Monday, September 15, 2008

PUBL.- Reports from the Social Research Center, AUCA

Distrib. by: Central-Eurasia-L - Announcement List for Central Eurasian Studies


PUBL.- Reports from the Social Research Center, AUCA

Posted by: Social Research Center - AUCA <src@mail.auca.kg>

Dear Colleagues,

We are glad to bring you the next issue of electronic bulletin presented by
the Social Research Center (SRC) at the American University of Central Asia
(AUCA). This bulletin provides the updates on the SRC's latest electronic
publications.

The SRC is a research unit of AUCA. Its mission is to promote the
long-lasting development of principals and practices of democracy, free
market, rule of law, and social equality in Kyrgyzstan through research,
publications, interdisciplinary studies, conferences, roundtables, and
networking. SRC mainly focuses on four target areas: MIGRATION, ISLAM, NGO
DEVELOPMENT and CORRUPTION.

For more detailed information about SRC, please visit our website at
www.src.auca.kg.


IN THIS ISSUE, please find papers on two SRC target areas: NGO DEVELOPMENT
AND ISLAM

NGO DEVELOPMENT:

Enhanced Government Commitment: A Key to An Effective Government-NGO
Relationship in KR, by Kanykey Jailobaeva

To cooperate or defect?: the role of Water Users Associations in
mitigating the "tragedy of the commons" by Heather Larue

Social Capital or Whether NGOs Are the Place for Collective Action? By
Medet Tiulegenov

Taxation of Non-commercial organizations in Kyrgyz Republic:
Recommendations to the Draft Tax Code, by Nookatbek Idrisov

Benchmarking the process of democratization in Kyrgyzstan by defining
the role and functions of NGOs, by Yulia Schulte


ISLAM

Modernization of Islamic Education Institutions in Kyrgyzstan, SRC
research project report

In Search of Ways to Solve the Problem of Islamic Education in
Kyrgyzstan, by Kozululov Timur

Secularist Concerns Regarding Changes in the Islamic Field, by Baris Isci

Harmonization of Secular-Islamic Relations and Trust Building, by Dr.
Arne Seifert

Democracy and Islam in the Modern State: What Unites them? Roundtable summary


NGO DEVELOPMENT:

Enhanced Government Commitment: A Key to An Effective Government-NGO
Relationship in KR, by Kanykey Jailobaeva, Visiting Research Fellow, Social
Research Center

The government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kyrgyzstan have
achieved positive results in working together. Nonetheless, they still
encounter a number of barriers, which hinder them from having a more
productive relationship. The major problem is that the government does not
have a unified and coherent policy on cooperation with NGOs. At present, the
government-NGO relationship is developing chaotically and fragmentarily.
Donor-funded projects are the main factor bringing these actors together.
Furthermore, the previous experience of the government in developing an NGO
support programme suggests that the government needs more commitment to and
control over the implementation of its initiatives on working with NGOs.

Download ARTICLE in English here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Policy-Brief_NGO_Jaylobaeva.eng..pdf

Download ARTICLE in Russian here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Jaylobaeva_rus..pdf


To cooperate or defect?: the role of Water Users Associations in mitigating
the "tragedy of the commons" by Heather Larue, Visiting Research Fellow,
Social Research Center

Kyrgyz farmers have been placed in the position of needing to coordinate
intercommunity irrigation systems through the creation of these locally
managed "Water Users Associations" (WUA). There is a strong theoretical
basis for replacing the central management and decision-making center of
irrigation systems with user-based WUAs.2 However, empirical results
indicate that many WUAs are not fulfilling their intended role. The success
of the WUA institution relies critically on coordination and cooperation.
Operating, maintaining and rehabilitating irrigation canals and enforcing
equitable rules for irrigation cycles requires cooperation at multiple
levels. This includes between farmers within a WUA, between WUA sharing a
water source, and between WUAs and the local water supplier.

Download ARTICLE in English here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Paper_Heather_eng.pdf


Social Capital or Whether NGOs Are the Place for Collective Action? By Medet
Tiulegenov, Assistant Professor, AUCA

The NGO sector in Kyrgyzstan has grown significantly in numbers reaching
more than eight thousand organizations in 2006. The rise in numbers has come
with better quality through more focused work and better and more capacities
acquired, however the social side of NGOs is experiencing problems because
of the inadequate quality of relationships between them and sectors and
others. NGOs' social capital has not yet developed sufficiently for them to
become a place for collective action, which is viewed in this work as a main
function of civil society.

