2003-04-05 - 11:49 a.m.
Almaty, Kazakhstan is known as the Paris of Central Asia. After seven months in Uzbekistan, and a delicious in-flight meal on Uzbekistan Airlines, the modern Ramstore mall, Baskin Robbins Ice cream store, and street side cafes, led me to support this comparison. However, with large streets, enormous buildings, open public squares, and the Zenkov Cathedral, Almaty is more Soviet than Asian or European. Zenkov Cathedral is built entirely of wood, with no nails, and is a relic of the Nicholas II period (1904). Despite a thick April snow, the domes of the Russian Orthodox shrine sparkled. Almaty is the former capital of Kazakhstan, set thousands of miles away from Moscow. The Soviets placed this capital in eastern Central Asia for political purposes, keeping any insurrections or revolutions in Kazakhstan far from the minds of those in Moscow. Situated north of The Kyrgyz Republic, and surrounded by the Tien Shans only a hundred and fifty miles off in western China, Almaty represents a beautiful cultural center. Desptie an intensive week long conference in Almaty, what I seemed to take away was less of the material and more of the culture.
ACCELS is an non-government organization which facilitates the Freedom Support Act Foreign Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX). This program began in 1994 under the guidance of former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley. Since that time, NIS (Newly Independent States) of the former USSR have sent students to American high schools for one academic year. These students live with American families and experience American culture. This year all 50 states have FLEX exchange students. My role in all this, and my purpose for the Almaty trip, is as a member of the training team for the students. This July I will facilitate the orientation program for the 125 Uzbeks heading to America in August. Three other PCVs, and four Alumni of the FLEX program, are also on the training team.
My experience in Almaty was amazing because I was introduced to FLEX Alumni from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, The Kyrgyz Republic, Azerbeijan, and Tajikistan. These students are college students now, with incredible English skills, and critical thinking and creative ability which motivates me to return to Parkent and teach. Their experiences in the US all differed, but common threads were apparent. These students, from countries of serious depression and repression, are clearly the future leaders of their countries. They grasp complex subjects and present the exchange as a cultural classroom. And most importantly, they changed or educated the minds of Americans during their stay. In Almaty, they discussed how they transfered skills learned in America, like volunteerism, to their respective countries. These students, like Parvina from Tajikistan, have survived countries of civil war and now intensify their future efforts to building productive countries. After spending a week with them, I'm convinced it is possible.
If any communities or families in America reading this diary entry know of, or are interested in identifying a high school and host family for a student from Central Asia, please let me know as I can pass this information on to ACCELS.
