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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 2

FORWARD ................................................................................................................................ 4

NOTES OF A DIPLOMAT: 20 YEARS AFTER ........................................................................... 6

CELEBRATING GIRLS .............................................................................................................10

YOU LIVE WHERE? .................................................................................................................14

MAPPING A PATH TO THE FUTURE ......................................................................................19

THE SCIENTIST-DIPLOMAT ....................................................................................................22

MERRY CHRISTMAS IN KAZAKHSTAN ..................................................................................25

CENTRAL ASIA: A VIEW FROM WASHINGTON .....................................................................28

NEW SILK ROAD .....................................................................................................................31

HORSE DIPLOMACY ...............................................................................................................35

WHY WE GAVE OUR AMERICAN DAUGHTER A KAZAKH NAME .........................................39

ELVIS PRESLEY - ALIVE AND WELL IN KAZAKHSTAN .........................................................42

ALL ROADS LEAD TO KAZAKHSTAN .....................................................................................45

HUBBLE’S 25TH BIRTHDAY: A PERSONAL MEMORY ............................................................49

INTRODUCTION

The opportunity to contribute regularly to the on-line version of Esquire Kazakhstan

came as a complete surprise. While diplomats typically welcome the prospect of

reaching out to larger audiences, few have been presented with a mandate as broad or

open-ended as this one. Essentially, almost any topic has been encouraged, whether

focusing on personal perspectives, professional concerns or a mix of both.

The variety of topics covered in this collection of

Esquire stories reflects the breadth of that

mandate. Some are indeed largely work-related,

covering such topics as the new USAID strategy for

Central Asia, the New Silk Road initiative aimed at

linking South Asia with Central Asia, the importance

of human rights and the relationship of science and

technology to development. Others, while seemingly

focused on work-related topics, quickly move into

more personal territory. For example, columns

marking "International Day of the Girl," "International

Women's Day" and "Victory Day" fall into this

category, starting as they do with a reflection on a

generic commemorative event marked in various

ways around the world but quickly moving to commentary that is deeply personal.

In fact, to a possibly surprising extent the reflections that appear in this e-book do not fit

within the usual stereotypical view of what interests and motivates a diplomat, including

those diplomats whose careers have largely been focused on development. In fact,

most contributions fall very much in this category. What do friends and family think

when we say we work in Kazakhstan? What happens when someone from the United

States brings their love of horses to Kazakhstan? How has the country of Kazakhstan

Ambassador Jonathan Addleton

changed over the last two decades, at least as viewed from the perspective of a foreign

visitor? And in what sense is Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock 'n roll" still alive and well

in Kazakhstan? These themes and more are highlighted in the pages that follow, some

taking a serious approach while others covering more humorous aspects of life in

Central Asia.

Above all, our intent from the outset has been to "humanize" the work of USAID as well

as those United States Foreign Service officers serving in Kazakhstan, especially with

respect to their life, work, activities, encounters and partnerships in Almaty and

beyond. Much of our day-to-day work inevitably focuses on the more technical nature

of important development sectors such as energy, health, education and economic

growth or the more bureaucratic processes involved in planning, budgeting and

implementing projects.

But against that backdrop, we never forget for even a moment how fortunate we are to

experience life in Central Asia and especially in Almaty, an attractive city with a diverse

population and wonderful views of the Tien Shan. And, like people everywhere, we

can't help but respond to that environment, not as bureaucrats or international civil

servants or stereotypical diplomats but rather as interested and curious human beings,

interested and engaged with those around us.

Our hope is that this e-book presents, preserves and consolidates in one place a wide

variety of views by the various American diplomats that have appeared in the on-line

version of Esquire over the past many months. Those of us that have contributed have

very much appreciated the opportunity to look beyond the parameters of our usual

workday. Indeed, our sincere hope is that the readers of these articles will enjoy them

as much as those of us who were privileged to have written them!

Johnathan Addleton

Regional Mission Director, USAID Mission to Central Asia

Almaty, Kazakhstan

FORWARD

This series began - as so many wonderful ideas do - as an idea mentioned in passing.

Twenty-five years into our operations around Central Asia, we’d done a decent job

describing USAID’s work around the region. Our programs, our impact, our

beneficiaries; these stories regularly appeared in news outlets.

But this coverage missed out on an important aspect of our operations; our people.

Jonathan Addleton, who penned many of the stories that follow, first arrived in Almaty

back in 1992 as a junior officer, soon after Kazakhstan’s independence and the opening

of our our first office here.

Today, he has returned to

head up our operations. In the

decades in between, countless

Americans have lived in

Almaty, working on our

operations in Kazakhstan and

around Central Asia.

We fell into discussion with

Gulnara Bazhkenova, Editor

for Esquire’s online platform in

Kazakhstan, well known for its

dynamic and insightful

journalism. Gulnara mentioned

Esquire’s desire for interesting

content; we started sharing the stories of our diplomats around the region. “Wouldn’t it

be great,” we wondered, “to put together a series at the intersection of US diplomatic

efforts around the country and the American diplomats doing this work.” And thus, a

series was born. Zapiski Diplomata. The Notes of the Diplomat.

For nearly 25 years, USAID has partnered with the Government

and people of Kazakhstan in building social and economic

prosperity. Here, USAID promotes healthy lifestyles among

youth on the occasion of World HIV Day.

These are our stories. Our staff include climbers, mothers, bakers, travelers, scientists,

musicians, and enthusiasts of any number of human pursuits. Some speak Russian or

Kazakh with confidence. Others struggle to find their way. All benefit from their

engagement with this with this wonderful country.

These stories point to the fantastic collaboration our countries have enjoyed for the

better part of three decades. We hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as we’ve

enjoyed writing them. The stories that follow are personal and do not necessarily reflect

the views of the US Government.

Aler Grubbs and John Harris

USAID/Central Asia, Strategy and Program Office

Almaty, Kazakhstan

NOTES OF A DIPLOMAT: 20 YEARS AFTER

Originally published September 2014.

Jonathan Addleton

wenty-one years ago this month -- in October 1993 -- my Scottish wife and I

arrived in Almaty for the first time. Having spent part of my own childhood in

the mountains of northern Pakistan, I often wondered what was on the other

side of the Himalayas. Now we

welcomed the opportunity to finally

find out.

Our USSR era guidebook provided

details on various highlights

including Koktobe and the television

tower, Medeo and the Kazakhstan

Hotel. Our Embassy told us to plan

for a very cold winter. Diplomatic

colleagues mentioned that we could

expect to live with our two small

boys in an a three-room apartment

measuring 50 square meters.

Then emerging as a newly

independent state, Kazakhstan at

that time had hit rock bottom. Old

women sold used socks on street

corners. When Zippo lighters arrived

for the first time, lines formed to buy them. Later that fall the tenghe was introduced, the

notes featuring various heroes from Kazakhstan's past such as Abai and Ablai Khan. It

cost 17,000 old Russian rubles, once representing a lifetime of savings, to buy a single

Snickers bar.

T

Author and his family in Medeu, 1993

Returning to Almaty all these years later, the city has changed dramatically. The skyline

is nearly unrecognizable. Furmanov is still called Furmanov but the crowded streets are

very different from the ones we first saw more than two decades ago. Traffic, apartment

buildings, restaurants, shopping malls -- the overall effect is utterly different.

Meeting former friends and colleagues after a lapse of many years is one of life's

special pleasures:

The first Kazakh citizen who met us at the old Almaty airport terminal when we arrived

has become active in her country's environmental movement while also promoting

tourism and following

her love of jazz.

The daughter of

another friend, having

spent one year as a

high school student

on an exchange

program in the

southern United

States, returned to

study in Kazakhstan

and now works as a

well-respected

business consultant.

Another person we were very close to at the time became an interior decorator and now

owns property, not only in Almaty but also in Antalya and Minsk.

Author and his family in Panfilov Park in the 1990s.

