Dialogue in Practice: Tajikistan Experience

Context

The role and place of Islam in the process of state-building in post-Soviet Muslim countries has been a delicate issue since 1991 and independence. The existence of a legal Islamic party and the experience of an ongoing peace-building process after an atrocious civil war have enabled representatives of secular and Islamic backgrounds to co-exist in the secular Tajik state.

Context

Enduring problems, however, reflected the need to rethink the meaning of secularism in the Tajik context. This project enhanced cooperation between representatives of the secular government and the religious sphere. The goal was to implement practical confidence-building projects within the framework of an Islamic-Secular Dialogue.

History of the Dialogue

In 2001, CORE, a German research center, with the financial support of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, started an Islamic-secular dialogue project. In October 2002, the Political Division-IV (PD-IV) of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), with the collaboration of the Geneva-based Program for the Study of International Organization(s) (PSIO) of the Graduate Institute of International Studies (HEI), joined the project and supported with their German partners a new round of discussions in 2003.

Dialogue in 2004-2006

• In 2004-2006 (Phase II), concrete policy recommendations and projects were developed. Three working groups met monthly for a one-year dialogue cycle on the topics of religious education; law, religion, and politics; and prevention of radicalism. • In 2006-2008 (Phase III), the dialogue participants dedicated their

time to project implementation and the continuation of the dialogue at a high official level.

Projects of Working Groups (2005-2007)• Working Group 1 developed an innovative and uniform curriculum for

a pilot madrassah and trained religious teachers. • Working Group 2 published a specialized manual in April 2008 about

the mosque registration process in Tajikistan and held seminars on the demanding legal registration process.• Working Group 3 established a partnership with the Civil Servants

Training Institute. Five teaching modules aiming at enhancing the skills of civil servants in dealing with religious organizations and actors were developed and have been included in the training agenda at the Institute since May 2007.

Dialogue in 2008-2009

• The Dialogue: The three working groups continued their high-level dialogue and monitor their cooperation projects.• The Dialogue members suggested to establish a NGO: the main

mission of the Academy to assist in prevention of challenges and solution of problems faced by the Tajik society using means of dialogue• In late August 2009 the Academy of Dialogue was established and

started to operate• The Pilot Religious School operates as a separate entity and trains

students (32 alumni by today)

Projects of Working Groups (2008-2009)• The Pilot Religious School: Working Group 1-ая introduced the 3-years

groundbreaking uniform curriculum at a pilot madrassa. • Guide to Mosque Registration and Seminars: Working Group 2 upgraded

and republished their legal assistance manual on mosque registration. Educational seminars helped religious leaders and civil servants to correctly register mosques.• Training: In cooperation with the Civil Servants Training Institute, in order

to enhance the conflict management capacity of regional/local civil servants, Working Group 3 developed new teaching material to address the needs of civil servants at the grassroots level. A textbook was published; eight four-day training sessions was organized throughout Tajikistan; and five roundtables in different cities discuss the modules.