Download ARTICLE in English here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Tiulegenov_Policy_brief_30.07.08_eng
.pdf

Download ARTICLE in Russian here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Tulegenov_Policy_briefs_rus.pdf


Taxation of Non-commercial organizations in Kyrgyz Republic: Recommendations
to the Draft Tax Code, by Nookatbek Idrisov, Director, International Center
for the Non-for-Profit Law in Kyrgyzstan

The question of financing the activities of not-for-profit organizations
(NPOs) in Kyrgyzstan is timely, given the upcoming consideration of the new
draft Tax Code by the Jogorku Kenesh. The legislation, which would allow for
the effective regulation of establishment and operation NPOs, and provide
possibilities for financing NPOs legally is the key factor for the
sustainable development of the non-commercial sector in the country. The
efficiency of funding among non-profit organizations is contingent on the
tax regimes in particular states.

Download ARTICLE in English here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Idrisov_eng.pdf

Download ARTICLE in Russian here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Policy_briefs_rus_NGO_Idrisov_1.pdf


Benchmarking the process of democratization in Kyrgyzstan by defining the
role and functions of NGOs, by Yulia Schulte, Independent expert

In Kyrgyzstan, as in other post-Soviet countries, one of the main strategies
of democratization policies promoted by the international donor community
has been the establishment of a strong civil society that promotes
democratic ideas among the population and controls (counteracts when
necessary) the actions of government. However, the question is to what
extent this project has been achieved and whether the country has a
functioning civil society that has become an integral part of its societal
system.

Download ARTICLE in English here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Schulte_eng.pdf


ISLAM

Modernization of Islamic Education Institutions in Kyrgyzstan, SRC research
project report

The question of the modernization of religious education in Kyrgyzstan is
one of the most important issues at present, because of the danger that the
faithful could go radical, which could endanger the country's stability.
This problem is especially acute because of the "distrust factor" between
religious organizations and secular state authorities. The major difficulty
is not in the political-legislative basis, but mostly in the excessive
number of ideological approaches (both from the clergy and from the secular
part of population) in reforming Islamic education while there is no
consistent and continuous interaction between religious organizations and
secular state authorities.

Download ARTICLE in Russian here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Report_Islam_rus.pdf


In Search of Ways to Solve the Problem of Islamic Education in Kyrgyzstan,
by Kozululov Timur, Theology Department, Osh State University

Since independence, there have been some radical changes in the spiritual
life of the republic. The confessional space has been reviving, which has
led to a tendency to form new state-religious relations, an increase of
ceremonial objects, a great increase in number of pilgrims, a wide
dissemination of Islamic literature, establishment of spiritual and
educational systems, and involvement of religious organizations in social
processes that could satisfy all spiritual needs of the faithful.

Download ARTICLE in Russian here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Policy_briefs_Islam_Timur_rus.pdf


Secularist Concerns Regarding Changes in the Islamic Field, by Baris Isci,
Visiting Research Fellow, Social Research Center

Starting in the late 1980s and flourishing in the late 1990s, Islamic
revival has been increasingly more visible in the public in Kyrgyzstan. Just
as Muslim leaders are in the process of consolidating their economic power,
they have also been active in gaining symbolic power in the society. All
these religious endeavors, however, have been taking place in a still
powerful secular context. The religious leaders have not only been busy with
consolidating a Muslim identity based on their understandings of a proper
Islam, but also been concerned with this larger secular context. That is,
they cannot and do not function in isolation, but have been adjusting their
practices and framework to the constraints of being
religious in a dominantly secular society.

Download ARTICLE in English here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Isci_report_3.pdf


Harmonization of Secular-Islamic Relations and Trust Building, by Dr. Arne
Seifert, PhD, Central Asia Adviser, Center for OSCE-Research, Institute for
Peace Research and Security Policy, University of Hamburg, Germany, Visiting
Lecturer, Summary of the Lecture.

The problem of normalizing the relationship between the secular state and
religion, i.e. Islam, must not be approached from the perspective of
fighting Islamic terrorism. It is likely that such a normalization is a part
of the transformation processes and formation of national statehood in
Central Asia. Theoretical studies, as well as practical politics, on this
matter reflect the incompleteness characteristic in the whole process of
transformation and formation of national statehood. At the same time, one
should not deny that a tension in the relationship between the secular state
and religion can lead to the radicalization of religious representatives -to
the point of terrorism.

Download ARTICLE in Russian here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/report_Arne_rus.pdf


Democracy and Islam in the Modern State: What Unites them?
Roundtable summary, 2008

In recent years, religious revival in Central Asia and Kyrgyzstan in
particular has been viewed as one of the main ways of spiritual and moral
development in society. On the one hand, such religious boom has become
possible due to democratic changes which provided freedom of faith to the
public. On the other hand, it was stipulated by growing nihilism, not
uncommon among nations in transition, marked by the renunciation of previous
ideals, fostering new values and rejection of collectivist morals in favor
of regional individualism.

Download SUMMARY in Russian here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/report_islam.pdf
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/Report_Kadyr.pdf

Download SUMMARY in English here:
http://src.auca.kg/images/stories/files/report_islam_eng.pdf

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