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By Ashurboi Imomov,
In Business and Politics,
[Biznez-I-Politiki]
March 2003,
on the 35th session of Sustained Dialogue
Translated by Jeremiah Zartman
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The Inter-Tajik Dialogue in the framework of the Dartmouth Conference began operation in March 1993 and cooperated with the development of the peace process. Since that time, the conference has held 34 rounds in cities of the Russian Federation. Only the 16th session in 1996 and the 34th session in 2002 took place in Dushanbe. In the beginning of March 2003, in Moscow, the 35th Jubilee round will take place. At that conference there will be a preliminary summary of the ten-year work of the Inter-Tajik Dialogue. The current Dialogue has its continuation in Tajik society. The Social Committee for the Development of Democratization created under the influence of the Inter- Tajik Dialogue has already organized for three years social dialogue in the main regions of the Republic of Tajikistan. These constant dialogues are taking place in Dushanbe Kulob, Qurghon-Teppe, Khujand, Khorog, Panjikent and Rasht. So far there have been about thirty rounds of these regional dialogues. The basic goal of the Social committee is to further develop the system of constant regional dialogue and the creation of a network of all-national dialogue.
The Tajik peace process put into effect many traditional or rarely met peace mechanisms in the country and outside the borders. Citizens of Tajikistan and those people outside the country that were concerned with the tragic events of 1991 and 1992 and especially the beginning of the civil war set out to find peace creating mechanisms. The Inter-Tajik dialogue in the framework of the Dartmouth conference, was quickly implemented and became one of these effective mechanisms which was founded by the initiative of members of the group for the solving of regional conflicts. In the beginning of 1993 Representatives from the Russian center for strategic study, having visited Tajikistan, met with more than 100 citizens of the republic to gain consent of at least 12 people to participate in the upcoming dialogue. They notified the government about their initiative. American academic specialists in conflict studies joined the Russian academic initiators of the Dialogue. The inter-Tajik dialogue was headed by the co-chairman of the operative group of regional conflicts of the Dartmouth Conference, which was created in 1981 by Dr. Harold Saunders, and Academic Genaddy Chufin. Others who helped organize and conduct every round and applied lots of effort, included Vitalii Naumkin, who replaced Chufin after the 34th round in the post of co-chairman of the Dialogue. E. D. Zviadgelskaya, Dr. M. Mahkamov, Dr. D. Mahkarov, the American Dr. Randa Slim, Dr. Thomas Gouttierre and others. In March of 1993 a group of Tajiks who represented various regions, political movements gathered in Moscow to conduct the first conference of social dialogue. They continued their meetings and set for themselves the goal of working for the end of violence in Tajikistan and to develop paths toward a "united, secular and democratic Tajikistan." Initiators and participants in the Inter-Tajik dialogue had as their main goal to see if a group chosen from civil society could prepare the peace process for their country. Their goal was to help transform the conflicting relations into skills of cooperative constructive work without interfering in the conflict. Participants in the Inter-Tajik Dialogue, determined their position and presented their suggestions long before official consideration and solving of mature problems. They considered the necessity of the quick beginning of peace negotiations between the government and the opposition, the return of refugees and their resettlement, the building of a social basis for the peace process, the conduct of a consulting forum of the peoples of Tajikistan, the integration of UTO armed forces, and the cooperative action of adapting into a peaceful live of those who were part of the armed opposition, the conduct of constitutional reform, the approval of legislation regarding the conduct of democratic multiparty elections, mutual forgiveness, the formation and reinforcement of institutions of civil society, and especially the perfection of the legal basis and creation of conditions for the development of systems of non-governmental organization. The Inter-Tajik dialogue became the basis for the open exchange of opinions and the discussion of participants regarding the more important problems of overcoming the inter-Tajik conflict, concluding peace and the building of a post-conflict society. At the sessions of the Inter-Tajik dialogue the most pressing problems were discussed while always anticipating events of social and political life of the country. Recommendations were reported to interested governmental organs and corresponding international organizations. The first five rounds of the dialogue finished with just the exchange of opinions. Only at the sixth meeting in March of 1994 did they approve the first of their memorandums, in which they determined challenges for Tajikistan and offered solutions to them. This memorandum was dedicated to the peace process in Tajikistan. Beginning with the twentieth round of the Inter-Tajik Dialogue, at every round they approved memoranda, which were dedicated to the resolution of the more critical problems of the country. Participants approved a total of twenty-two memorandums and one petition. After the conclusion of the Inter-Tajik conflict, the dialogue concentrated on the solution of post-conflict construction of peace in Tajikistan. In its recommendations, included and evaluation of the social, economic and political situation in the country. While expressing satisfaction with the positive development of events, concentration was put toward solving unsolved problems. These problems include: the high level of unemployment, lack of regulation of labor migration, poverty and the lack of required support for social vulnerable strata of society, obstacles for the reinforcement of the third sector, responsiveness of the administrative system of government, the tax policy lacking support from social and economic principles and the lack of security guarantees. For the sake of fairness it should be mentioned that these recommendations showed a certain influence every time and that these problems are gradually being solved. In general the inter-Tajik dialogue succeeded in influencing the peace process and transforming the relationships of dialogue participants from competitors to business partners and provided experience in cooperative constructive work. Positive experiences always have their continuation and the positive consequences. This can explain the transfer of the acquired experience of cooperative work in the inter-Tajik Dialogue towards the solving of the problem of post conflict construction of peace within the country. The first timid steps toward organizing many dialogues in various regions of the republic were taken in 1996 and 1997. However, this became realizable thanks to the signing of the General Agreement on Peace and national accord and the formation in 1999 of the social committee for the cooperation of democratic elections and its transformation in the year 2000 into the Social committee for the cooperation of democratic processes.