"And I owe it all to the Addleton family," she informed us when we returned after nearly

twenty years away.

"How so"?

"Well, your wife taught me English. You said things would get better. And you

introduced me to your cousin Jim."

My cousin Jim is a fireman. Like many firemen in the United States, he has a second

job -- in his case "flipping" houses. Put another way, he would buy a derelict house, put

"sweat equity" into it to improve it and then sell it for a profit. Several years later his

family was well taken care of and he was earning much more than was possible on

only a fireman's

salary.

"We did the same

thing," our friend said,

having ridden the

Almaty real estate

wave -- and survived

the Almaty real estate

bubble of 2008-2009 -

- with great success.

Looking back, those

three years that we

spent in Almaty during

the middle 1990s now

seem like a distant dream. Our two boys who once attended detski-sat and learned

Russian in Almaty are now adults. Our daughter who was born when we first lived in

Almaty turns twenty next month.

Author’s wife at bread kiosk, Almaty, 1996

Yet we still remember the hospitality of the citizens of Kazakhstan whom we first met in

the fall of 1993, the warm gestures of welcome as we settled into our new home. We

remember their resilience, fortitude and ability to survive wrenching change as well.

Having returned to Almaty after these many years, we most enjoy waking each morning

to the view toward the south that makes this city very special, the opportunity to look

once again at the one aspect of Almaty that has not changed despite the relentless

passage of time -- the stunning panorama of the magnificent snow-covered Tien Shan.

Note on Author: Jonathan Addleton is Director of the Regional USAID Mission to

Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as US Ambassador

to Mongolia; USAID Representative to the European Union; Senior Civilian

Representative to southern Afghanistan; and USAID Mission Director in Pakistan and

Cambodia.

CELEBRATING GIRLS

Originally published October 2014.

Jonathan Addleton

ater this week, on October 11, the world will mark the third annual UN Day of the

Girl Child. Although much more recent and less well known than other global

commemorations such as Labor Day or International Women's Day, it is

certainly worth celebrating the importance of girls as well as the fact that they literally

hold the future of the planet in their hands. Indeed, it is this generation of girls that

makes the next generation possible.

My interaction with the "girl child" has occurred in two main ways -- with my younger

sister Nancy growing up and with my youngest daughter Catriona who will soon turn

twenty. Neither are girls any longer -- but both embody the challenges and

opportunities that girls hold for families as well as for the societies, communities and

countries in which they are

raised.

With two older brothers,

Nancy's arrival completed

our family and my brother

and I felt protective of her

from the beginning,

sometimes perhaps too

protective. We later studied

at different universities and

took different paths. Nancy

married and had a son of her

own. She became a nurse

and then earned a Master's

L

Author’s daughter Catriona

degree in communications and management. Today she is director of health services

for my home county in the southern United States, serving a population numbering

more than 150,000. Her focus includes infectious diseases and many of the issues that

she deals with every day -- including tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS -- are similar to the

ones addressed by our USAID program in here in Kazakhstan.

My daughter Catriona was also the youngest in the family and had two older brothers.

As children, they too experienced the combination of pride and rivalry that is often part

of life for siblings that are close in age and grow up together. She too was protected by

her two brothers but on occasion also intimidated by them. Perhaps youngest children

everywhere inherit

something of a "nurturing"

aspect, passed on to them

by their mothers and

fathers. Like my sister

Nancy, Catriona is

interested in a health

career.

Other families no doubt

take different paths and

pursue other dreams. But

almost always education is

the foundation on which these dreams are built. In that sense, it is appropriate that the

UN Day of the Girl Child this year is focused on one main issue -- education for girls.

In Kazakhstan, as in the United States, boys and girls attend school from first grade

onward in roughly comparable numbers; if a classroom has 30 students, approximately

half of them will be girls. According to the official statistics, "there is no notable

difference in gender distribution," either in Kazakhstan or the United States.

Author’s daughter Catriona in Almaty in the mid 1990’s.

But this is not the case everywhere. I think especially of my previous assignments in

Pakistan and Afghanistan, where lack of education for girls has emerged as an

especially significant issue and is widely regarded as one of the main obstacles to a

better future.

Especially in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan, many girls do not attend school and those

that do start school rarely go beyond fifth grade. Working in southern Afghanistan last

year, I often asked local governors and other officials, most serving in provinces with

populations of more than 300,000, how many girls had graduated from high school in

their province during the last year. In two of the provinces that I visited most often --

Uruzgan and Zabul -- the answer came back as follows: less than fifteen.

Given that this year's UN Day of the Girl Child focuses on education, I also recall Malala

of Mingora, a fifteen year old

girl living in a town in northern

Pakistan who championed

female education in a district

where many girls were

deprived of it. Yet she

persisted, attending school

each day and occasionally

writing blogs published by

BBC about it. Eventually she

became so vocal that the local

Taliban could no longer

tolerate it -- and ordered her

killed.

The rest of the story is well known. The attack on her school bus occurred on October

9, 2012, two days before the first annual UN-organized Day of the Girl Child. By some

USAID support for the NGO UMAI helps provide housing for

children whose parents are unable to care for them.

miracle, she survived and after a long period of recovery continues to champion female

education, not only in Pakistan but around the world.

Her story especially resonates in southern Afghanistan where I then served because

Malala of Mingora's father named her after Malala of Maiwand, a nineteenth century

Afghan heroine who was born west of Kandahar and died there on what was supposed

to be her wedding day, rallying Afghan troops in a battle that they were about to lose by

tearing off her veil, waving it like a flag, and encouraging the soldiers to be brave in

defending their country. Nearly 150 years later, schools and health clinics across

Afghanistan are named after her.

Even today the story of the two Malalas offers an example of bravery involving young

girls that should inspire everyone. In fact, Malala of Mingora in Pakistan was

specifically named by her father after Malala of Maiwand in Afghanistan because he

hoped his daughter would grow up to be courageous and brave.

No doubt Kazakhstan has its own heroines and its own examples of bravery, some

involving young girls who went on to become leaders in their fields, whether as

scientists, doctors, teachers, writers, athletes or in any number of other occupations. In

many cases parents and families provide the initial inspiration -- but surely the

opportunity for education from an early age also plays a vital and even essential role.

Note on Author: Jonathan Addleton is Director of the Regional USAID Mission to

Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as US Ambassador

to Mongolia; USAID Representative to the European Union; Senior Civilian

Representative to southern Afghanistan; and USAID Mission Director in Pakistan and

Cambodia.

YOU LIVE WHERE?

Originally published November 2014.

Andrew Segars

y friends and family in America think I’m a bit strange. You see, I’ve lived in

Central Asia for about 15 years at this point (in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and

Turkmenistan). Not that there is anything strange about living in Kazakhstan,

of course, it is just that most Americans still know relatively little about “our” part of the

world. And even fewer have lived in – or even traveled to – Kazakhstan.

I have heard from many Kazakhstani friends that they have experienced some version

of this conversation when they have traveled abroad.

“Where are you from?”

“Kazakhstan.”

“Where?”

“Kazakhstan.”

“Where is that?”

It often gets worse (and more frustrating) from there. However, as a foreigner who has

lived in this region for many years, I’m excited to see how this is starting to change. For

a variety of reasons (oil, Baikonur, President Nazarbayev, Astana Pro Team, OSCE

Chairmanship, etc.), more and more people in America and Europe are discovering

Kazakhstan.

Certainly, many more people know about Kazakhstan in 2014 than they did in 2004 or

1994. What’s driving this?

Maybe it’s the success of Kazakhstan’s athletes in recent years – Gennady Golovkin

just had another devastating knockout win a few days ago in California, for example.

M

Maybe it’s internationally-acclaimed film directors like Timur Bekmambetov or internet

sensations like Sabina Altynbekova; maybe it’s Kazakhstan’s conscious effort to

increase its international stature by hosting Expo 2017 and being a finalist to host the

Winter Olympics in 2022. Of course, as with any country, Kazakhstan is not immune

to cases of international intrigue (I will let you decide which ones I’m talking about),

which certainly make headlines too.

