobs, reducing poverty and ensuring
a sustainable future.
Second, we plan to support regional
cooperation on issues related to
energy and water.
Third, we want to strengthen good
governance, in part by supporting
innovative approaches that promote
transparency, build accountability and
improve service delivery in key areas such as health and education.
Beyond these three focus areas, we will also support connectivity among the various
countries in Central Asia and between Central Asia and its three neighbors to the south
-- India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Kazakhstan's relations with Russia are historically important and will always remain
so. More recently, China's economic activity and impact on Central Asia has increased
The author, left, on the Aspara River, at the Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan border
significantly. Connections to Turkey and points further west toward Europe have also
expanded.
But land-locked regions benefit enormously from multiple access points that include
open doors and windows in all directions. In the case of Kazakhstan, this underscores
the importance of renewing ties between Central and South Asia with its huge
populations, large markets and almost insatiable demand for energy.
Above all, we want to make sure that the issues we address also matter to our Central
Asian partners. As the German proverb has it, "What is the use of running fast if you
are on the wrong road"?
In recent months, a foundational issue associated with developing our new strategy has
been to make sure that we are indeed on the "right road".
Looking ahead, the recent official launch of our new strategy means that the USAID
Mission in Central Asia is now embarking on a journey down the new road that has
been set before us -- hand-in-hand, we hope, with our fellow partners and traveling
companions, both in Kazakhstan and beyond.
Note on Author: Jonathan Addleton is Director of the Regional USAID Mission to
Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as US Ambassador
to Mongolia; USAID Representative to the European Union; Senior Civilian
Representative to southern Afghanistan; and USAID Mission Director in Pakistan and
Cambodia.
THE SCIENTIST-DIPLOMAT
Originally published December 2014.
By Kate Himes
s the plane descended below the clouds, the twinkling lights of Almaty
emerged, glistening in the night darkness. Squinting at the glowing red letters
through sleepy eyes, I paused on each of the six characters, sounding the
Cyrillic slowly… Almaty. After a long journey from the United States, I had arrived. My
new life as a science diplomat in Central Asia was beginning!
Science and Diplomacy?
What is science diplomacy, you might be asking? Don’t diplomats stamp visas and
shuffle papers for high level
meetings? Yes, but we also
do so much more. Scientists
play a key role in the
formation and promotion of
foreign policy. After all, there
can be no diplomacy without
technical expertise.
Scientists play a key role at
all levels of government, and
we get involved with a wide
range of national and
regional concerns. The relationship between science and diplomacy is a two-way street.
That is, science can advance diplomacy by opening doors for dialogue, and diplomacy
can advance science through advancing shared priorities and development initiatives.
I serve as a Science and Technology Fellow as part of the US Consulate General in
Almaty. Science diplomats like myself started taking up positions in government over
forty years ago through a program run by the American Association for the
Advancement of Science. Around the world, my colleagues and I work at the
A
The author in the mountains around Almaty.
intersection of science and policy. In previous assignments I’ve helped governments
from Morocco to Nepal develop their science education programs at universities and
national science academies, and assisted students and professors in South Africa
launch businesses based on their science and engineering ideas.
More recently, my own government has renewed its commitment to science,
technology, innovation and partnerships in all of our development projects overseas.
We’re working to help end extreme poverty around the world by 2030, a goal that will
only be possible embracing the latest scientific advances.
Science Diplomacy in Central Asia
Here in Kazakhstan, I spend
most of my time far from the
Embassy, out in the field. My
work has taken me from the
Aspara River at the border
between Kazakhstan and
Kyrgyzstan where we’re helping
to install state of the art water
monitoring equipment, to the
17th floor of the solar furnace in
rural Uzbekistan where we’re
helping to lead the conversation
on energy efficiency, to the
Ustyurt Plateau in Western Kazakhstan where we’ve helped to train the world’s first
ever detection dogs trained to sniff out illegally smuggled Saiga Antelope horns.
All the countries of Central Asia share a legacy of prominent scientific and engineering
research, and one of my favorite parts of the job is connecting American with Central
Asian scientists, helping to develop the next generation of scientists, engineers, and
government leaders. The potential for this collaboration is great. For example, we’re
Uzbekistan’s solar furnace.
launching the Kazakhstan chapter of the international Association of Energy Engineers,
which helps Kazakhstan think through its options related to climate change, ultimately
setting up a greenhouse gas emissions trading system, in support of Kazakhstan’s
Green Economy vision.
Opportunities in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is well-positioned to grow its own cohort of scientist-diplomats. In particular,
there are tremendous opportunities for collaboration between science and diplomacy as
Kazakhstan launches its new international aid agency, KazAID, to assist its neighbors in
addressing regional challenges such as access to energy, sustainable use of water for
agriculture, science education, and climate change. Collaboration in this area is growing
between the United States and Kazakhstan. In June 2013, our two governments signed
a science and technology agreement outlining a series of areas for expanded
cooperation and collaboration. How exciting to be a science diplomat, applying science
to promote diplomacy!
I first became excited about science during childhood walks in the woods with my
parents. This enthusiasm grew at university, when I discovered the intersection between
natural and social sciences, and later when I discovered the important role scientists
play in forming government policy. It’s an honor to communicate this excitement about
science in everything I do here in Kazakhstan and around region. I look forward to
continuing to advance the science partnership between our two countries during the rest
of my time in Almaty.
