Internet Access and Training Program (IATP)

IATP News from Central Asia

March 18-31, 2005

KYRGYZSTAN

lawyer
Lawyer Rael Osmonova follows the
online discussion at the IATP
access site in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan

Journalists and Observers throughout Kyrgyzstan Unite to Discuss Outcomes of Parliamentary Elections
On March 18, IATP access sites in Kant, Isfana, Jalalabat, Naryn, Kara-Balta, Karakol, Kerben, Talas, Balykchy, Osh, Mayluu-Suu, and Batken, Kyrgyzstan, hosted an online discussion on the Kyrgyzstani parliamentary elections for nearly 30 participants, including alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programs, local media representatives, and observers from local and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The participants discussed the political situation after the controversial February 27 first-round campaign and the March 13 run-off election. The chat participants discussed the violations during both rounds, censorship of opposition viewpoints, pro-government-slanted media, the people’s reaction to violations, and difficulties journalists faced during campaigns and elections. During the discussion, participants agreed that the parliamentary election was less transparent than the election in 2000 and shared eyewitness accounts of violations during the first round and the escalating protests of the opposition in the south of Kyrgyzstan. Irisbek Zulumbekov, a journalist from Jalalabat TV Company, cited an idea from one of the protesters in Jalalabat, “People started understanding that they can change the situation for the better. But not change for the benefit of a group of people, but for the benefit of all people, [creating] a better future and well-being for future generations.” Rael Osmonova, a lawyer from Naryn, noted, “Media is a great power, like weapons and money. However, the government controls this power and used it in favor of the pro-government candidates who actually crushed the opposition.” The participants concluded that in most regions, the government controlled all media outlets and greatly limited the opposition’s access to the media. Moreover, chat participants noted that several media agencies were either forced or paid to tarnish opposition candidates. The IATP event was covered by Moi Gorod, a local newspaper in Tokmok, reaching more than 30,000 residents, and Tatina Radio in Kara-Balta aired news about the event to its 200,000 listeners. By using information technology and uniting active citizens, IATP access sites helped meet the needs of concerned citizens throughout the country to share views about the elections and the media coverage.

IATP Web Content Development

In the past year, IATP has conducted more than 470 Web chats;
IATP users have posted approximately 4,400 online resources to IATP servers during the past year for a total of 10,022 hosted sites;
More than 2,180 trainings on Web design basics have been conducted by IATP in the past 12 months.

College Teachers and Students throughout Kyrgyzstan Enrich Knowledge of Academic Honesty
On March 17, Sevara Ismailova (FLEX 01) conducted a two-hour seminar on academic honesty for 16 Osh State University (OSU) students at the IATP access site in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. Ismailova, who teaches English at the Aga-Khan Private School in Osh, used interactive methods, including games, role-playing, and case studies, to cover how to correctly cite sources, including Web resources, and use the Internet for finding information. The seminar followed an online chat on March 16, during which 28 college students and teachers united at seven IATP access sites in Kyrgyzstan for an online discussion to discuss the implementation of an academic honesty project at colleges in Kyrgyzstan. The United States Embassy in Kyrgyzstan financed a project entitled “Academic Honesty Project Implementation in Colleges of Kyrgyzstan” that started in February 2003 and involves 14 universities throughout the country to increase student and teacher awareness of academic honesty and plagiarism. During the online discussion, the chat participants boasted of their accomplishments within the framework of the project, shared opinions on better implementation, and assessed the current level of academic dishonesty at colleges. Azamat Joldoshbekov, a student at Aksy Pedagogical Department in Kerben noted, “Student organizations held a regional conference on academic honesty on January 18, during which students and teachers of several colleges in the region learned about the project and discussed strategies to fight plagiarism.” Moreover, some participants decided to create a listserv for universities participating in the project to coordinate and exchange experiences, develop a joint action plan for April, appoint project leaders at each college, and maintain contact from IATP access sites. Most college students and teachers in Kyrgyzstan, especially in rural areas, pay little attention to academic honesty and codes, which is partially due to the lack of accessible information. The seminar and online discussion provided a rare platform to learn more about academic honesty and the US Embassy-funded project.