And, of course, no list of things foreigners “know” about Kazakhstan would be complete

without mention of the infamous

Borat movie. Thank you, Sacha

Baron Cohen (kind of).

All of this, however, is superficial.

Kazakhstan is not one person, or

one thing, or one scandal, or one

movie. Kazakhstan is a relatively

young country, with a complicated

history, in a strategic location, with a

diverse population, and great

ambitions.

When I first came to Kazakhstan in

the winter of 1997-1998 to teach at

Almaty State University, the country

was in a much different place than it is today. The country was only a few years

removed from being part of the Soviet Union and much was unclear. Kazakhstan had

abundant natural resources and grand ambitions, to be sure, but no one really knew

how, or if, this would lead to concrete progress. I saw this central dichotomy in my

students – pride and optimism in themselves and in their country, but perhaps a less

than realistic understanding of what was required for concrete progress.

The author works on his Central Asian geography.

It has been very interesting to see how the country has developed over the past two

decades and how people’s optimism has changed, and has become more realistic and

sophisticated.

But why is this?

From my perspective, both as a foreigner living in Kazakhstan and as a professional

working in the field of development

with the United States Agency for

International Development (USAID),

one of the major reasons people in

Kazakhstan have a more sophisticated

understanding of, and demand for,

development is the simple fact that

they are more exposed to the rest of

the world than ever before.

Increasingly, Kazakhstanis travel

abroad, are educated abroad, even

work abroad. Even for those who do

not have the opportunity to travel,

access to information from a variety of

sources is increasingly available and

affects their outlook, both regarding

their own country and the world.

In fact, one of the most powerful development tools we use at USAID, and one that the

Government of Kazakhstan fully embraced, is exposure to international best practices.

This could be in the field of banking and finance, agriculture development, health

systems strengthening, governance reform, etc.

The author in Central Asia

By exposing people to new ideas, new perspectives, and new ways of doing things,

progress is not only possible, but inevitable.

Through U.S. Government-funded academic exchange programs such as the Fulbright

Program, or the Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program, or the FLEX High School

Exchange Program, and through Government of Kazakhstan-funded education

programs like the Bolashak Presidential Scholarship Program, thousands of

Kazakhstanis have been educated abroad. This investment has already paid huge

dividends, and will continue to do so, as alumni of these programs take up more and

more positions of leadership in the coming years.

For the past several years, USAID has partnered with the Government of Kazakhstan

on the Program for Economic Development, jointly funding projects which help to grow

Kazakhstan’s economy. These investments are powerful and have helped Kazakhstan

reach the point where it is ready to provide assistance itself, through the creation of its

own development agency, KazAID. In some ways, this can be seen as coming “full

circle” – with Kazakhstan moving from the recipient of foreign assistance, to the

provider of foreign assistance.

When I drive to work these days, I pass right by my old university – Almaty State

University. Students stream in and out, just as they did nearly twenty years ago, but

there is something different, more sophisticated about them. You see the same thing

across the city of Almaty, and throughout much of the country. The expectations people

have are more ambitious; the demands they have are more grounded; the criticism they

voice is more direct.

These are telltale signs of progress and development. This also means, however, that

the government will need to be more inclusive going forward, and more responsive to its

citizens. Instead of fighting this trend, the Government should embrace it – using the

strength of its people to take the next steps in development, not only for Kazakhstan,

but for the broader region.

Looking back at my time in Kazakhstan (and believe me, I am in no hurry to leave), I

feel lucky to have lived here during a time of such progress. Of course, many

challenges remain, and many problems still need to be solved, but Kazakhstan is in a

much better place today to tackle the important issues it faces.

It is how Kazakhstan responds to these challenges and opportunities that will ultimately

determine the country’s legacy – and determine which word to insert at the end of this

conversation:

“Where are you from?”

“Kazakhstan.”

“Ah yes. I know it well. Your country is…”.

Note on Author: Andrew Segars is Senior Development Advisor at the Regional

USAID Mission to Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where he works on

projects that seek to build connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia.

Previously, he worked for USAID in the Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan.

MAPPING A PATH TO THE FUTURE

Originally published November 2014.

By Jonathan Addleton

very serious organization has a plan, a strategy and a road map for the future.

Recently the USAID Mission in Central Asia completed its latest strategy,

outlining what we hope to accomplish over the next five years.

I especially appreciated

being part of the process

this time because, twenty

years ago, I was closely

involved in formulating the

very first USAID strategy in

Central Asia. Among other

things, we focused on

partnering with Kazakhstan

to build, strengthen and

consolidate its status as a

newly independent country.

We also sought to bring international experience to the attention of Kazakhstan's

leadership, hoping to inform decisions that would shape the country well into the

future. Lessons learned from this international experience -- including a pragmatic

assessment of "the good, the bad and the ugly" -- have helped Kazakhstan avoid some

of the mistakes that other resource-rich countries elsewhere have made.

As a reflection of this success, Kazakhstan is now on the verge of establishing its own

foreign aid program -- KazAid. Just as in the past Kazakhstan applied "lessons learned"

from other countries toward its development path, it is now positioning itself to share its

own development experience with others

E

The author during a trip to Tajikistan

Of course, Kazakhstan -- as with any other country including my own -- still faces

formidable, even daunting, challenges. But the nature and substance of those

challenges have changed dramatically over time.

Looking ahead, USAID programs in Central Asia over the next five years will focus on

three main areas.

First, we look forward to engaging

on economic issues, especially

those that contribute toward creating

jobs, reducing poverty and ensuring

a sustainable future.

Second, we plan to support regional

cooperation on issues related to

energy and water.

Third, we want to strengthen good

governance, in part by supporting

innovative approaches that promote

transparency, build accountability and

improve service delivery in key areas such as health and education.

Beyond these three focus areas, we will also support connectivity among the various

countries in Central Asia and between Central Asia and its three neighbors to the south

-- India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Kazakhstan's relations with Russia are historically important and will always remain

so. More recently, China's economic activity and impact on Central Asia has increased

The author, left, on the Aspara River, at the Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan border

significantly. Connections to Turkey and points further west toward Europe have also

expanded.

But land-locked regions benefit enormously from multiple access points that include

open doors and windows in all directions. In the case of Kazakhstan, this underscores

the importance of renewing ties between Central and South Asia with its huge

populations, large markets and almost insatiable demand for energy.

Above all, we want to make sure that the issues we address also matter to our Central

Asian partners. As the German proverb has it, "What is the use of running fast if you

are on the wrong road"?

In recent months, a foundational issue associated with developing our new strategy has

been to make sure that we are indeed on the "right road".

Looking ahead, the recent official launch of our new strategy means that the USAID

Mission in Central Asia is now embarking on a journey down the new road that has

been set before us -- hand-in-hand, we hope, with our fellow partners and traveling

companions, both in Kazakhstan and beyond.

Note on Author: Jonathan Addleton is Director of the Regional USAID Mission to

Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as US Ambassador

to Mongolia; USAID Representative to the European Union; Senior Civilian

Representative to southern Afghanistan; and USAID Mission Director in Pakistan and

Cambodia.

THE SCIENTIST-DIPLOMAT

Originally published December 2014.

By Kate Himes

s the plane descended below the clouds, the twinkling lights of Almaty

emerged, glistening in the night darkness. Squinting at the glowing red letters

through sleepy eyes, I paused on each of the six characters, sounding the

Cyrillic slowly… Almaty. After a long journey from the United States, I had arrived. My

new life as a science diplomat in Central Asia was beginning!

Science and Diplomacy?

What is science diplomacy, you might be asking? Don’t diplomats stamp visas and

shuffle papers for high level

meetings? Yes, but we also

do so much more. Scientists

play a key role in the

formation and promotion of

foreign policy. After all, there

can be no diplomacy without

technical expertise.