Note on Author: Kate Himes is a Science Adviser at the Regional USAID Mission to
Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, she served in the USAID
Washington Office of Science & Technology; and was Special Assistant to the Provost
at the University of Minnesota. Kate holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and an MBA in
Entrepreneurship.
MERRY CHRISTMAS IN KAZAKHSTAN
Originally published January 2015.
By Aler Grubbs
I have a job that packs me up and moves me to a new country every couple of years.
Every year, I wonder where
I will spend the holiday
season. Will I be in a hot,
equatorial climate fighting
off malarial mosquitoes,
dreaming of far-fetched
notions of frost and fir
trees? Will I be in an
authentic winter
wonderland, where the
snow glistens and lights
the mind with images of
Santa and reindeer? Will I
be back home again in
Indiana, my home in the middle part of America, where our family welcomes anyone to
the table with open doors and open arms?
Last year I spent Christmas in Almaty, newly arrived as a U.S. diplomat, ready to settle
in and stay for several years. Arriving alone in a new place on the cusp of the winter
holidays was lonely. I had to quickly bond with this new environment, find a way to call it
"home" and celebrate the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. I was amazed by the
Merry Christmas wonderland I found in Kazakhstan.
Just like everywhere else in the world, Kazakhstan loves Christmas. Regardless of
where you live in the world, there is no doubt that the trappings of Christmas – beautiful
lights and decorations, fir trees, Santa Claus, and presents – appeal to everyone across
Almaty street ready for Christmas
cultures, customs, religion, or political views. By early December, Almaty had
transformed itself from a landscape of autumn – bare trees, cold drizzle, muted skies
and muddy walkways – to a snow-covered city of holiday glamour and festivity. Here is
a city draped in merry lights, with Christmas carols playing on outside loudspeakers,
wrapped and bundled people strolling in snowy landscapes and romantic city parks.
Some of my favorite places include the bustling Furmanov Street, lined with whimsical
green and red neon lights around every street light; the custard yellow cathedral in
Panfilov Park, shimmering with polished brass spires and a hood of sparkly snow;
Dostyk Avenue, taking a break from congestion as it twinkles flirtatiously with strings of
lights and blue and red baubles around the buildings and bushes.
A giant, decorated Christmas tree floating on a
bed of snow outside a glittery shopping mall
looks like the center of my small American
hometown in Nashville, Indiana, but it’s
actually Dostyk Plaza. Celebrations like this
remind me of how much we have in common.
Whether we’re from Kazakhstan, America, or
anywhere else that celebrates Christmas,
we’re sharing a common experience.
Though big picture is the same, the details set
our Christmases apart. Here in Almaty is a
giant statue of a wise old man with flowing
white hair and beard, wearing a cloak lined
with white fur….
….he looks similar to the Santa I’m familiar with, but at the same time he’s different.
While my hometown American version of Santa wears an iconic red cloak and
pantaloons with black buttons, this Santa is wearing blue! And the Kazakh Santa is
quite serious, slim and carries a large staff, while “my” Santa is plump with a gleeful grin
A festive Dostyk Plaza
and rosy cheeks. This Kazakh Santa is stoic, noble and wise; ours is jolly and full of
laughter. But, regardless of his appearance in different locations, Santa is still Santa
and embodies the image of “Mr. Winter” and Christmas around the world.
Almaty knows the pleasure
of dressing itself up as a
winter wonderland and
showing the Christmas spirit.
One of my Kazakh
colleagues says, “I’m not
Christian, but I love
Christmas time! The family
and the fun and the giving
and the community spirit is
just like our Kazakh tradition
for winding down the old year
and welcoming the New Year.”
Whether one is Christian or Muslim or Buddhist or no religion at all, the spirit of
Christmas is universal. Christmas is about celebrating life through special rituals,
lighting up one’s surroundings with lights and music and food, coming together to share
experiences, and reaffirming our faith in humanity and our trust in each other.
I am delighted to spend the Christmas season, far from my home in America, but
warmly welcomed in my new home in Almaty. Happy New Year to all, and best wishes
and dreams for 2015 from all of us in the American community in Kazakhstan!
Note on Author: Aler Grubbs is the Director of the Strategy and Program Office and
USAID/Central Asia in Almaty. Her previous assignments with the US Government
include South Sudan, Pakistan, Egypt, Bosnia and Costa Rica.
Christmas scene in Almaty.
CENTRAL ASIA: A VIEW FROM WASHINGTON
Originally published January 2015.
By Mark Feierstein
s a member of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s senior
management team, I have traveled all over the world, visiting over 60
countries, but I had never been to Central Asia. I was delighted to remedy that
oversight with recent trip to the region, visiting both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan,
meeting with government officials, civil society leaders, and private sector
representatives in Bishkek, Almaty and Astana.
My favorite part of the trip was opportunity for frank and personal exchanges with
everyone I met. I welcome the opportunity
to continue this exchange by adding my
reflections on the trip in this column. As
with the many frank conversations I’ve
had with Kazakhstani people over the
past few days, these opportunities to
share our stories and experiences with
one another are an important part of our
work as diplomats.
