Contagious violence

Mary,
I pray for all the people of Kyrgyzstan, but especially those in the south. Hopefully Mercy Corps and it's local partners in Bishkek can help promote the good and honest you know are also part of being human. Stay well. Love you.

Mary,

I have been following your blog with keen interest and today, with particular sadness. Until October 2009, I was Mercy Corps’ manager of the CDI program in the south. My wife and I lived in Osh and absolutely loved it. We had many Uzbek and Kyrgyz friends and colleagues (and several of other ethnicities) and are of course, very worried about their fate as well as the situation for the whole country. I've only been able to get in touch with a few people so far.

I thought your readers might be interested to know that conflict mitigation has been an important concern and component of some of Mercy Corps' prior work in Kyrgyzstan and the region, in particular through the previous Peaceful Communities Initiative (PCI) and also with my program, the Collaborative Development Initiative (CDI). We took great pains in these programs to lay a foundation of trust cooperation across our participating communities, and youth groups. Our supply chain related projects also enhanced opportunities inter-ethnic cooperation by creating a positive form of economic interdependency – i.e. a farmer probably wouldn’t burn his neighbor’s truck if it’s the only way for everyone’s produce to get to market. Modest progress has been made in certain communities and sectors but sadly the problems throughout the country are obviously deeply rooted and very complex. And now they have boiled over completely.

But I hope that the world will not give up on Kyrgyzstan as a result of this. It is worth fighting and working for! I am convinced that the best way…the only way… to reduce and avoid these eruptions of ethnic violence over the long term, is to continue to progressively make meaningful progress on the development of sustainable economic opportunities for all Kyrgyz nationals, especially young people. Ultimately this is what will bring back peaceful communities in the south. And that is why, I so sincerely hope Kyrgyzstan will not drop off the radar of donor countries and organizations right at this critical moment. It is precisely the time for renewed efforts to help Kyrgyz of all ethnic backgrounds establish or reestablish viable livelihoods and cross-community economic connections.

Mercy Corps, especially through Kompanion is uniquely positioned to contribute significantly. I'm sure it will rise to the occasion.

Good luck during the rest of your stay. I really hope you can get out into the country and to the south as well. I know you will love it.

Best,

Patrick

This is a wonderful blog post. Thanks Mary Tam! And stay safe!

Hello,

I would like to know if it is possible to donate to Mercy Corps to specifically help the humanitarian aid efforts in Kyrgyzstan. I would like to start a pool with my postgraduate class, as we have a Kyrgyz colleague who is over there right now.

Many thanks,

Tiffany

There might be an argument of tribal problem that is perhaps based on real facts however I need to add that there might be hidden hands in such conflict. Why don't think in wider perspective of US and Russia competition for influence in the region?

Perhaps this article right here: http://bit.ly/aMJmQI , can help us have another perspective what I said above.

Thanks
Sonic

What can we do to help? I know you are away from the refugees, but you must know of some organization that is there on the front lines. I know they must be needing clean water, food, clothing, shelter etc. I am finding little on the internet to allow me to be able to provide assistance from so far away. Please post or email me with suggestions. In the meantime you are all in my prayers.

Tiffany - thanks for your interest in supporting the people of Kyrgyzstan in this time. Please contact Jennifer Schmidt http://www.mercycorps.org/giftofficers regarding your kind inquiry, as I will not have much access to email for the duration of the week. My thoughts go out to your colleague.

Mary

Jenny - thank you for your genuine interest in helping. They've posted some information on our website regarding Mercy Corps' response. See my response to Tiffany. Part of the problem is that it is difficult for *anyone* to get to the front lines (i.e. - people sequestered in their homes, etc.). There are supposedly mobile distributions, but it is difficult to say who they are reaching and who they are not. To say it is frustrating is a tremendous understatement.

Thanks, Patrick. I've been reading about CDI and the amazing work that was done.

I don't understand man's inhumanity to man either. I was sorry to hear about the loss of one of your fellow Mercy Corp workers in Pakistan. I hope for the safety and release of the other captives. In spite of all the turmoil, having you and others like you doing what you do in the midst of it all speaks volumes about what is good about humanity. Stay safe and keep the faith.

Sonic - thanks for sharing that article and for pointing out that it is important to be tracking international influence.

Mary

Dear Mary,

Your frustration and sadness over humanity's ability to hate so easily is one that burdens me, well, I'd say nearly every day. Not because I'm looking for overt hatefulness but because it presents itself to me wherever people are. In the grocery store line over the impatience with the elderly or the food stamp recipient trying to negotiate whether there is enough credit on those miserable stamps to buy her family cereal and rice or the traffic rudeness of having to sit through - oh no, not this - an extra red light because someone didn't turn soon enough so the rest of us late and in a hurry have to wait. The rhetoric of what I consider disrespect in our political reporters and junkies all screaming loudly about what they're against rather than stopping to come together and come up with an alternative of something they some to abhor. These are simple acts of rudeness and I only think they are masking a deep resentment of those different that our own selfish selves. Praying is important but frankly I think God shakes the benevolent head, or body, or vapor and just says I know, I know, I keep thinking you people will figure it out!

Thank you for what you are doing as a sign of humanity that is fearless, loving, and wants to see a better world for generations to come.

xoxoxo
Auntie Di