Scientists play a key role at

all levels of government, and

we get involved with a wide

range of national and

regional concerns. The relationship between science and diplomacy is a two-way street.

That is, science can advance diplomacy by opening doors for dialogue, and diplomacy

can advance science through advancing shared priorities and development initiatives.

I serve as a Science and Technology Fellow as part of the US Consulate General in

Almaty. Science diplomats like myself started taking up positions in government over

forty years ago through a program run by the American Association for the

Advancement of Science. Around the world, my colleagues and I work at the

A

The author in the mountains around Almaty.

intersection of science and policy. In previous assignments I’ve helped governments

from Morocco to Nepal develop their science education programs at universities and

national science academies, and assisted students and professors in South Africa

launch businesses based on their science and engineering ideas.

More recently, my own government has renewed its commitment to science,

technology, innovation and partnerships in all of our development projects overseas.

We’re working to help end extreme poverty around the world by 2030, a goal that will

only be possible embracing the latest scientific advances.

Science Diplomacy in Central Asia

Here in Kazakhstan, I spend

most of my time far from the

Embassy, out in the field. My

work has taken me from the

Aspara River at the border

between Kazakhstan and

Kyrgyzstan where we’re helping

to install state of the art water

monitoring equipment, to the

17th floor of the solar furnace in

rural Uzbekistan where we’re

helping to lead the conversation

on energy efficiency, to the

Ustyurt Plateau in Western Kazakhstan where we’ve helped to train the world’s first

ever detection dogs trained to sniff out illegally smuggled Saiga Antelope horns.

All the countries of Central Asia share a legacy of prominent scientific and engineering

research, and one of my favorite parts of the job is connecting American with Central

Asian scientists, helping to develop the next generation of scientists, engineers, and

government leaders. The potential for this collaboration is great. For example, we’re

Uzbekistan’s solar furnace.

launching the Kazakhstan chapter of the international Association of Energy Engineers,

which helps Kazakhstan think through its options related to climate change, ultimately

setting up a greenhouse gas emissions trading system, in support of Kazakhstan’s

Green Economy vision.

Opportunities in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is well-positioned to grow its own cohort of scientist-diplomats. In particular,

there are tremendous opportunities for collaboration between science and diplomacy as

Kazakhstan launches its new international aid agency, KazAID, to assist its neighbors in

addressing regional challenges such as access to energy, sustainable use of water for

agriculture, science education, and climate change. Collaboration in this area is growing

between the United States and Kazakhstan. In June 2013, our two governments signed

a science and technology agreement outlining a series of areas for expanded

cooperation and collaboration. How exciting to be a science diplomat, applying science

to promote diplomacy!

I first became excited about science during childhood walks in the woods with my

parents. This enthusiasm grew at university, when I discovered the intersection between

natural and social sciences, and later when I discovered the important role scientists

play in forming government policy. It’s an honor to communicate this excitement about

science in everything I do here in Kazakhstan and around region. I look forward to

continuing to advance the science partnership between our two countries during the rest

of my time in Almaty.

Note on Author: Kate Himes is a Science Adviser at the Regional USAID Mission to

Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, she served in the USAID

Washington Office of Science & Technology; and was Special Assistant to the Provost

at the University of Minnesota. Kate holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and an MBA in

Entrepreneurship.

MERRY CHRISTMAS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Originally published January 2015.

By Aler Grubbs

I have a job that packs me up and moves me to a new country every couple of years.

Every year, I wonder where

I will spend the holiday

season. Will I be in a hot,

equatorial climate fighting

off malarial mosquitoes,

dreaming of far-fetched

notions of frost and fir

trees? Will I be in an

authentic winter

wonderland, where the

snow glistens and lights

the mind with images of

Santa and reindeer? Will I

be back home again in

Indiana, my home in the middle part of America, where our family welcomes anyone to

the table with open doors and open arms?

Last year I spent Christmas in Almaty, newly arrived as a U.S. diplomat, ready to settle

in and stay for several years. Arriving alone in a new place on the cusp of the winter

holidays was lonely. I had to quickly bond with this new environment, find a way to call it

"home" and celebrate the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. I was amazed by the

Merry Christmas wonderland I found in Kazakhstan.

Just like everywhere else in the world, Kazakhstan loves Christmas. Regardless of

where you live in the world, there is no doubt that the trappings of Christmas – beautiful

lights and decorations, fir trees, Santa Claus, and presents – appeal to everyone across

Almaty street ready for Christmas

cultures, customs, religion, or political views. By early December, Almaty had

transformed itself from a landscape of autumn – bare trees, cold drizzle, muted skies

and muddy walkways – to a snow-covered city of holiday glamour and festivity. Here is

a city draped in merry lights, with Christmas carols playing on outside loudspeakers,

wrapped and bundled people strolling in snowy landscapes and romantic city parks.

Some of my favorite places include the bustling Furmanov Street, lined with whimsical

green and red neon lights around every street light; the custard yellow cathedral in

Panfilov Park, shimmering with polished brass spires and a hood of sparkly snow;

Dostyk Avenue, taking a break from congestion as it twinkles flirtatiously with strings of

lights and blue and red baubles around the buildings and bushes.

A giant, decorated Christmas tree floating on a

bed of snow outside a glittery shopping mall

looks like the center of my small American

hometown in Nashville, Indiana, but it’s

actually Dostyk Plaza. Celebrations like this

remind me of how much we have in common.

Whether we’re from Kazakhstan, America, or

anywhere else that celebrates Christmas,

we’re sharing a common experience.

Though big picture is the same, the details set

our Christmases apart. Here in Almaty is a

giant statue of a wise old man with flowing

white hair and beard, wearing a cloak lined

with white fur….

….he looks similar to the Santa I’m familiar with, but at the same time he’s different.

While my hometown American version of Santa wears an iconic red cloak and

pantaloons with black buttons, this Santa is wearing blue! And the Kazakh Santa is

quite serious, slim and carries a large staff, while “my” Santa is plump with a gleeful grin

A festive Dostyk Plaza

and rosy cheeks. This Kazakh Santa is stoic, noble and wise; ours is jolly and full of

laughter. But, regardless of his appearance in different locations, Santa is still Santa

and embodies the image of “Mr. Winter” and Christmas around the world.

Almaty knows the pleasure

of dressing itself up as a

winter wonderland and

showing the Christmas spirit.

One of my Kazakh

colleagues says, “I’m not

Christian, but I love

Christmas time! The family

and the fun and the giving

and the community spirit is

just like our Kazakh tradition

for winding down the old year

and welcoming the New Year.”

Whether one is Christian or Muslim or Buddhist or no religion at all, the spirit of

Christmas is universal. Christmas is about celebrating life through special rituals,

lighting up one’s surroundings with lights and music and food, coming together to share

experiences, and reaffirming our faith in humanity and our trust in each other.

I am delighted to spend the Christmas season, far from my home in America, but

warmly welcomed in my new home in Almaty. Happy New Year to all, and best wishes

and dreams for 2015 from all of us in the American community in Kazakhstan!

Note on Author: Aler Grubbs is the Director of the Strategy and Program Office and

USAID/Central Asia in Almaty. Her previous assignments with the US Government

include South Sudan, Pakistan, Egypt, Bosnia and Costa Rica.

Christmas scene in Almaty.

CENTRAL ASIA: A VIEW FROM WASHINGTON

Originally published January 2015.

By Mark Feierstein

s a member of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s senior

management team, I have traveled all over the world, visiting over 60

countries, but I had never been to Central Asia. I was delighted to remedy that

oversight with recent trip to the region, visiting both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan,

meeting with government officials, civil society leaders, and private sector

representatives in Bishkek, Almaty and Astana.