My visit to Kazakhstan fell during the
period we mark International Human
Rights Day, which commemorates the day in 1948 that the United Nations adopted the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To appreciate the importance of this day, it’s
useful to keep in mind the agonizing moment in history that served as the backdrop for
this declaration: the end of the Second World War.
As I walked through Almaty’s Panfilov Park, observing the monumental statues to your
own participation in the Great Patriotic War, I was reminded that this is a shared history,
A
The author (right) with President Jimmy Carter after
observing the 1989 elections in Panama.
that our soldiers fought alongside one another and died for a common cause,
confronting a massive threat to all of our collective human rights. Our two countries
have inherited from this experience a shared commitment to diversity and tolerance. We
are both made stronger by our multi-ethnic societies, comprising multiple languages,
backgrounds and religions.
Six decades later, Kazakhstan remains an important strategic partner for the United
States. The partnership cuts across a wide
range of issues, from private sector
investment, to security cooperation, to
increased economic connectivity. Today,
USAID is assisting the Government of
Kazakhstan to create its own aid agency. The
development of KazAid, and the country’s
transition from aid recipient to donor, is a
symbol of the great economic progress that
Kazakhstan has made over the past 20 years.
I have invested a good portion of my career
helping to advance respect for human rights. In
the late 1980s, I began my career in Latin America, working for the National Democratic
Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening democratic institutions
around the world. At the time, many of the region’s countries were restoring
democracies interrupted by military rule, or taking initial steps toward representative
government. I saw first-hand the vital role that independent civil society organizations
can play in advancing democratic reforms and political stability, thereby establishing the
basis for strong economic development.
Later, I moved to the private sector, working as a journalist, and political strategist. Now
with a decade’s worth of experience in government, I am convinced that every country
The author at USAID’s office in Almaty.
needs all three elements – civil society, the private sector, and government – in order to
succeed politically and economically.
And yet, around the world, civil society is increasingly threatened. That’s why President
Obama recently announced the “Stand with Civil Society” initiative, a global call to
action to support, defend and sustain civil society. USAID is proud to help implement
President Obama’s initiative and partner with civil society organizations in Kazakhstan
and around the world to promote resilient, democratic societies. We do this because we
know that when governments and societies are organized to protect the basic rights of
citizens, they are better able to reduce poverty, spur growth, and strengthen the
resilience of communities against conflict, instability, and the crush of natural disasters.
During my time in Kazakhstan, I was able to see first-hand the powerful work of civil
society organizations. Around the country, USAID is helping Kazakh NGOs integrate
persons with disabilities into society, analyze and make recommendations on proposed
and drafted legislation, provide health and social services to those in need, and support
skills development among journalists. In Almaty and Astana, I met with dozens of young
activists engaged in our programs. I am inspired by their confidence, capabilities, and
vision for the future of their country.
Thank you for welcoming me into your country—I look forward to returning again. Our
two countries have expanded our cooperation impressively in so many spheres of
activity. It is my sincere hope that we can further deepen that cooperation in the years to
come.
Note on Author: Mark Feierstein serves as the Associate Administrator at the U.S.
Agency for International Development, part of the Agency’s senior management team.
Prior to taking up his current position, Mark served as a journalist, led operations
strengthening democratic institutions, and led public opinion and polling research.
NEW SILK ROAD
Originally published January 2015.
By Jonathan Addleton
n public presentations I often say that Central Asia is so designated because it is
indeed "central" in terms of both its location and its role in history. Most notably, it
borders and has often helped connect many of the great civilizations of the world
including Russia, China, India, Persia, Turkey and even Europe via the Caucasus and
the Black Sea.
Looking ahead, it is not unrealistic to think that Central Asia in general, and Kazakhstan
in particular, should once again aspire to play this role, using its geographic location as
well as its reality as a multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious society to help
build bridges and connect peoples in ways that are so desperately needed in a world
that all too often is divided and broken.
Viewed from an economic
perspective, the USAID
Mission in Central Asia
works to foster these
regional connections,
reviving economic
connections that were
once so important. Former
Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton formally committed
our government to the
"New Silk Road"
initiative in 2011,
focusing especially on renewing the historic ties that once flourished between Central
Asia and South Asia, but which in recent decades have been largely moribund.
I
USAID’s Central Asia Trade Forum connects traders from Central
Asia, South Asia, and beyond.
Having served in Afghanistan and spent much of my childhood on the Indian
Subcontinent, I take special interest in this part of our work here in Central Asia. For
example, last year I visited Andijan, Uzbekistan, in the Ferghana Valley, the birthplace
of Babur who went on to establish the Moghul Empire in what is now northern India.
Babur is buried in a garden in Kabul, adding further poignancy to the historic links
between Central and South Asia. In fact, some scholars trace the beautiful Moghul
gardens of India and Pakistan to efforts by Babur and his successors to recreate the
beautiful landscapes of Central Asia that they had once known so well.
Serving in Afghanistan a couple of years ago, I was struck by the fact that three of the
four city gates in old Kandahar reflect these historic connections, one opening west to
Herat and Meshad, a second north to Kabul and Central Asia, and a third east toward
India. Growing up in the town of Shikarpur in southern Pakistan, I can still remember the
mud brick walls of the old caravanserai outside town where camels once rested for the
night on their long journey between Central Asia and the Indus River.