TAJIKISTAN

alumni
Alumni from Turkmenistan at the
ARC in Ashgabat, participate in
discussion of women’s issues

Alumni across Central Asia Discuss Women’s Issues with ECA Official Online
On March 23, forty-five alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programs from 18 IATP access sites in Central Asia gathered online for a live discussion with Patricia Harrison, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), dedicated to Women’s History Month. As an entrepreneur, author, and political leader, Harrison has over 20 years of experience in communication strategy and coalition and constituency building. As founder and President of the National Women's Economic Alliance, she worked to identify women and minorities for leadership roles in business and politics. Harrison shared some of her ideas with alumni from around the world about women’s leadership potential and problems and opportunities they face in today’s society. During the hour-long chat, alumni in Central Asia posted many questions, six of which were answered through the state alumni website, an online community that helps alumni stay in contact with one another and the ECA. From the alumni resource center in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Ainura Cholponkulova asked, “Like Georgia and Ukraine, we would like democratic changes. Our civil society groups headed by women play a crucial role in this process. [Kyrgyzstani Foreign Minister] Roza Otunbayeva is viewed as a driving force of this movement. How do you explain the phenomenon of the persistent participation of women in this process?” Harrison replied, “This is not true in every case of course, but women are motivated in terms of leadership usually on behalf of someone else, some cause. Once they move forward, on behalf of others, it becomes much easier to take on new challenges. Politics provide another avenue for women and increasingly women are gravitating to political participation.” Raisa Amirdjanyans (TEA 00), using IATP dial-up access in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, asked, "What is the most challenging experience you ever had?” Harrison replied, "Every time I change jobs it is challenging. Balancing work and family is continually challenging and most of all and what women do not share with other women is this: no matter how much you accomplish, there are times when you will not be affirmed, when you will have setbacks—the challenge then is to believe in yourself and keep moving toward your goal." Tojinisso Rahmonova from Tajikistan asked whether Harrison has plans to visit Central Asian countries to meet with women leaders. Harrison concluded, “I have met many people from Tajikistan and would look forward to visiting your country and meeting you.” Thanks to the ECA online discussion, alumni from Central Asia had a unique opportunity to meet Patricia Harrison online and discuss women’s issues with her and fellow alumni.

alumna
Shohina Turaeva (FLEX 04)
moderates the online discussion on
AIDS and drug abuse

Alumna Moderates Online Discussion on AIDS and Drug Problems
On March 25, Shohina Turaeva (FLEX 04) became the first alumna in Tajikistan to independently moderate an online discussion on the AIDS and drug problems for more than 20 medical professionals, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, students, and journalists at six IATP access sites across Tajikistan. Turaeva, who studied at Lamar County High School in Vernon, Alabama, currently studies international relations at Russian Tajik Slavonic University in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. She asked IATP staff to teach her to effectively moderate an online discussion and explained her desire to learn more about the growing AIDS and drug problems in Tajikistan. The ramshackle state of the country’s health care infrastructure, labor migration, drug trafficking from Afghanistan, and a low level of public awareness of HIV/AIDS and prevention measures are leading to more cases of infection. Turaeva directed questions to the chat’s guest speaker, Husniya Dorgabekova, an HIV/AIDS specialist from the World Health Organization (WHO), which closely collaborates with the Ministry of Health, UNAIDS, and the Global Fund. Dorgabekova stated that there are currently 317 registered HIV infections, but in reality, the number is more likely closer to 5,000. Orif Bozorov, an epidemiologist from the AIDS Center in the Khatlon Province, asked about the implementation of anti-retrovirus therapy for AIDS patients in Tajikistan. Dorgabekova answered, “The Global Fund will be providing medication for such treatment. They will also conduct training for teachers of medical staff on how to administer the anti-retrovirus therapy.” Zariyajon Juraev, a narcotics specialist from Kanibadam asked colleagues about the success of treating drug addicts in Kurgan-Tube. Mahmadali Bahromov, director of Khatlon Drug Center in Kurgan-Tube replied, “Until today, 53 drug addicts completed treatment courses, but the percentage of full recovery is quite low.” At the end of the event, participants concluded that it is most important to work on prevention methods for preventing both AIDS and drug abuse. The online discussion provided the residents involved in these challenges with a rare opportunity to unite and share knowledge.