My favorite part of the trip was opportunity for frank and personal exchanges with

everyone I met. I welcome the opportunity

to continue this exchange by adding my

reflections on the trip in this column. As

with the many frank conversations I’ve

had with Kazakhstani people over the

past few days, these opportunities to

share our stories and experiences with

one another are an important part of our

work as diplomats.

My visit to Kazakhstan fell during the

period we mark International Human

Rights Day, which commemorates the day in 1948 that the United Nations adopted the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To appreciate the importance of this day, it’s

useful to keep in mind the agonizing moment in history that served as the backdrop for

this declaration: the end of the Second World War.

As I walked through Almaty’s Panfilov Park, observing the monumental statues to your

own participation in the Great Patriotic War, I was reminded that this is a shared history,

A

The author (right) with President Jimmy Carter after

observing the 1989 elections in Panama.

that our soldiers fought alongside one another and died for a common cause,

confronting a massive threat to all of our collective human rights. Our two countries

have inherited from this experience a shared commitment to diversity and tolerance. We

are both made stronger by our multi-ethnic societies, comprising multiple languages,

backgrounds and religions.

Six decades later, Kazakhstan remains an important strategic partner for the United

States. The partnership cuts across a wide

range of issues, from private sector

investment, to security cooperation, to

increased economic connectivity. Today,

USAID is assisting the Government of

Kazakhstan to create its own aid agency. The

development of KazAid, and the country’s

transition from aid recipient to donor, is a

symbol of the great economic progress that

Kazakhstan has made over the past 20 years.

I have invested a good portion of my career

helping to advance respect for human rights. In

the late 1980s, I began my career in Latin America, working for the National Democratic

Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening democratic institutions

around the world. At the time, many of the region’s countries were restoring

democracies interrupted by military rule, or taking initial steps toward representative

government. I saw first-hand the vital role that independent civil society organizations

can play in advancing democratic reforms and political stability, thereby establishing the

basis for strong economic development.

Later, I moved to the private sector, working as a journalist, and political strategist. Now

with a decade’s worth of experience in government, I am convinced that every country

The author at USAID’s office in Almaty.

needs all three elements – civil society, the private sector, and government – in order to

succeed politically and economically.

And yet, around the world, civil society is increasingly threatened. That’s why President

Obama recently announced the “Stand with Civil Society” initiative, a global call to

action to support, defend and sustain civil society. USAID is proud to help implement

President Obama’s initiative and partner with civil society organizations in Kazakhstan

and around the world to promote resilient, democratic societies. We do this because we

know that when governments and societies are organized to protect the basic rights of

citizens, they are better able to reduce poverty, spur growth, and strengthen the

resilience of communities against conflict, instability, and the crush of natural disasters.

During my time in Kazakhstan, I was able to see first-hand the powerful work of civil

society organizations. Around the country, USAID is helping Kazakh NGOs integrate

persons with disabilities into society, analyze and make recommendations on proposed

and drafted legislation, provide health and social services to those in need, and support

skills development among journalists. In Almaty and Astana, I met with dozens of young

activists engaged in our programs. I am inspired by their confidence, capabilities, and

vision for the future of their country.

Thank you for welcoming me into your country—I look forward to returning again. Our

two countries have expanded our cooperation impressively in so many spheres of

activity. It is my sincere hope that we can further deepen that cooperation in the years to

come.

Note on Author: Mark Feierstein serves as the Associate Administrator at the U.S.

Agency for International Development, part of the Agency’s senior management team.

Prior to taking up his current position, Mark served as a journalist, led operations

strengthening democratic institutions, and led public opinion and polling research.

NEW SILK ROAD

Originally published January 2015.

By Jonathan Addleton

n public presentations I often say that Central Asia is so designated because it is

indeed "central" in terms of both its location and its role in history. Most notably, it

borders and has often helped connect many of the great civilizations of the world

including Russia, China, India, Persia, Turkey and even Europe via the Caucasus and

the Black Sea.

Looking ahead, it is not unrealistic to think that Central Asia in general, and Kazakhstan

in particular, should once again aspire to play this role, using its geographic location as

well as its reality as a multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious society to help

build bridges and connect peoples in ways that are so desperately needed in a world

that all too often is divided and broken.

Viewed from an economic

perspective, the USAID

Mission in Central Asia

works to foster these

regional connections,

reviving economic

connections that were

once so important. Former

Secretary of State Hillary

Clinton formally committed

our government to the

"New Silk Road"

initiative in 2011,

focusing especially on renewing the historic ties that once flourished between Central

Asia and South Asia, but which in recent decades have been largely moribund.

I

USAID’s Central Asia Trade Forum connects traders from Central

Asia, South Asia, and beyond.

Having served in Afghanistan and spent much of my childhood on the Indian

Subcontinent, I take special interest in this part of our work here in Central Asia. For

example, last year I visited Andijan, Uzbekistan, in the Ferghana Valley, the birthplace

of Babur who went on to establish the Moghul Empire in what is now northern India.

Babur is buried in a garden in Kabul, adding further poignancy to the historic links

between Central and South Asia. In fact, some scholars trace the beautiful Moghul

gardens of India and Pakistan to efforts by Babur and his successors to recreate the

beautiful landscapes of Central Asia that they had once known so well.

Serving in Afghanistan a couple of years ago, I was struck by the fact that three of the

four city gates in old Kandahar reflect these historic connections, one opening west to

Herat and Meshad, a second north to Kabul and Central Asia, and a third east toward

India. Growing up in the town of Shikarpur in southern Pakistan, I can still remember the

mud brick walls of the old caravanserai outside town where camels once rested for the

night on their long journey between Central Asia and the Indus River.

Today the USAID Mission to Central Asia seeks to promote connectivity of a different

kind, in this case focused on important issues such as trade, energy and water. Those

visiting the Green Market in Almaty will see tangerines, mangoes and other produce

imported during certain seasons from southern Punjab in Pakistan. Similarly, those who

visit the Barakholka Market, also in Almaty, will see soccer balls, judo outfits and tennis

rackets made in Sialkot, a town in Pakistan famous for its sporting goods. Meanwhile,

both India and Pakistan export pharmaceutical products to Central Asia; Kazakhstan

would like to diversify its exports to go beyond hydrocarbons and in the future it is

possible that South Asia may emerge as a market for certain manufactured products or

even season agricultural produce.

The Silk Road was never a single route; rather it was a diverse network of trading and

cultural connections. Over time, we hope that such trade will further expand as a result

of new roads and railways as well as improvements in administrative processes at each

of the various border crossings along the way.

Another area related to Central and South Asia in which USAID is actively involved is

food security. Kazakhstan is a leading exporter of wheat flour. Indeed, almost all of the

wheat flour exported to Afghanistan comes from either Kazakhstan or Pakistan. While

flour sold in shops and consumed in Kazakhstan is fortified with additional vitamins

intended to promote adequate nutrition, especially for children, almost none of the flour

that Afghanistan imports is so fortified. One of our newest projects aims to address this

concern, providing technical advice to millers, traders and policy makers in Kazakhstan

on the various ways in which new approaches can be used to improve the nutrition of

Afghan children at a time when nutritional issues there are a matter of deep concern.

Energy and water are additional areas for further cooperation between Central and

South Asia, given Central

Asia's emergence as a

world class producer of

energy and the almost

insatiable demand for

electric power among the

nearly 1.5 billion people

living in India and

Pakistan. Over time, the

need to work together on

water issues will become paramount, given potential water scarcity due to the melting of

glaciers in the high mountains of the Himalaya, Karakorum, Hindu Kush, Pamir and Tien

Shan and the fact that watersheds know no national boundaries but rather are vital to all

countries across the region.

The fact that South Asia and Central Asia rank among the least connected regions of

the world provides important challenges as well as opportunities. The reality that

USAID helped inaugurate newly constructed power transmission lines

in Khorugh, Tajikistan, to meet the energy needs of Afghanistan’s

Badakhshon province.

economic cooperation in these regions remains limited means that the economic pay-off

of new energy links and expanded trade can make an immediate difference. Expanding

trade and other connections with South Asia also helps diversify potential sources of

future economic growth for Kazakhstan.