Today the USAID Mission to Central Asia seeks to promote connectivity of a different
kind, in this case focused on important issues such as trade, energy and water. Those
visiting the Green Market in Almaty will see tangerines, mangoes and other produce
imported during certain seasons from southern Punjab in Pakistan. Similarly, those who
visit the Barakholka Market, also in Almaty, will see soccer balls, judo outfits and tennis
rackets made in Sialkot, a town in Pakistan famous for its sporting goods. Meanwhile,
both India and Pakistan export pharmaceutical products to Central Asia; Kazakhstan
would like to diversify its exports to go beyond hydrocarbons and in the future it is
possible that South Asia may emerge as a market for certain manufactured products or
even season agricultural produce.
The Silk Road was never a single route; rather it was a diverse network of trading and
cultural connections. Over time, we hope that such trade will further expand as a result
of new roads and railways as well as improvements in administrative processes at each
of the various border crossings along the way.
Another area related to Central and South Asia in which USAID is actively involved is
food security. Kazakhstan is a leading exporter of wheat flour. Indeed, almost all of the
wheat flour exported to Afghanistan comes from either Kazakhstan or Pakistan. While
flour sold in shops and consumed in Kazakhstan is fortified with additional vitamins
intended to promote adequate nutrition, especially for children, almost none of the flour
that Afghanistan imports is so fortified. One of our newest projects aims to address this
concern, providing technical advice to millers, traders and policy makers in Kazakhstan
on the various ways in which new approaches can be used to improve the nutrition of
Afghan children at a time when nutritional issues there are a matter of deep concern.
Energy and water are additional areas for further cooperation between Central and
South Asia, given Central
Asia's emergence as a
world class producer of
energy and the almost
insatiable demand for
electric power among the
nearly 1.5 billion people
living in India and
Pakistan. Over time, the
need to work together on
water issues will become paramount, given potential water scarcity due to the melting of
glaciers in the high mountains of the Himalaya, Karakorum, Hindu Kush, Pamir and Tien
Shan and the fact that watersheds know no national boundaries but rather are vital to all
countries across the region.
The fact that South Asia and Central Asia rank among the least connected regions of
the world provides important challenges as well as opportunities. The reality that
USAID helped inaugurate newly constructed power transmission lines
in Khorugh, Tajikistan, to meet the energy needs of Afghanistan’s
Badakhshon province.
economic cooperation in these regions remains limited means that the economic pay-off
of new energy links and expanded trade can make an immediate difference. Expanding
trade and other connections with South Asia also helps diversify potential sources of
future economic growth for Kazakhstan.
On occasion I am asked why USAID focuses largely on strengthening southern
connections toward South Asia, given the importance of Kazakhstan's other important
economic relationships -- north to Russia, east to China and west to Europe.
In every case, my reply is the same. Echoing Foreign Minister Idrissov, Kazakhstan is
the largest land-locked country in the world, and land-locked countries everywhere need
as many windows and doors as possible, each of which can be used to expand
opportunities for interaction with the rest of the world, moving from land-locked to “land-
linked.” Relations with Russia, China, Europe and other countries are all important and
need to be as neighborly and mutually beneficial as possible. But interaction with
multiple neighbors in every direction is also an important part of Kazakhstan's own
"multi-vector" foreign policy, and Kazakhstan benefits when it interacts with the wider
world in all directions. Hopefully, USAID's work in support of a "New Silk Road" vision
for Central and South Asia will also help contribute toward achieving this goal.
Note on Author: Jonathan Addleton is Director of the Regional USAID Mission to
Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as US Ambassador
to Mongolia; USAID Representative to the European Union; Senior Civilian
Representative to southern Afghanistan; and USAID Mission Director in Pakistan and
Cambodia.
HORSE DIPLOMACY
Originally published February 2015.
By John Harris
oon after I arrived in Kazakhstan last Spring, I wandered around the Native
Lands exhibition at Almaty’s Kasteev Museum. The exhibition assembled a
stunning collection of photos taken over one hundred years ago documenting
the nomads of Kazakhstan’s
great Steppe and the Native
American Indians of the
American West.
The pictures drew out powerful
similarities between these two
societies. The nomadic tents -
teepees and yurts; the
elaborate ceremonial
headdresses; the proud, sun-
leathered faces of the elders.
All were nearly indistinguishable.
Then there were the horses. In both sets of photos, horses were everywhere. Children
grew up riding; saddles were built for long rides across the open range; the horses - in
both cases wide backed and short legged - appeared custom built for their important
role. Both societies were defined by their horses.
I’ve been surrounded by horses all my life. My mom jokes that she made all her children
ride before we could walk. There were always horses around growing up. When I
needed more, I’d work at the local stable, shoveling manure in exchange for the chance
to ride.
S
The author’s family on horseback in Central Asia
The sight of this shared reverence for the horse - between these two cultures separated
by thousands of miles of geography and impossibly large chasms of culture - brought
tears to my eyes.
Seeing these pictures, I knew that I had come home. I had moved thousands of miles
from my ancestral home in the western United States. But surrounded by Kazakhstan’s
reverence for the horse, I felt very much at home.
