Number Eleven: Long Twilight Struggle for Freedom

USAID (the US Agency for International Development that since 1952 has been providing assistance to developing countries -- which is most of the world -- with humanitarian aid and assistance with economic development related to health, education, housing........) has a newsletter with a name that I cannot remember at this moment. I am writing this while in an Internet cafe......but I used to write for this newsletter when we lived in Lesotho. The name does not matter...the banner does. It was a quote by John F. Kennedy which was picked to symbolize the work and hopeful outcome of USAID...that we provided this assistance to countries that could teeter either way...either toward more democratic principles or toward more tyranny. The newsletter reflected USAID funded projects to assist countries in what he called their "long twilight struggle for freedom."

Have we made friends in the process? Of course we have...and thank heavens. But our actions remain suspect. Almost anyone connected with our US Embassies are accused of all being members of the CIA. This accusation filters down through our ngos -- what Americans call non profits -- such as the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (I also consulted with them while last in Kyrtgyzstan), the African Amercian Labor Center, even our beloved Peace Corps. Some members of our Embassy are indeed connected to the CIA as well as the NSA (National Security Agency), one of the most covert sleuth organizations in the world. But show me an Embassy of any country that does not have its share of personnel working with their intelligence agency and you are probably showing me the Embassy representing the Vatican....which is in fact is its own sovereign nation.

My students in Lebanon, among their many criticisms of the US, once said that our foreign policy served our national interests. My son, Joe, was taking this particular class when this comment was made. Only a junior in high school -- and American high school students do not as a rule engage in classroom discussions on foreign policy although pehaps they should -- immediately responded that any country's foreign policy served their national interests. Good for him! If I had said that, teaching there as a Fulbright Scholar I would just be another American puppet mimicing what the US expected me to say. As it was, they liked me, but it was better received coming out of Joe's mouth.

All our money and good intentions do not automatically buy us friendship but we should not despair. I think cynicism of America is found most often in youth than adults. And yet what is most interesting is that many of these youth would jump at the chance to attend university in the United States, or be accepted in a high school exchange program. One of the American personnel in Lebanon was always looking for Lebanese youth who were cynical about America to invite them to various Embassy functions sponsored around the country. Someone could smile, breaking into song "I want to live in America" (remember West Side Story?) but were they being truthful? Most often people who expressed displeasure were indeed being truthful, and these were the youth she wanted to reach out to, which I so respected. She realized that her actions would still be suspect, but she was willing to take that challenge on.

I have conducted lectures in many classrooms on civil society, american history and comparative politics while here in Kyrgyzstan. I am amazed -- as I am always amazed -- how much knowledge these students have about the United States. I wince when I think about Jay Leno's sidewalk interviews when he asks people some very basic and easy to anwer questions and stupid answers pour forth. Even more amazing that these videos can only be broadcast to all America with their written permission. Some of these students know more about our political process than we know of our own. And clearly the vast majority of Americans do not know squat about Central Asia. I am hoping my blogs and videos are of some help, but I wonder. I am posting these also on facebook and people seem to show more interest and response to someone's wall posting about doing their nails in a new color than Russia's renewed power struggle here in Kyrtgyzstan colliding with America's presence.

Every evening here in Osh, I walk back to my flat after very long days at the university, I pass many children. I live in a neighborhood, and the alleys and rustic playgrounds filled with antiquated, rusty swings and teeter totters are filled with happy children. They are delightful. Too young to judge me, they do know I am out of place by my very appearance. Yet they speak to me, practicing their limited English: "Hello. How are you? What is your name?"
They smile at me, and let me take pictures and videos. They do not know they live in a crushingly poor country caught in a political struggle between old Soviet domination and US foreign interests. All they know is they are at play, and are happy. They have just had dinner, perhaps some sort of sweet which has added to their delight. Loving relatives are nearby keeping watch on their safety. I see the grandparents eyeing me carefully, wishing I could confirm I mean no harm. This is the future of Kyrgyzstan. I hope they remember the American who smiled, showed them pictures in her digital camera, handed out sweets, and waved "goodbye."