On occasion I am asked why USAID focuses largely on strengthening southern

connections toward South Asia, given the importance of Kazakhstan's other important

economic relationships -- north to Russia, east to China and west to Europe.

In every case, my reply is the same. Echoing Foreign Minister Idrissov, Kazakhstan is

the largest land-locked country in the world, and land-locked countries everywhere need

as many windows and doors as possible, each of which can be used to expand

opportunities for interaction with the rest of the world, moving from land-locked to “land-

linked.” Relations with Russia, China, Europe and other countries are all important and

need to be as neighborly and mutually beneficial as possible. But interaction with

multiple neighbors in every direction is also an important part of Kazakhstan's own

"multi-vector" foreign policy, and Kazakhstan benefits when it interacts with the wider

world in all directions. Hopefully, USAID's work in support of a "New Silk Road" vision

for Central and South Asia will also help contribute toward achieving this goal.

Note on Author: Jonathan Addleton is Director of the Regional USAID Mission to

Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as US Ambassador

to Mongolia; USAID Representative to the European Union; Senior Civilian

Representative to southern Afghanistan; and USAID Mission Director in Pakistan and

Cambodia.

HORSE DIPLOMACY

Originally published February 2015.

By John Harris

oon after I arrived in Kazakhstan last Spring, I wandered around the Native

Lands exhibition at Almaty’s Kasteev Museum. The exhibition assembled a

stunning collection of photos taken over one hundred years ago documenting

the nomads of Kazakhstan’s

great Steppe and the Native

American Indians of the

American West.

The pictures drew out powerful

similarities between these two

societies. The nomadic tents -

teepees and yurts; the

elaborate ceremonial

headdresses; the proud, sun-

leathered faces of the elders.

All were nearly indistinguishable.

Then there were the horses. In both sets of photos, horses were everywhere. Children

grew up riding; saddles were built for long rides across the open range; the horses - in

both cases wide backed and short legged - appeared custom built for their important

role. Both societies were defined by their horses.

I’ve been surrounded by horses all my life. My mom jokes that she made all her children

ride before we could walk. There were always horses around growing up. When I

needed more, I’d work at the local stable, shoveling manure in exchange for the chance

to ride.

S

The author’s family on horseback in Central Asia

The sight of this shared reverence for the horse - between these two cultures separated

by thousands of miles of geography and impossibly large chasms of culture - brought

tears to my eyes.

Seeing these pictures, I knew that I had come home. I had moved thousands of miles

from my ancestral home in the western United States. But surrounded by Kazakhstan’s

reverence for the horse, I felt very much at home.

At a certain point, at least

in America, boys tire of

riding, preferring

competitive sports with

speed and teams. At this

point, when I could have

moved on to other pursuits,

I discovered polo. Polo, a

game on horseback

involving teams, speed and

a ball, is descended from

the great Central Asian

game of bushkazi or kokpar. Discovering polo, my interest in horses deepened. I’ve

been playing ever since, briefly as a professional, once on a team organized by India’s

Maharaja of Jodhpur.

Last summer, in search of polo’s Central Asian origins, we traveled to the magnificent

Song Kul lake, in the rugged and empty heart of Kyrgyzstan. One day, as we camped

on the lake shore, we were overtaken by a group of young men playing bushkazi; two

teams competing to deposit a goat carcass in the opponent’s goal.

The author playing bushkazi

I wandered into the melee. Eying me suspiciously, the boys raced around me, showing

off their moves. Eventually, one offered me his horse. I jumped on, placed the headless

goat under my knee, and made off toward the opponents’ goal.

Polo is a competitive game played at speed. However, nothing I’d learned in polo

prepared me for the chaos of what followed. Horses crashed into each other. Incredibly

nimble boys lent down to the ground while galloping at speed to pick up a goat carcass

half their weight. I learned to appreciate the strategy of the game, carefully orchestrated

moves hidden by the dust of the

stampede.

Later, hoping to teach my own three

children Kazakhstan’s horse heritage, we

made our way to the Kapshagay horse

market, where thousands of horses - some

large, some small, most with peculiar

markings, all rugged - stood for sale in

cramped pens.

With a few words of Russian, we asked if

any knew how to ride. Moving past the

horses destined for the dinner table, we

jumped on a pony with a curiously hitched

trot. We fell in love with him instantly and

bought him on the spot. Caspian as he’s now

called lives at Almaty’s hippodrome, standing

next to much better bred neighbors. My friend Toleg laughs when he tells the story of

where Caspian came from. Sometimes, I still catch Caspian eying me suspiciously,

wondering even now if he’s being fattened up for the slaughter.

The author’s children and their Kazakhstani horse.

Horses run through every aspect of Kazakhstan’s culture and history. Riding on a sure

footed pony through the steep hills, I wonder if these great beasts have changed much

since the times of Genghis Khan. Mare’s milk is a national drink. Horses roam free over

the steppe and into the mountains. Traditional Central Asian nomads once said that “the

horse is the plough of mankind.”

My employer here - the US Agency for International Development - has picked up on

this horse theme. When USAID first arrived in Kazakhstan In the early 1990’s, soon

after Kazakhstan’s independence, we chose to place a horse at the center of our logo.

Around the office, old timers still have coffee mugs or shirts proudly displaying this

design. More recently, we updated our logo, bringing in new colors and designs for a

new age. The horse, however, remains, as a sign of the equestrian ties that bind our

two countries together.

Interests make connections across cultures. Wherever I travel, I seek out fellow

horsemen. We may not speak one another’s language. We may know little about the

other’s culture. But somehow we are connected. In traditional Kazakh society, when a

boy turns three, he is placed on a horse for the first time, using a special saddle to hold

him steady. As he sets off, his elders bless him with these words:

“Go through the desert, where the bird's wings are tired.

Find the way off-road, be ahead of the troops in battle.

Let your horse be always ready. I wish you this.”

These are words I would like to pass along to my own son. Because of the horse, I feel

connected to Kazakhstan.

Note on Author: John Harris works at USAID’s regional Mission to Central Asia based

in Almaty.

WHY WE GAVE OUR AMERICAN DAUGHTER A KAZAKH NAME

Originally published March 2015.

By Amy Lovejoy

y first child was born two years ago in Colombia. I gave him a Colombian

name--Santiago. Whenever I introduced my bright-eyed, blond-haired boy to

Colombians, they expected to hear a more American name like Chris, Jack,

or John. They never expected to hear the Colombian name Santiago from me, an

American diplomat. Whenever I introduced him to my Colombian colleagues, on the

street, at the office, or in a park, their faces would light up with delight, and they would

shower him with extra affirmations of his special place in this world. Their familiarity with

his name added to the connection they felt for him.

As soon as I knew we would be

moving to Almaty, Kazakhstan

for our next assignment, my

partner and I decided we

wanted the same for our

second child, a girl. We began

researching Kazakh names,

hoping that our daughter would

receive the same warm local

greeting in Almaty as our son

had received in Colombia. We

found ourselves hovering

around a group of names, most of which began with the letter "Z"--Zara, Zamzagul,

Zarina, Zauresh, and Zaida.

Recognizing that our daughter would be her own person, we wanted a name both tough

and feminine. We imagined her being as comfortable competing in a snowboarding

competition at Shymulak as she would be performing ballet at the Abai Theater. We

M

Author’s daughter Zaida

envisioned her executing complicated ice skating moves at Medeo as well as hanging

from trees in Gorky Park. She would be feisty and feminine, hard core and empathetic,

brilliant and beautiful. We wanted a name that reflected all of this. Most important, we

wanted her name to reflect Kazakhstan, her first home.

As we continued to think

through names for our

daughter, we discovered

the traditional Kazakh

celebration of Besik Toi.