At a certain point, at least
in America, boys tire of
riding, preferring
competitive sports with
speed and teams. At this
point, when I could have
moved on to other pursuits,
I discovered polo. Polo, a
game on horseback
involving teams, speed and
a ball, is descended from
the great Central Asian
game of bushkazi or kokpar. Discovering polo, my interest in horses deepened. I’ve
been playing ever since, briefly as a professional, once on a team organized by India’s
Maharaja of Jodhpur.
Last summer, in search of polo’s Central Asian origins, we traveled to the magnificent
Song Kul lake, in the rugged and empty heart of Kyrgyzstan. One day, as we camped
on the lake shore, we were overtaken by a group of young men playing bushkazi; two
teams competing to deposit a goat carcass in the opponent’s goal.
The author playing bushkazi
I wandered into the melee. Eying me suspiciously, the boys raced around me, showing
off their moves. Eventually, one offered me his horse. I jumped on, placed the headless
goat under my knee, and made off toward the opponents’ goal.
Polo is a competitive game played at speed. However, nothing I’d learned in polo
prepared me for the chaos of what followed. Horses crashed into each other. Incredibly
nimble boys lent down to the ground while galloping at speed to pick up a goat carcass
half their weight. I learned to appreciate the strategy of the game, carefully orchestrated
moves hidden by the dust of the
stampede.
Later, hoping to teach my own three
children Kazakhstan’s horse heritage, we
made our way to the Kapshagay horse
market, where thousands of horses - some
large, some small, most with peculiar
markings, all rugged - stood for sale in
cramped pens.
With a few words of Russian, we asked if
any knew how to ride. Moving past the
horses destined for the dinner table, we
jumped on a pony with a curiously hitched
trot. We fell in love with him instantly and
bought him on the spot. Caspian as he’s now
called lives at Almaty’s hippodrome, standing
next to much better bred neighbors. My friend Toleg laughs when he tells the story of
where Caspian came from. Sometimes, I still catch Caspian eying me suspiciously,
wondering even now if he’s being fattened up for the slaughter.
The author’s children and their Kazakhstani horse.
Horses run through every aspect of Kazakhstan’s culture and history. Riding on a sure
footed pony through the steep hills, I wonder if these great beasts have changed much
since the times of Genghis Khan. Mare’s milk is a national drink. Horses roam free over
the steppe and into the mountains. Traditional Central Asian nomads once said that “the
horse is the plough of mankind.”
My employer here - the US Agency for International Development - has picked up on
this horse theme. When USAID first arrived in Kazakhstan In the early 1990’s, soon
after Kazakhstan’s independence, we chose to place a horse at the center of our logo.
Around the office, old timers still have coffee mugs or shirts proudly displaying this
design. More recently, we updated our logo, bringing in new colors and designs for a
new age. The horse, however, remains, as a sign of the equestrian ties that bind our
two countries together.
Interests make connections across cultures. Wherever I travel, I seek out fellow
horsemen. We may not speak one another’s language. We may know little about the
other’s culture. But somehow we are connected. In traditional Kazakh society, when a
boy turns three, he is placed on a horse for the first time, using a special saddle to hold
him steady. As he sets off, his elders bless him with these words:
“Go through the desert, where the bird's wings are tired.
Find the way off-road, be ahead of the troops in battle.
Let your horse be always ready. I wish you this.”
These are words I would like to pass along to my own son. Because of the horse, I feel
connected to Kazakhstan.
Note on Author: John Harris works at USAID’s regional Mission to Central Asia based
in Almaty.
WHY WE GAVE OUR AMERICAN DAUGHTER A KAZAKH NAME
Originally published March 2015.
By Amy Lovejoy
y first child was born two years ago in Colombia. I gave him a Colombian
name--Santiago. Whenever I introduced my bright-eyed, blond-haired boy to
Colombians, they expected to hear a more American name like Chris, Jack,
or John. They never expected to hear the Colombian name Santiago from me, an
American diplomat. Whenever I introduced him to my Colombian colleagues, on the
street, at the office, or in a park, their faces would light up with delight, and they would
shower him with extra affirmations of his special place in this world. Their familiarity with
his name added to the connection they felt for him.
As soon as I knew we would be
moving to Almaty, Kazakhstan
for our next assignment, my
partner and I decided we
wanted the same for our
second child, a girl. We began
researching Kazakh names,
hoping that our daughter would
receive the same warm local
greeting in Almaty as our son
had received in Colombia. We
found ourselves hovering
around a group of names, most of which began with the letter "Z"--Zara, Zamzagul,
Zarina, Zauresh, and Zaida.
Recognizing that our daughter would be her own person, we wanted a name both tough
and feminine. We imagined her being as comfortable competing in a snowboarding
competition at Shymulak as she would be performing ballet at the Abai Theater. We
M
Author’s daughter Zaida
envisioned her executing complicated ice skating moves at Medeo as well as hanging
from trees in Gorky Park. She would be feisty and feminine, hard core and empathetic,
brilliant and beautiful. We wanted a name that reflected all of this. Most important, we
wanted her name to reflect Kazakhstan, her first home.
As we continued to think
through names for our
daughter, we discovered
the traditional Kazakh
celebration of Besik Toi.
In this tradition, Kazakh
parents invite relatives to
gather around a new
baby's cradle, and an
honored guest is invited
to name the child.
