CIC Special Briefing - Building a Civil Society

The idea of a civil society lies at the core of Kazakhstan's post-Soviet programme of social and political reform, and is now becoming an increasing reality in the daily lives of the country's citizens. Its realisation is gradual, as newly-created non-governmental bodies and organisations come to fill roles once performed by the Kazakh Communist Party or by the State or, as in the case of religion, not performed at all because unlawful.

The assertion that the new State would need to encourage the promotion of NGOs because there is more to a democratic society than the ballot box, has been a key theme of the President's speeches since Independence. In one of many speeches on this subject, on 30 September, 1998, he said: "? A democratic structure does not in itself guarantee a democratic society. Democracy depends on a complex mechanism of private voluntary institutions, which allow citizens to be politically involved, to volunteer their services of behalf of their neighbours and country, and to express their grievances and advocate their interests."

Such sentiments have sometimes been treated sceptically by out-side observers. They doubted whether officials who formerly administered a one-party state could ever accept criticism or the loss of control entailed by the emergence a civil society, because they remained tied to the old networks of power and patronage and perhaps did not know what the term meant. Today, however, according to government figures, in addition to religious bodies there are more than 3,500 non-governmental bodies, with 35,000 permanent employees and 50,000 temporary workers, and these are supported by more than 100,000 volunteers.

These new bodies cover a whole range of issues, from the environ-ment and ecology to women's rights, consumer rights and the problems of single mothers.

The year 2002 saw the establishment of such major independent institutions as the Ombudsman on Human Rights, the Permanent Public Conference on the Further Development of Democratisation and Civil Society, and a Public Council on Mass Media and Information Policy.

The growth of many of the smaller NGOs has been assisted by outside agencies, such as the US Aid Programme's Counterpart Consortium, which has established six Civil Society Support Centers in Kazakhstan as the primary vehicle for promoting greater social and political diversity. These are part of an expanding network of centres in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and pro-vide funds and teach practical skills, but, according to USAID, the recent thrust of its programme has moved from grant-making to institution-building.

Not all of Kazakhstan's NGOs would be recognised as independent in the West. Many depend on state funding: in the vacuum that existed following the collapse of the Soviet Union, state funding was seen as the vital first step in their creation. NGOs are also required to register with the government, although ministers say that terms for registration are being eased. In this process, Kazakhstan has had to find its own way: there were no blueprints or models to follow. Civil society, like democracy and free mass media, remains a work-in-progress, but the diversity of activity and the dynamism of many of the new non-governmental bodies suggest that the country has travelled a long way in a short time.

Perhaps the most dramatic and profound consequence of political and social reform has been the revival and growth of organised religion, without evident conflicts or tensions between faiths. Following Independence, the state handed over to religious bodies former churches and mosques that had been used for secular pur-poses under Soviet rule. There has also been much new building: a mosque, a church or a prayer house is now an established feature of even remote agricultural settlements.

At Independence in 1991, there were a total of 25 mosques in a state that had been militantly atheistic for more than half a century. By 2003, the number had risen to 1,408. This increase has been matched by the growth of other religions. The Russian Orthodox Church was organised around 62 parishes in 1982; there are now 241 parishes and at least ten orthodox monasteries. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church has expanded from 42 parishes in 1991 to 77 in 2002 and has begun work on the construction of a cathedral in Karaganda. Synagogues, which are now in almost all Kazakh

cities - including a recently opened synagogue in the new capital of Astana - meet the religious and spiritual needs of the country's 70,000 Jews.

The Kazakhstan government may have been surprised by the extent of the spontaneous revival of religious sentiment and activity, but it has evidently grasped the potential role of religion in fostering tolerance and cooperation in a multi-ethnic community and in forging a new post-Soviet national identify. It has therefore sought to give legal expression to the protection of religious freedom in its Constitution as well in as subsequent legislation. It has also guaranteed to parents the right to bring up their children in their own faith, and has sought to establish practical channels through which different faiths may discuss issues of mutual concern.

Recognising the country's interest in fostering understanding between different religious and ethnic groups, Pope John Paul refused to cancel his visit to Kazakhstan planned in the immediate aftermath of the events September 11, 2001. He told the huge crowds that came to welcome him: "Kazakhstan is a product of the complicated history which regrettable events have enriched by different traditions. These events made this country to be an unordinary example of poly-ethnic, multicultural and multi-confessional society. The spirit of openness and cooperation is part of your tradition ? from times immemorial Kazakhstan has been a land of meeting, a neighbourhood of different traditions and cultures."

Kazakhstan and the Vatican have since signed an agreement governing mutual relations - the first such concordat to be signed with a CIS state. It confirms the religious freedom of the Church, its right to be involved in educational and charitable activities, access to the mass media and the right to acquire property. In recognition of his role in encouraging freedom of religion the President has been awarded the Vatican's highest honour, the Order of Pius.

Patriarch Alexy II, Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, paid similar tribute to the country's tolerance during a visit to Kazakhstan in October, 2002, when he declared: "Kazakhstan is a benign state. Twelve years of my life convince me that it is the special handiwork of God. In reality, this land is fertile, everybody feels warmth and comfort here. Different peoples forced to leave their lands and to come here found comfort in severe life conditions. Therefore, you have to love Kazakhstan and love such relationships that exist here ? The Orthodox religion together with Islam are two columns, two wings of the Kazakhstan eagle. On these wings the peoples of Kazakhstan will rise up into the homes of permanent and constant wellbeing."

However, perhaps the most striking example of the country's new mood of tolerance came in early July, 2002, with a visit to Kazakhstan by the then Chief Rabbit of Israel, Eliahu Jakshi Doron. He told reporters: "I came to talk and listen and see. What impressed me most is the fact that all the confessions live in peace and harmony with each other. We have a lot to learn from you ?"

Commenting on the significance of Rabi Doron's visit, Alexander Maskevich, President of the Eurasian Jewish Congress, said: "If ten years ago someone suggested that the Chief Rabbi of Israel would visit Kazakhstan and the Jewish Community would warmly welcome him here, that person would have been called a fantasist."

On 16 June, 2003, following a meeting with President Nazarbayev in Astana, Chief Rabbi Doron's successor, Iona Metsger, announced that Jews would participate in a World Religious Forum to take place in Almaty in September, 2003. The chief Rabbi, who praised Kazakhstan as "a country that spares no effort in fighting terrorism", said: "Kazakhstan is a country which so many people live together peacefully with each other, and is an ideal place for such conferences."

The Pope, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow, and the Secretary General of the World Muslim League, Al-Turki, have also announced their support for the Forum.