In this tradition, Kazakh

parents invite relatives to

gather around a new

baby's cradle, and an

honored guest is invited

to name the child.

Without consulting the

parents, the person

decides on a name and whispers it into the infant's ear three times: your name is… your

name is… your name is… After this, the child is officially named.

Before our daughter was born, we had dinner with a dear friend of ours, and shared this

tradition with him. He listened to the Kazakh names we were considering, and selected

one from the list. When our daughter was born, we invited him into the delivery room.

He cupped his hands around her ears and repeated the name he had chosen; “Your

name is Zaida. Your name is Zaida. Your name is Zaida.”

When we brought her home, we continued to recreate our own version of Besek Toi. In

ancient times, traditional gifts included a whip, a bridle, a fur coat, and a blanket. The

bridle and a whip signified family hopes that the baby might ride a horse, be brave or

even become a batyr--an honorific term for a hero. In modern times, reflecting our own

Author’s daughter explores Central Asia

family’s experience, the symbolic gifts we placed in Zaida’s crib included a Tibetan

Tonka painting, a quartz bracelet, children’s stories, and letters of affirmation confirming

her launch into Kazakh culture.

Since arriving in Almaty three months ago, we have introduced baby Zaida to her new

community. We have shared with friends and colleagues the origin of her name and

how deeply we value Kazakh traditions like Besik Toi.

This week we celebrate International Women’s Day, a day when all the world’s

countries draw attention to the achievements of women past, present and future. We

feel lucky that Zaida’s first Women’s Day will be spent here in Kazakhstan. Her first

languages will be Russian and Kazakh. Her first memories will be of Almaty, where she

has already enjoyed the circus, attended philharmonic and rock concerts, and sledded

in the snowy mountains. We can’t wait to watch our daughter develop in Kazakhstan.

We are thrilled that she gets to call Almaty home.

Note on Author: Amy Lovejoy is the Director of the Economic Development office at

USAID/Central Asia in Almaty. Her previous assignments with the US Government

include Colombia, Pakistan, and Bosnia.

ELVIS PRESLEY - ALIVE AND WELL IN KAZAKHSTAN

Originally published April 2015.

Jonathan Addleton

lvis Presley never visited Kazakhstan. However, his memory is alive and well,

not only in songs such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Love me Tender,"

and "Blue Suede Shoes" but also in the kitchen equipment in the USAID

cafeteria in Almaty, possibly the sole surviving link to his military service in Europe more

than fifty years ago.

Presley's cultural impact, both in the United States and around the world, is enormous.

Born in poverty in the rural American south in 1935, his family later moved to Memphis,

Tennessee. It was there where he first

made his musical mark, fusing disparate

elements of blues, country, jazz and

gospel into a revolutionary new sound

now known as rock and roll.

In the late 1950s, when his musical

career was just beginning to take off,

Presley was inducted into the United

States Army as a private, quickly making

the transition from teenage heart throb to

lowly enlisted soldier. Assigned to the

Third Armored Division in West Germany,

he was generous to those around him.

For example, he bought an extra set of uniforms for his fellow soldiers and purchased

television sets for the base on which he served. In addition, he furnished his unit with

new stainless steel kitchen equipment.

E

Elvis Presley with his battalion in Germany.

This is where the interesting part starts, at least as far as Kazakhstan is concerned. In

the early 1990s, when the United States was establishing new embassies in the former

Soviet Union, it was also dramatically reducing the number of American soldiers

stationed in western Europe. Excess equipment from those military units was either

sold, scrapped or given away. And, remarkably, some of that equipment was shipped to

various American Embassies

including the one just then

being built in the old Almaty

Maternity Hospital on

Furmanova Street.

I was in Almaty as a junior

Foreign Service Officer at the

time. It was 1994 and I still

remember when the

shipment first arrived. As we

quickly learned, some of the

"surplus equipment" was

from Elvis Presley's old unit in

Friedberg and would be used to furnish our new cafeteria. Almost immediately several

Embassy colleagues started to refer to our new eating room as the "Hound Dog Cafe".

Early visitors to the Embassy quickly became aware of the historic connection between

Elvis Presley and their lunch. Several years later, the US Embassy in Almaty was

mentioned in William Yenne's Field Guide to Elvis Shrines (2004). "He used to be King,

but now he's more like God," the author writes, "At least to the legions of devout and

devoted who wish to visit and revel in the vibes of every site that's even remotely related

to Elvis".

Author’s daughter Catriona at Elvis’ birthplace.

Subsequently, our Embassy moved to Kazakhstan's new capital in Astana. But the

cafeteria equipment stayed behind, bequeathed to USAID and later moved by USAID to

its new premises near Panfilov Park where it is still in use.

Three years ago, during a road trip across the southern United States, my family made

a point of visiting Elvis Presley's humble beginnings, stopping to see his recently

restored two-room birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi. The next day we drove north to

Memphis, spending the morning at Graceland, the estate where he lived and is now

buried.

Even today, hundreds of thousands of visitors tour Graceland each year. However, very

few of them will ever manage to make their way to another Elvis shrine, the USAID

office in Almaty, where his old and somewhat dented cafeteria equipment is still in use,

even as it was once used to serve hamburgers and hot dogs to Elvis Presley and his

fellow soldiers in Germany during the late 1950s. Memories of Elvis Presley may recede

into the past. Yet the equipment that he once used will continue to provide a tangible

and even enduring link between the independent nation of Kazakhstan and the

flamboyant cultural icon who still retains his title as "King of Rock and Roll".

Note on Author: Jonathan Addleton is Director of the Regional USAID Mission to

Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as US Ambassador

to Mongolia; USAID Representative to the European Union; Senior Civilian

Representative to southern Afghanistan; and USAID Mission Director in Pakistan and

Cambodia.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO KAZAKHSTAN

Originally published April 2015.

Nils Bergeson

everal years ago, I traveled to California to begin my Master’s degree program.

I came all the way from the State of Washington, and thought I had traveled

far. As I waited to check in at a nearby hotel, I heard three people enter the

room, distinctly

conversing in Russian.

After a few years

working and studying in

Russia, I never missed

an opportunity to

practice the language. I

turned and greeted

them.

Instantly I recognized

that they were not

Russians, they came

from Central Asia. “Are

you from Kazakhstan?” I asked,

my excitement growing. During my time in Siberia, I had interacted with many people

from Kazakhstan. Some were ethnic Russians who moved after the collapse of the

Soviet Union, while others were ethnic Kazakhs who lived and worked in Russia for

various reasons. Regardless of nationality, those who originated in Kazakhstan were

always among the most open and hospitable people I encountered. Consequently,

Kazakhstan was already near to my heart.

S

The author is USAID’s country office director for Kazakhstan.

“Yes,” they admitted, clearly unsure of what to think about a random American who

spoke Russian and could identify their country of origin. More conversation revealed

that they were a group of students from the “Boloshak” program. A dozen Kazakhstanis

were in California to study international management in the very same program I was

about to join. They had stepped off the plane just a few hours earlier, and were in the

United States for the very first time. Eager to introduce my country to them, I

volunteered as their “guide,” showing them the ins and outs of life in America.

We immediately bonded, and the Kazakhstani students became some of my closest

friends at the university. One of my favorite memories was when they invited me over

for beshbarmak (albeit using American ingredients) and proclaimed me an “honorary

Kazakh.” With pride they taught me a new phrase which I’ve repeated many times since

– Men Kazakhpyn.

It’s no surprise that these

interactions led to my

great interest in coming to

Kazakhstan. That

opportunity was finally

realized in 2012, when I

arrived in Astana as the

newest Country Office

Director for the United

States Agency for

International

Development (USAID).

Three years have come

and gone faster than I expected, and now the time has come to say goodbye. Life in

Kazakhstan has lived up to my expectations and more, and I find it very difficult to

leave.

The author in Astana.