Without consulting the
parents, the person
decides on a name and whispers it into the infant's ear three times: your name is… your
name is… your name is… After this, the child is officially named.
Before our daughter was born, we had dinner with a dear friend of ours, and shared this
tradition with him. He listened to the Kazakh names we were considering, and selected
one from the list. When our daughter was born, we invited him into the delivery room.
He cupped his hands around her ears and repeated the name he had chosen; “Your
name is Zaida. Your name is Zaida. Your name is Zaida.”
When we brought her home, we continued to recreate our own version of Besek Toi. In
ancient times, traditional gifts included a whip, a bridle, a fur coat, and a blanket. The
bridle and a whip signified family hopes that the baby might ride a horse, be brave or
even become a batyr--an honorific term for a hero. In modern times, reflecting our own
Author’s daughter explores Central Asia
family’s experience, the symbolic gifts we placed in Zaida’s crib included a Tibetan
Tonka painting, a quartz bracelet, children’s stories, and letters of affirmation confirming
her launch into Kazakh culture.
Since arriving in Almaty three months ago, we have introduced baby Zaida to her new
community. We have shared with friends and colleagues the origin of her name and
how deeply we value Kazakh traditions like Besik Toi.
This week we celebrate International Women’s Day, a day when all the world’s
countries draw attention to the achievements of women past, present and future. We
feel lucky that Zaida’s first Women’s Day will be spent here in Kazakhstan. Her first
languages will be Russian and Kazakh. Her first memories will be of Almaty, where she
has already enjoyed the circus, attended philharmonic and rock concerts, and sledded
in the snowy mountains. We can’t wait to watch our daughter develop in Kazakhstan.
We are thrilled that she gets to call Almaty home.
Note on Author: Amy Lovejoy is the Director of the Economic Development office at
USAID/Central Asia in Almaty. Her previous assignments with the US Government
include Colombia, Pakistan, and Bosnia.
ELVIS PRESLEY - ALIVE AND WELL IN KAZAKHSTAN
Originally published April 2015.
Jonathan Addleton
lvis Presley never visited Kazakhstan. However, his memory is alive and well,
not only in songs such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Love me Tender,"
and "Blue Suede Shoes" but also in the kitchen equipment in the USAID
cafeteria in Almaty, possibly the sole surviving link to his military service in Europe more
than fifty years ago.
Presley's cultural impact, both in the United States and around the world, is enormous.
Born in poverty in the rural American south in 1935, his family later moved to Memphis,
Tennessee. It was there where he first
made his musical mark, fusing disparate
elements of blues, country, jazz and
gospel into a revolutionary new sound
now known as rock and roll.
In the late 1950s, when his musical
career was just beginning to take off,
Presley was inducted into the United
States Army as a private, quickly making
the transition from teenage heart throb to
lowly enlisted soldier. Assigned to the
Third Armored Division in West Germany,
he was generous to those around him.
For example, he bought an extra set of uniforms for his fellow soldiers and purchased
television sets for the base on which he served. In addition, he furnished his unit with
new stainless steel kitchen equipment.
E
Elvis Presley with his battalion in Germany.
This is where the interesting part starts, at least as far as Kazakhstan is concerned. In
the early 1990s, when the United States was establishing new embassies in the former
Soviet Union, it was also dramatically reducing the number of American soldiers
stationed in western Europe. Excess equipment from those military units was either
sold, scrapped or given away. And, remarkably, some of that equipment was shipped to
various American Embassies
including the one just then
being built in the old Almaty
Maternity Hospital on
Furmanova Street.
I was in Almaty as a junior
Foreign Service Officer at the
time. It was 1994 and I still
remember when the
shipment first arrived. As we
quickly learned, some of the
"surplus equipment" was
from Elvis Presley's old unit in
Friedberg and would be used to furnish our new cafeteria. Almost immediately several
Embassy colleagues started to refer to our new eating room as the "Hound Dog Cafe".
Early visitors to the Embassy quickly became aware of the historic connection between
Elvis Presley and their lunch. Several years later, the US Embassy in Almaty was
mentioned in William Yenne's Field Guide to Elvis Shrines (2004). "He used to be King,
but now he's more like God," the author writes, "At least to the legions of devout and
devoted who wish to visit and revel in the vibes of every site that's even remotely related
to Elvis".
Author’s daughter Catriona at Elvis’ birthplace.
Subsequently, our Embassy moved to Kazakhstan's new capital in Astana. But the
cafeteria equipment stayed behind, bequeathed to USAID and later moved by USAID to
its new premises near Panfilov Park where it is still in use.
Three years ago, during a road trip across the southern United States, my family made
a point of visiting Elvis Presley's humble beginnings, stopping to see his recently
restored two-room birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi. The next day we drove north to
Memphis, spending the morning at Graceland, the estate where he lived and is now
buried.
Even today, hundreds of thousands of visitors tour Graceland each year. However, very
few of them will ever manage to make their way to another Elvis shrine, the USAID
office in Almaty, where his old and somewhat dented cafeteria equipment is still in use,
even as it was once used to serve hamburgers and hot dogs to Elvis Presley and his
fellow soldiers in Germany during the late 1950s. Memories of Elvis Presley may recede
into the past. Yet the equipment that he once used will continue to provide a tangible
and even enduring link between the independent nation of Kazakhstan and the
flamboyant cultural icon who still retains his title as "King of Rock and Roll".
