Political stability and social cohesion are fundamental to the very survival and development of Tajikistan-a country devastated by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the civil war that followed, leaving behind political and ethnic divisions and a disintegrated civil society in its trail. The first breakthrough came in 1996, when the conflicting sides and a group of observers participated in a series of talks that resulted in the signing of the Protocol on Peace and National Accord by the Tajik government and the United Tajik Opposition on December 23, 1996.

It was in this promising atmosphere that the Open Society Institute-Tajikistan first registered with the ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs. Unfortunately, it was forced to suspend its work from February to June, 1997, due to continued political instability. With the signing of the Agreement on National Reconciliation, however, reintegration of the opposition into the state structure made it possible for OSI-Tajikistan to resume its activities.

"Regional differences in Tajikistan make mutual understanding essential." Anthony Richter, Director Central Eurasia Project

Although it was re-engaged in helping transform the country's public institutions and exploring innovative ways to promote the development of open society, OSI-Tajikistan was unable to realize many of its national programmatic activities in 1997. The year saw some progress, however, as Tajik students, doctors, and others were able to participate in network programs.

OSI-Tajikistan sent many students and scholars to the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest in 1997 on fellowships and to participate in seminars related to their fields of study. Three Tajik students participated in a series of week-long seminars sponsored by the CEU Curriculum Resource Center, and two professors and a journalist from Tajikistan attended CEU's Summer University. These activities encouraged and promoted regional academic cooperation and curriculum development in the social sciences and humanities by bringing young faculty together to share ideas.

In the field of human rights, five Tajiks were selected to attend CEU's Human Rights Program, and another Tajik student was awarded a Human Rights Study Fellowship to attend the University of Essex in England.

In conjunction with the network Higher Education Support Program, several university professors and administrators from Tajikistan attended a curriculum development seminar in Almaty, Kazakhstan in November. The conference participants returned home with plans to conduct similar seminars with assistance from the Ministry of Education in Tajikistan.

In the field of health and medicine, eight young doctors from various hospitals in Dushanbe participated in the Salzburg Medical Seminars, where they learned Western medical techniques from prominent faculty at U.S. hospitals and medical centers.

The network East East Program supported the participation of Tajik specialists in international seminars and conferences that promote the exchange of ideas and experiences among scholars and professionals of countries in the region. Four Tajik women went to a workshop entitled "The Role of Nongovern-mental Organizations in Open Democratic Societies: Women's Civic Participation and Legal Rights," held in Ulanbaatar, Mongolia, in October and November. Tajik women were also represented at a seminar on religion and community in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, and at a seminar on resource center development in Novosibirsk, Russia.

OSI-Tajikistan, in cooperation with the Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute, offered training courses and Russian-language textbooks on the rule of law and legal education to universities and institutes. In 1997, one Tajik professor participated in an international course for law professors in Budapest.

Many other regional and international conferences, seminars, and training programs were open to Tajik scholars and professionals through OSI-Tajikistan's travel grant competition. In 1997, 51 such grants were awarded. OSI-Tajikistan also sponsored the participation of two Tajik women at a conference in Hong Kong in November.

In an effort to educate a new generation of leaders who will have the vision and expertise required to grapple with the myriad environmental issues confronting the countries of the former Soviet Union, OSI-Tajikistan is awarding fellowships for graduate study in two-year degree programs in environmental management and policy in the United States.

Open Society Institute-Tajikistan
1997 Expenditures

Arts and Culture	$0
Children and Youth	0
Civil Society	4,000
Conference and Travel	49,000
Economic Reform	0
Education	1,000
Legal Reform and Public Administration	0
Media and Communications	0
Publishing	0
Science and Health Care	0
Operating Costs	76,000
Other	0
Total	$130,000