During the course of three years, one of my greatest pleasures has been working with

participants on capacity-building and exchange in the United States. I had the pleasure

to send off more than 130 Kazakhstani entrepreneurs who took part in three-week

programs which introduced them to potential American partners. Every time I addressed

one of these groups, I asked who was going to the United States for the first time. This

typically was the entire group.

Other exchange programs we’ve run have brought together Americans and

Kazakhstanis in a variety of sectors. These have included professionals from local and

national government agencies in Kazakhstan, non-governmental organizations and

private corporations. Our programs have addressed wheat resiliency, climate change

mitigation, local government service delivery and the treatment of infectious diseases,

among other topics.

Similarly, our programs have

brought many American

professionals to Kazakhstan for

the first time. Just as it was a

pleasure for me to show my

university colleagues the

exciting aspects of life in

America, it’s been my honor

again and again to show other

Americans the joys of my

“other homeland.”

While the primary purpose of

each of these interactions was

to further Kazakhstan’s social The author and family in Kazakhstan.

and economic development, perhaps no less valuable are the intangible aspects of

exchange and mutual appreciation that come from sharing culture and expanding

horizons.

There are some in this world who desperately cling to their culture and their traditions,

seeing every new perspective as a threat. Kazakhstan has demonstrated that they

understand the folly of this approach. Cultures and traditions change and adapt.

Kazakhstan’s active engagement with its region and the world and its openness to new

ideas is, I believe, the true source of power behind Kazakhstan’s success.

As a development professional, I know that real, sustainable development is

incremental and gradual. It takes significant will on behalf of governments and societies

if it is to work. The investments Kazakhstan has made through programs like Boloshak,

and through close cooperation with international agencies like USAID, have helped to

build the necessary foundation for this continual progress.

Without a doubt, you can count on me to continually watch Kazakhstan’s progress

closely, eager and optimistic for its continued success. I’m sad to say goodbye, but

Kazakhstan will always be a part of me going forward. After all – Men Kazakhpyn!

Note on Author: Nils Bergeson recently departed Astana where he served for three

years as the USAID country representative for Kazakhstan. Nils has previously served

in Bogota, Columbia with USAID, in Romania with the Peace Corps, and in Russia as a

Missionary.

HUBBLE’S 25TH BIRTHDAY: A PERSONAL MEMORY

Originally published April 2015.

Robyn McCutcheon

he Hubble Space Telescope was launched from the U.S. Space Shuttle

Discovery on April 24th, 1990, 25 years ago today. Hubble is one of the largest

and most versatile space telescopes ever launched. Though designed to last

15 years, for over 25 years it has beamed back to earth breathtakingly beautiful pictures

of space and provided detailed insights into time and space, continuously expanding our

understanding of the fabulous complexity of space.

I first joined the Hubble

project in 1982. At this

point, it hadn't even

been named for

American astronomer

Edwin Hubble yet; that

was to come a year

later. When I started, it

was simply ST, Space

Telescope. I was a

comparative latecomer

to the project. For

those who had been there at the beginning in the 1970s, it had been the Large Space

Telescope, the Large being dropped as budgets and the realities of operating a

telescope in space began to settle in.

My expertise lies in attitude determination, the engineering discipline that determines a

spacecraft’s orientation in space. Hubble uses three Fixed Head Star Trackers (FHST)

in addition to data from gyroscopes, sun sensors, and the telescope's own optics to

T

A billowing tower of cold gas and dust rises from the Eagle Nebula. The soaring tower is 9.5 light-years or about 57 trillion miles high.Hubble photo/NASA.

determine its attitude to levels of accuracy not attempted previously. Working on an

earlier mission, I became familiar with FHSTs, and as the most knowledgeable person

on this sensor, I was quickly given the nickname Ms. FHST.

Hubble was originally scheduled

to launch in October 1986, until

the Challenger disaster of

January 28, 1986, when this

Space Shuttle exploded 73

seconds after launch, killing all

on board in the most tragic

space accident experienced by

the US until that time.

The tragedy also made Hubble’s

future uncertain. Would the

Shuttle ever fly again? Would Hubble launch? After a few months, we were assured

that Hubble would launch in 1988. That launch date soon began to slip, however,

leading to the inside joke that the Hubble Constant, which in science relates to rate of

the expansion of the universe, in our world referred to a constant “two years until

launch.”

Hubble did eventually launch exactly 25 years ago. As I watched the launch on my

television screen, I felt the same thrill I had felt at every launch since the early days of

the space program. This time, however, the thrill was even greater, for the Shuttle

Discovery was carrying out a mission in which I had played a direct role.

Two days later, however, I received a frantic call from the operation Control

Center. “Robyn, get in here,” a friend shouted down the line. They were testing

Hubble’s systems one by one prior to the telescope's release from the manipulator arm

that had removed it from the Shuttle's cargo bay. “We can't identify what stars the

Hubble Is On Its Own, Released from the Manipulator Arm.

Photo: NASA.

FHSTs are seeing.” A chill went down my spine. If Hubble were to be released without

the FHSTs being able to identify star patterns, Hubble would be literally “lost in space.”

Frantically, we worked to address the problem. As it turned out, Hubble’s FHSTs were

capable of tracking not just stars but also the Moon, planets, nebulae, other satellites,

space debris, and even bright cities on Earth. The trick was to edit out all the junk so

that only star tracks remained. All-in-all we had just a few hours to get it right before

Hubble would be released into orbit on its own.

Slowly, as calmly as we could,

we began reprocessing Hubble’s

telemetry. As we worked, I

became dimly aware of the big

screen that hung at the front of

the Control Center. There was

Hubble, perched on the

manipulator arm, as the solar

arrays began to unfurl, unrolling

from their containers and

glistening like ever-lengthening,

golden sails in the bright sun. Just

as the second solar array finished unfurling, we did it. We correctly identified the stars

that were being seen by the FHSTs. Shortly after we watched in real time as Hubble

drifted away from the arm and from the shuttle. We had done our part. Hubble would

not be “lost in space.”

That was my role 25-years ago. How long will Hubble continue to provide us with the

beautiful photos and ground-breaking science for which it has had no equal? Current

estimates are that Hubble will continue to operate at least until 2018, if not considerably

longer. Not bad for a telescope that was designed and built with 1970s and 80s

2014 reunion with Hubble colleagues and families. (Photo by author, 4th from left)

technology and that many thought would not last for its original projected lifetime of 15

years.

If you're wondering by now how it was that this engineer left the Hubble project to start a

diplomatic career with the U.S. State Department, the answer is that even in those days,

I had something of a double life. Outside of my day job on the Hubble project, I was

known as a historian of Soviet science. In the year after Hubble's launch, I published

perhaps my most important history work on Soviet astronomy in 1936-37 during the

height of Stalin's Great Purges. When I left the Hubble project in 2005, in a sense I

exchanged my hobby for my career, my career for my hobby. Nevertheless, I now

watch with excitement as Kazakhstan itself becomes a spacefaring nation with

KazEOSat - 1 and - 2 returning high resolution imagery that will play an important role in

Earth resource management for the entire region.

But today, on the 25th anniversary of Hubble's launch, my mind will be back there,

reliving the moments of frustration and exhilaration and recalling the faces and names

of so many colleagues and friends who were there at the beginning. And Ms. FHST will

smile and feel an inner warmth to know that her children-in-engineering, those three

Fixed Head Star Trackers on Hubble, have not missed a beat and continue go guide

Hubble on to discoveries that take us back ever further towards the dawn of our

Universe.

Note on Author: Robyn McCutcheon, aka Ms. FHST, is currently the Regional

Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer for Central Asia at the U.S.

Embassy in Astana. For more on Hubble's 25th anniversary, see http://hubble25th.org/

and http://hubblesite.org/.

USAID/Central Asia

41 Kazibek Bi St.

Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Tel: +7 (727) 250-7612

Web:www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional

FB: www.facebook.com/USAIDCentralAsia