Note on Author: Jonathan Addleton is Director of the Regional USAID Mission to
Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as US Ambassador
to Mongolia; USAID Representative to the European Union; Senior Civilian
Representative to southern Afghanistan; and USAID Mission Director in Pakistan and
Cambodia.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO KAZAKHSTAN
Originally published April 2015.
Nils Bergeson
everal years ago, I traveled to California to begin my Master’s degree program.
I came all the way from the State of Washington, and thought I had traveled
far. As I waited to check in at a nearby hotel, I heard three people enter the
room, distinctly
conversing in Russian.
After a few years
working and studying in
Russia, I never missed
an opportunity to
practice the language. I
turned and greeted
them.
Instantly I recognized
that they were not
Russians, they came
from Central Asia. “Are
you from Kazakhstan?” I asked,
my excitement growing. During my time in Siberia, I had interacted with many people
from Kazakhstan. Some were ethnic Russians who moved after the collapse of the
Soviet Union, while others were ethnic Kazakhs who lived and worked in Russia for
various reasons. Regardless of nationality, those who originated in Kazakhstan were
always among the most open and hospitable people I encountered. Consequently,
Kazakhstan was already near to my heart.
S
The author is USAID’s country office director for Kazakhstan.
“Yes,” they admitted, clearly unsure of what to think about a random American who
spoke Russian and could identify their country of origin. More conversation revealed
that they were a group of students from the “Boloshak” program. A dozen Kazakhstanis
were in California to study international management in the very same program I was
about to join. They had stepped off the plane just a few hours earlier, and were in the
United States for the very first time. Eager to introduce my country to them, I
volunteered as their “guide,” showing them the ins and outs of life in America.
We immediately bonded, and the Kazakhstani students became some of my closest
friends at the university. One of my favorite memories was when they invited me over
for beshbarmak (albeit using American ingredients) and proclaimed me an “honorary
Kazakh.” With pride they taught me a new phrase which I’ve repeated many times since
– Men Kazakhpyn.
It’s no surprise that these
interactions led to my
great interest in coming to
Kazakhstan. That
opportunity was finally
realized in 2012, when I
arrived in Astana as the
newest Country Office
Director for the United
States Agency for
International
Development (USAID).
Three years have come
and gone faster than I expected, and now the time has come to say goodbye. Life in
Kazakhstan has lived up to my expectations and more, and I find it very difficult to
leave.
The author in Astana.
During the course of three years, one of my greatest pleasures has been working with
participants on capacity-building and exchange in the United States. I had the pleasure
to send off more than 130 Kazakhstani entrepreneurs who took part in three-week
programs which introduced them to potential American partners. Every time I addressed
one of these groups, I asked who was going to the United States for the first time. This
typically was the entire group.
Other exchange programs we’ve run have brought together Americans and
Kazakhstanis in a variety of sectors. These have included professionals from local and
national government agencies in Kazakhstan, non-governmental organizations and
private corporations. Our programs have addressed wheat resiliency, climate change
mitigation, local government service delivery and the treatment of infectious diseases,
among other topics.
Similarly, our programs have
brought many American
professionals to Kazakhstan for
the first time. Just as it was a
pleasure for me to show my
university colleagues the
exciting aspects of life in
America, it’s been my honor
again and again to show other
Americans the joys of my
“other homeland.”
While the primary purpose of
each of these interactions was
to further Kazakhstan’s social The author and family in Kazakhstan.
and economic development, perhaps no less valuable are the intangible aspects of
exchange and mutual appreciation that come from sharing culture and expanding
horizons.
There are some in this world who desperately cling to their culture and their traditions,
seeing every new perspective as a threat. Kazakhstan has demonstrated that they
understand the folly of this approach. Cultures and traditions change and adapt.
Kazakhstan’s active engagement with its region and the world and its openness to new
ideas is, I believe, the true source of power behind Kazakhstan’s success.
As a development professional, I know that real, sustainable development is
incremental and gradual. It takes significant will on behalf of governments and societies
if it is to work. The investments Kazakhstan has made through programs like Boloshak,
and through close cooperation with international agencies like USAID, have helped to
build the necessary foundation for this continual progress.
Without a doubt, you can count on me to continually watch Kazakhstan’s progress
closely, eager and optimistic for its continued success. I’m sad to say goodbye, but
Kazakhstan will always be a part of me going forward. After all – Men Kazakhpyn!
Note on Author: Nils Bergeson recently departed Astana where he served for three
years as the USAID country representative for Kazakhstan. Nils has previously served
in Bogota, Columbia with USAID, in Romania with the Peace Corps, and in Russia as a
Missionary.
HUBBLE’S 25TH BIRTHDAY: A PERSONAL MEMORY
Originally published April 2015.
Robyn McCutcheon
he Hubble Space Telescope was launched from the U.S. Space Shuttle
Discovery on April 24th, 1990, 25 years ago today. Hubble is one of the largest
and most versatile space telescopes ever launched. Though designed to last
15 years, for over 25 years it has beamed back to earth breathtakingly beautiful pictures
of space and provided detailed insights into time and space, continuously expanding our
understanding of the fabulous complexity of space.