TURKMENISTAN

UN representatives discuss gender
issues with Turkmen residents

Alumni Discuss Gender Issues with UN Representatives in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
On March 22, over 20 alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programs, students, and professionals of different fields gathered at the Alumni Resource Center in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, to discuss gender issues. UNICEF program officer for social policy Shohrat Orazov and assistant to the UN resident coordinator Jahan Saparmamedova were the guest speakers for the event, which marked US Women’s History Month. Orazov began by clarifying the difference between sex and gender, the former defined biologically and latter defined as socially constructed and learned rather than innate. Gender stereotypes of women’s and men’s roles in society have impeded equality between women and men. Following her colleague, Saparmamedova presented information on gender statistics, recent resolutions, and other policies and issues concerning gender that she found at www.un.org/womenwatch and www.escwa.org.lb/gsp/issues. In 1995, Turkmenistan ratified the law to eliminate discrimination against women after representatives attended a UN-organized global conference on women’s rights, entitled “Action for Equality, Development, and Peace” in Beijing, China. Saparmamedova explained how the government recognized a set of priority gender issues, including women and poverty, unequal access to education and training, unequal access to health care and related services, violence against women, and inequality in power sharing and decision-making at all levels. One participant asked how the traditional role of Turkmenistani women as homemakers limits women’s prospects. Saparmamedova answered, “To assist Turkmen women advance in their educational and professional accomplishments, we [UN] are currently working on a joint project with government officials aimed to educate women from traditional families, which will enable young girls to stand for and practice their rights.” The roundtable served to raise awareness of issues supporting equal opportunities.

workshop
Participants learn more about AIDS
and drug abuse at the IATP Alumni
Resource Center in Ashgabat,
Turkmenistan

Alumna Conducts Workshop on AIDS and Drug Abuse in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
On March 23, Tachnabat Amannazarova (IV 04) delivered a two-hour presentation on AIDS and drug abuse for 10 participants, including seven alumni of US-government sponsored exchange programs at the Alumni Resource Center (ARC) in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Amannazarova has treated drug addicts for five years at the National AIDS Prevention Center in Turkmenistan and started her workshop by explaining the correlation between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. She explained how HIV/AIDS is spreading and shared official government statistics. In Kazakhstan, there are 4,696 cases of HIV/AIDS, in Kyrgyzstan 617, in Tajikistan 317, and in Uzbekistan 6,032, which she found at www.unaids.com and www.narkotiki.ru to prepare for the seminar. Despite many doubts about these low figures elsewhere in Central Asia, Turkmenistan claims it has only one officially registered case of AIDS. She refuted some of the myths about the way HIV/AIDS can and cannot be transmitted and shared ways to protect oneself. Amannazarova stressed that health education is vital for young people and suggested that schools integrate HIV/AIDS and drug abuse prevention education into the curriculum. At the end of her workshop, participants browsed through websites on HIV/AIDS, other venereal diseases, drug problems, and disinfection of syringes at www.iatp.edu.tm/spid1, which she created after an IATP Web design course at the ARC in April 2004. The workshop filled an educational void in Turkmenistan of the dangers of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse.

KAZAKHSTAN

Irina Sinyukova’s website at
www.krugom-voda.freenet.kz is
dedicated to water

Step-by-Step Trainee Places Second in Regional Contest on Web Project in Shymkent, Kazakhstan
On March 14, tenth-grade student Irina Sinyukova, who had completed a Step-by-Step series of IATP courses, called IATP site administrator Anton Savinskiy to share that on March 11, she placed second in a regional website contest held by Southern-Kazakhstan newspaper and the Regional Center of New Technologies (RCNT) in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. The panel of judges, which consisted of 10 people, including the Web designer and chief editor of the Southern Kazakhstan and the RCNT director, awarded Sinyukova second place for "The Best Informative Website" for her website about water resources. Before visiting the access site, she had only basic computer skills gained from some rudimentary school computer classes. On January 28, Sinyukova created the website after completing computer and Internet basics and a Web design course. Her website contains facts about water, results of her own scientific experiments with water, and fun stories about water. The judges commended her for covering an important topic to a region that suffers from heavy pollution, using a unique mix of materials to bring attention to water issues. Her second place prize entitled her to a certificate and two books on graphics editing software. Southern Kazakhstan published an article about the contest and her website on March 16, then a local TV channel aired coverage in its afternoon news broadcasts on March 12, and finally the regional TV channel Otyrar launched a video spot of interviews with the winners. Irina commented, "The computer science teacher from my school invited me to participate in the Step-by-Step training she conducts at the IATP access site. I am very thankful to IATP for giving me the opportunity to enhance my computer skills free-of-charge, empowering me to create websites and win in the contest."

