Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from June, 2007
Tajikistan: Who's the Target?
Vadim asks who exactly was targeted in recent bombings in Tajikistan.
Central Asia: Failing States
Non Pon looks at how Central Asian states fared in the recently released Failed State Index.
Caucasus: Not a Region
Artur says that the South Caucasus is an artificial and unnecessary construct — that the three countries within in have little in common.
Russia, EU: Visa Regime
As the EU eases its visa regime with Russia, TOL's Steady State writes about those who don't seem to appreciate this initiative.
Afghan Whispers:Education, music, wonderful nature and freedom
Sun Leaf talks about the painful situation of Afghanistan's education system. The blogger says Compared to other countries in Asia, the Afghan education situation is startling. The statistics below show that tremendous challenges remain. One of the poorest measures includes funding or implementing short-term education projects, which are abrubtly brought...
Kyrgyzstan: Manliness and Bridenapping
Nurbek says that bride kidnapping is not for real men. The tradition of bride kidnapping has revived since the collapse of the Soviet Union in Kyrgyzstan.
Mongolia: Dr. Ayurzana Bold
Birding Mongolia eulogizes Dr. Ayurzana Bold, a highly respected biologist and ornithologist from Mongolia who passed away on June 10.
Kazakhstan: Krishna Homes Destroyed
KZBlog reports that more Hare Krishna homes have been destroyed and that the community's temple could be destroyed soon.
Turkmenistan: The Banned Disease
Abdulgamid says that Turkmenistan's government is finally showing some willingness to deal with HIV/AIDS.
Afghanistan: Kuchi Incursion
Mohammad Fahim Khairy says that nomadic Pashtun tribes exploit and abuse the Hazaras of central Afghanistan.
Kazakhstan: Celebrating Astana
At neweurasia, Adam reports that enormous sums are being poured into lavish celebrations of Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.
Tajikistan: Iranian Investment
Vadim reports on why Iran invests in Tajikistan.
Central Asia: Literature in Translation
Birds’ Books uses Uzbek author Hamid Ismailov's The Railway, one of the rare contemporary Central Asian novels translated into English, as a jumping off point for a discussion of Central Asian literature, language, translation, and the impact of modernism and the Soviet Union on Central Asia.
Afghanistan: Charms of Bamiyan
Kabul Diary writes on a visit to Bamiyan and the charm of the people who live there.
Afghanistan: Unintended Consequence
Joshua Foust says that one of the positive unintended consequences of the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan is an improvement in the condition of homosexuals.
Kyrgyzstan: Manas Curriculum
Bonnie Boyd discusses the inclusion of Kyrgyzstan's national epic into the national curriculum. The epic, Manas, is nearly half a million verses long and tells the deeds of the hero Manas and his descendants to secure Kyrgyz independence.
Kazakhstan: Loss of Soviet Architecture
At neweurasia, Daniel reports on the destruction of historical Soviet architecture in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan: Cultural Festival
Özgecan reports on the recent Kazakh cultural festival in Munich.
Afghanistan: Poppy Prescription
My State Failure Blog offers up some policy prescriptions for combating opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.
Turkmenistan: Cellular Boom
neweurasia reports on signs of looming rapid growth of mobile communications in Turkmenistan.
Kazakhstan: Party Mergers
Adam says that with early parliamentary elections seeming more and more likely, Kazakhstan's opposition parties are uniting.
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