I first joined the Hubble
project in 1982. At this
point, it hadn't even
been named for
American astronomer
Edwin Hubble yet; that
was to come a year
later. When I started, it
was simply ST, Space
Telescope. I was a
comparative latecomer
to the project. For
those who had been there at the beginning in the 1970s, it had been the Large Space
Telescope, the Large being dropped as budgets and the realities of operating a
telescope in space began to settle in.
My expertise lies in attitude determination, the engineering discipline that determines a
spacecraft’s orientation in space. Hubble uses three Fixed Head Star Trackers (FHST)
in addition to data from gyroscopes, sun sensors, and the telescope's own optics to
T
A billowing tower of cold gas and dust rises from the Eagle Nebula. The soaring tower is 9.5 light-years or about 57 trillion miles high.Hubble photo/NASA.
determine its attitude to levels of accuracy not attempted previously. Working on an
earlier mission, I became familiar with FHSTs, and as the most knowledgeable person
on this sensor, I was quickly given the nickname Ms. FHST.
Hubble was originally scheduled
to launch in October 1986, until
the Challenger disaster of
January 28, 1986, when this
Space Shuttle exploded 73
seconds after launch, killing all
on board in the most tragic
space accident experienced by
the US until that time.
The tragedy also made Hubble’s
future uncertain. Would the
Shuttle ever fly again? Would Hubble launch? After a few months, we were assured
that Hubble would launch in 1988. That launch date soon began to slip, however,
leading to the inside joke that the Hubble Constant, which in science relates to rate of
the expansion of the universe, in our world referred to a constant “two years until
launch.”
Hubble did eventually launch exactly 25 years ago. As I watched the launch on my
television screen, I felt the same thrill I had felt at every launch since the early days of
the space program. This time, however, the thrill was even greater, for the Shuttle
Discovery was carrying out a mission in which I had played a direct role.
Two days later, however, I received a frantic call from the operation Control
Center. “Robyn, get in here,” a friend shouted down the line. They were testing
Hubble’s systems one by one prior to the telescope's release from the manipulator arm
that had removed it from the Shuttle's cargo bay. “We can't identify what stars the
Hubble Is On Its Own, Released from the Manipulator Arm.
Photo: NASA.
FHSTs are seeing.” A chill went down my spine. If Hubble were to be released without
the FHSTs being able to identify star patterns, Hubble would be literally “lost in space.”
Frantically, we worked to address the problem. As it turned out, Hubble’s FHSTs were
capable of tracking not just stars but also the Moon, planets, nebulae, other satellites,
space debris, and even bright cities on Earth. The trick was to edit out all the junk so
that only star tracks remained. All-in-all we had just a few hours to get it right before
Hubble would be released into orbit on its own.
Slowly, as calmly as we could,
we began reprocessing Hubble’s
telemetry. As we worked, I
became dimly aware of the big
screen that hung at the front of
the Control Center. There was
Hubble, perched on the
manipulator arm, as the solar
arrays began to unfurl, unrolling
from their containers and
glistening like ever-lengthening,
golden sails in the bright sun. Just
as the second solar array finished unfurling, we did it. We correctly identified the stars
that were being seen by the FHSTs. Shortly after we watched in real time as Hubble
drifted away from the arm and from the shuttle. We had done our part. Hubble would
not be “lost in space.”
That was my role 25-years ago. How long will Hubble continue to provide us with the
beautiful photos and ground-breaking science for which it has had no equal? Current
estimates are that Hubble will continue to operate at least until 2018, if not considerably
longer. Not bad for a telescope that was designed and built with 1970s and 80s
2014 reunion with Hubble colleagues and families. (Photo by author, 4th from left)
technology and that many thought would not last for its original projected lifetime of 15
years.
If you're wondering by now how it was that this engineer left the Hubble project to start a
diplomatic career with the U.S. State Department, the answer is that even in those days,
I had something of a double life. Outside of my day job on the Hubble project, I was
known as a historian of Soviet science. In the year after Hubble's launch, I published
perhaps my most important history work on Soviet astronomy in 1936-37 during the
height of Stalin's Great Purges. When I left the Hubble project in 2005, in a sense I
exchanged my hobby for my career, my career for my hobby. Nevertheless, I now
watch with excitement as Kazakhstan itself becomes a spacefaring nation with
KazEOSat - 1 and - 2 returning high resolution imagery that will play an important role in
Earth resource management for the entire region.
But today, on the 25th anniversary of Hubble's launch, my mind will be back there,
reliving the moments of frustration and exhilaration and recalling the faces and names
of so many colleagues and friends who were there at the beginning. And Ms. FHST will
smile and feel an inner warmth to know that her children-in-engineering, those three
Fixed Head Star Trackers on Hubble, have not missed a beat and continue go guide
Hubble on to discoveries that take us back ever further towards the dawn of our
Universe.
Note on Author: Robyn McCutcheon, aka Ms. FHST, is currently the Regional
Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer for Central Asia at the U.S.
Embassy in Astana. For more on Hubble's 25th anniversary, see http://hubble25th.org/
and http://hubblesite.org/.
USAID/Central Asia
41 Kazibek Bi St.
Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Tel: +7 (727) 250-7612
Web:www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional
FB: www.facebook.com/USAIDCentralAsia