Citizens from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, Discuss Integration of Central Asian Republics
On March 25, over 25 journalists, representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and students united at eight access sites in Kazakhstan, three in Tajikistan, and one in Turkmenistan for a two-hour online discussion on the integration of Central Asian republics. In early 1992, a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was created to abate fears of an outburst of ethnic and interstate conflict in the post-Soviet territory. Gradually, the governments forgot their common interests, and divisions arose between the republics as they protected their markets, borders, and interests. The chat participants discussed ways to realign the policies of the governments to collectively tackle some of Central Asia’s issues, such as religious extremism, trafficking, trade, and security. At the Alumni Resource Center in Almaty, Zhanar Sagimbayeva, chief of the UNDP Effective Governance and Sustainable Development Department, was the guest speaker and fielded questions from the participants after she explained the UNDP Report on Regional Cooperation for Human Development and Security in Central Asia. Sagimbayeva commented, “The main purpose of the report is to promote a dialogue among Central Asians and convince main stakeholders that regional cooperation and integration are essential for long-term economic growth, poverty reduction and social stability, and thus for human development and security.” During the chat, the participants discussed obstacles in the way of cooperation. Meruert Makmutova, director of the Public Policy Research Center (PPRC), commented, “Central Asian states fail to cooperate because of the struggle of rulers for the regional leadership.” The participants also discussed the implications that the revolution in Kyrgyzstan would have for the region as a whole. Aliya Bukayeva, a UNDP representative raised the question of a possible influx of refugees from Kyrgyzstan. Makmutova stated,” It is likely to happen, and regional destabilization could lead to conditions requiring an acceptance from refugees, thus supporting [regional] cooperation efforts.” The online discussion revealed many of the main remaining tasks for Central Asian governments in developing integration strategies.

UZBEKISTAN

web users
Dmitry Polonsky assists Nina
Peregudova with her website at
http://ninethsc.freenet.uz

Web Design Trainees Advance Web Programming Skills in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
On March 17, four residents created four new websites after completing a four-day Web programming course at the IATP access site in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. From March 14 to 17, IATP trainer Dmitry Polonsky conducted a course on PHP programming, a website language for creating sophisticated websites with forums, chats, counters, news posting services, password-protected pages, and content management systems. Prior to the course, the participants attended computer, Internet, and Web design basics in an IATP Step-by-Step training series. After completing the PHP course, college sophomore Vyacheslav Kurdov developed http://memory.freenet.uz/, which provides a virtual tour through Tashkent’s Memorial Museum of Victims of Repression. The museum showcases the history of 20th century repression of various groups. Nina Peregudova, who is temporarily unemployed, came to Tashkent from Chirchik for the training and voluntarily created another website for High School No. 9. The high school has the most rigorous curriculum and industrious students in town, and Nina worked with the school principal to improve the first version of the school’s website. Nina greatly improved the site with the PHP programming, adding a guest book and separating the website into blocks that make information and graphic input easier. The website contains information on staff, students, alumni, and information for parents on how to enroll their kids and prepare them for elementary school, as well as academic guidance for graduating students. Nina noted, “I am sure [the website] will be useful not only for students and parents, but for all other residents in and out of our town.” The four new websites supplemented the 1,064 websites already hosted by IATP, representing 19% of the total Web content in Uzbekistan.

IT Teacher Creates Distance Learning Course in Angren, Uzbekistan
On March 19, Rahmonjon Abdullaev, a computer science teacher at Angren Academic High School (AAHS), created his own distance learning (DL) course designed to raise the qualifications of other information technology (IT) teachers. It is posted to the IATP DL portal. Abdullaev received a degree in IT from Kokand State University in Uzbekistan and has been teaching students at AAHS for four years. Even with his degree, Abdullaev had only basic computer and Internet skills when he first came to the IATP access site in Angren two years ago. At the access site, he learned how to work on the Internet and completed a Web design course, helping him to create AAHS’s website in Uzbek, Russian, and English. From the time Abdullaev started using IATP’s resources and taking courses at the IATP access site, he has taught more than 200 students at the AHHS. He greatly improved his teaching skills and decided to create his own online course covering new IT aspects, which are not commonly taught in schools. Abdullaev spent more than three months learning how to create DL courses, incorporating lectures, forums, chats, tests, and glossaries into an online course format. Abdullaev’s two-month long DL course, the first of its kind in Uzbek, provides his knowledge on how best to teach IT-related materials to students with seven modules on fighting viruses, graphics editing, and Microsoft Office software, Windows operating systems, Internet, and e-mail. During the course, IT teachers across Uzbekistan will establish relationships between one another, and Abdullaev plans to eventually work with his colleagues to develop a single standard curriculum for teaching IT in schools. Abdullaev’s DL course will fill the void for IT teachers, who have few opportunities to develop professionally, especially outside Tashkent.