The main goal of the social committee was the idea of a constant dialogue and the formation of an all-national dialogue. The first session of the sustained dialogue in the framework of the social committee with the participation of representatives of political parties, NGOs, national communities, spiritual centers, religious leaders, scientists, political and social leaders and also representative of governmental organs. The first meeting took place in August 2000 on the eve of Independence Day. In connection with this, the theme of discussion was chosen the sovereignty and the development of democratic processes. At the second round of the dialogue, which soon followed, the participants concentrated on discussing the themes of traditional democratic institutions of Tajik society. In the process of discussion and debate, participants ran into the problems of the interconnections of traditional democratic institutes of Tajik society with Islamic traditions, customs and prejudices. In traditional Tajik society, many genuine national traditions and customs and institutions of society closely grew together with religious ones. Frequently it is difficult to determine the genuine boundaries of moral, religious rules norms and customs. Under the normal flow of events, they act in harmony and complement one another. During other conditions, at times religious dogma and prejudices overwhelm genuine moral religious customs and traditions and not infrequently overturn sound thinking. A lot of this is due to the general religious illiteracy of people and especially a large part of the servants of mosques and spiritual people. Beginning with the fifth round, participants of the dialogue chose the theme of debate to be society, state and religion. We talked about it for a long time and decided that this would be the theme for the regional sustained dialogue. The successful establishment of sustained dialogue processes made possible the transition to a new level of its development. The social committee propagated the experience of conducting the sustained dialogue in order to organize and all-national dialogue. In February and October 2002 in Dushanbe there were seminars and training for moderators who would be responsible for conducting regional dialogues. As of current date, in addition to Dushanbe there have been in various regions of the country three or four rounds of sustained dialogue. It is the practice of the social committee to develop this in other regions. Our experience with conducting the sustained dialogue is being studied not only in the country, but also abroad. Proof of this is the work of several NGOs in trying to organize dialogues, and the interest of representatives of OSCE and other organizations and representatives of Switzerland, Japan and other countries. In March 2002 the Kettering foundation organized a seminar in Dayton, Ohio called the selection of organizations for teaching methods of conducting sustained dialogue. Four founders of the social committee presented before representatives of ten countries from different continents. They presented their experience organizing and conducting the sustained dialogue program and its growth into an all-national dialogue. Our experience caused great interest among scientists of conflict resolution and moderators who set out to organize sustained dialogue. Our practice was recognized as extremely successful and our practice recommended to the moderators to study our experiences. In conclusion, the social committee provides for the inheritance of the experience of the Inter-Tajik dialogue regarding the positive change of people’s attitudes toward the more complicated problems of society. Regional dialogues that grew into a national dialogue will become the most important mechanism of reinforcing civil society and democratization in Tajikistan. Finally it is necessary to recognize and thank all the participants of the Inter-Tajik dialogue with the upcoming ten-year anniversary. Also we must thank the foreign participants for their kindness and compassionate striving towards the establishment of peace and national accord in Tajikistan, and to wish success in the future work of the Inter-Tajik Dialogue.
Ashurboi Imomov, participant in the Inter-Tajik Dialogue and chairman of the social committee for cooperation of democratic processes.
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