{"id":21436,"date":"2024-09-18T11:37:53","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T18:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=21436"},"modified":"2024-09-21T01:31:55","modified_gmt":"2024-09-21T08:31:55","slug":"central-asia-human-rights-maymester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/central-asia-human-rights-maymester\/","title":{"rendered":"In Central Asia, students advocate for human rights amid geopolitical tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                                    \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/659642008-swerdlow_maymester_top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/659642008-swerdlow_maymester_top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/659642008-swerdlow_maymester_top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/659642008-swerdlow_maymester_top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Map of Central Asia with Kazakhastan and Kyrgyzstan in red and yellow, respectively.\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  USC Dornsife students explored the Central Asian countries of Kazakhastan and Kyrgyzstan to understand the region\u2019s political and cultural environment. (Composite: Letty Avila. Image source: iStock.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=dornsife-global\">Dornsife Global<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>In Central Asia, students advocate for human rights amid geopolitical tensions<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  A USC Dornsife Maymester course offers undergraduates an opportunity to engage with human rights activists, politicians and diplomats in one of the world\u2019s least studied, most fraught regions.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Ileana Wachtel<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">September 18, 2024<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Central Asia, a region where the economic and geopolitical ambitions of global powers like China, Russia, Turkey, the European Union, the United States and India converge, includes the nations of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This resource-rich area has gained renewed global attention following Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>This past summer, 15 students from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences embarked on a journey to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, transforming the region into their classroom.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy partnering my talented students with some of the world\u2019s most courageous, creative and experienced human rights defenders in this region, I hope to inspire them to see that a career in human rights is one of the most rewarding professional paths one can pursue,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/steve-swerdlow\/\">Steve Swerdlow,<\/a> a human rights lawyer and associate professor of the practice of <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/poir\/\">political science and international relations<\/a> at USC Dornsife.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21443\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21443\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21443\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/kyrgyzstan-maymester-instorya-419x550.jpg\" alt=\"Students and their instructor stand in front of a white mosque with ornate gold\" width=\"400\" height=\"524\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/kyrgyzstan-maymester-instorya-419x550.jpg 419w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/kyrgyzstan-maymester-instorya-781x1024.jpg 781w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/kyrgyzstan-maymester-instorya-768x1007.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/kyrgyzstan-maymester-instorya.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21443\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">USC students and their instructor tour Hazrat Sultan mosque in Kazakhstan\u2019s capital, Astana. (Photo: Courtesy of Steve Swerdlow.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For many of the students, such as Radulf Mohika, the <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/flp\/home\/programs-and-resources\/maymester\/\">Maymester<\/a> course \u2014 \u201cHuman Rights in Central Asia\u201d (IR 422) \u2014 revealed the global importance of the region. \u201cBefore this program, I knew nothing about Central Asia. Now I see how Central Asia is vital to understanding Russia, Ukraine, and the lingering Soviet legacy,\u201d said Mohika, a <a href=\"https:\/\/lawphilosophy.usc.edu\/2021\/06\/16\/uscs-bachelor-of-arts-in-philosophy-politics-and-law\/\">philosophy, politics, and law<\/a> major with a double minor in <a href=\"https:\/\/gould.usc.edu\/students\/journals\/rlsj\/\">law and social justice<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/latin-american-and-iberian-cultures\/latin-american-studies-minor\/\">Latin American studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For others, like Joshua Pan, an international relations major, the experience stirred a deep, personal reaction. \u201cAs a Chinese Muslim, connecting with the local culture \u2014 from praying in mosques to trying different cuisines \u2014 was like being transported home to China.\u201d Pan also was able to practice his Russian and Kyrgyz language skills.<\/p>\n<h2>At the center of geopolitical shifts<\/h2>\n<p>Students explored how Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine has intensified authoritarianism in Kyrgyzstan, once the region\u2019s most democratic nation. Since the war began, the number of human rights violations in Kyrgyzstan has accelerated. Their 2024 \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/kyrgyzstan-adopts-law-targeting-foreign-funded-ngos-2024-04-02\/\">Foreign Agents Law<\/a>,\u2019 for example, undermines the effectiveness of humanitarian nonprofits and stifles free speech.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, despite its vast oil reserves, Kazakhstan is balancing Russia&#8217;s imperialism with China&#8217;s growing economic influence, as China became its top trading partner in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have imprisoned critics and journalists and suppressed non-governmental organizations (NGOs) addressing issues such as torture, environmental justice and domestic violence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSoviet methods \u2014 censorship, suppression of free speech, ethnic discrimination \u2014 persist today,\u201d Mohika noted, drawing parallels between the past and present.<\/p>\n<h2>Human rights and power dynamics<\/h2>\n<p>Swerdlow developed the course as one of USC Dornsife\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/flp\/home\/programs-and-resources\/maymester\/\">Maymester<\/a> programs. Drawing on his years of experience in the former Soviet Union as a Human Rights Watch and U.N. researcher, he sought to immerse students in research and human rights advocacy.<\/p>\n<p>He facilitated meetings at embassies and NGOs, and with government officials, including Kyrgyzstan\u2019s vice prime minister, Edil Baisalov, and Dastan Bekeshev, one the country\u2019s most popular parliamentarians. USC Dornsife senior Sunny Cheng said she valued the opportunity to advocate for human rights but noted that Baisalov dodged tough questions about jailed reporters, steering the conversation to topics like the country\u2019s Olympic prospects.<\/p>\n<p>A meeting with journalists at Radio Free Europe in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan inspired Morgan Kessler, a pre-law student interested in media and freedom of speech. \u201cIt gave me a real sense of the impact this service, subsidized by U.S. tax dollars, has for more than 2 million Kyrgyz listeners daily,\u201d said Kessler, who is majoring in classics at USC Dornsife and global health at <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/\">Keck School of Medicine of USC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Pan said he was struck by the journalists\u2019 nuanced understanding of global dynamics and how they help listeners develop media literacy in a region dominated by Russian state propaganda.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21445\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21445\" style=\"width: 980px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21445 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/kyrgyzstan-maymester-instoryc.jpg\" alt=\"Group of students, their instructor and a broadcaster smile\" width=\"980\" height=\"739\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/kyrgyzstan-maymester-instoryc.jpg 980w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/kyrgyzstan-maymester-instoryc-500x377.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/kyrgyzstan-maymester-instoryc-768x579.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21445\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Broadcasters at Azattyk, Kyrgyzstan\u2019s most popular independent radio and TV station, hosted a live program with USC students about human rights issues in Central Asia. (Photo: Courtesy of Steve Swerdlow.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>The human toll of advocacy<\/h2>\n<p>One of the students\u2019 most sobering encounters occurred in Karakol, a village along the Tianshan mountain range, where they met with human rights defender <a href=\"https:\/\/gould.usc.edu\/news\/international-human-rights-clinic-partners-with-clooney-foundation-for-justice-on-tr\">Kamil Ruziev<\/a>. Ruziev, an ethnic Uyghur, spent decades representing low-income ethnic minorities, survivors of domestic violence and victims of police torture in Kyrgyzstan, until he was targeted by the Karakol police department in 2019. Ruziev recounted how a police investigator made repeated death threats and even held a gun to his head. In 2022, after being falsely charged with forging documents, he was acquitted with help from international human rights organizations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the biggest lessons Ruziev conveyed,\u201d Mohika said, \u201cis that ending torture requires more than changing the culture of the law and the judges \u2014 it\u2019s about changing the law itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In Astana, Kazakhstan\u2019s glitzy capital, the students became the first U.S. or foreign student delegation to visit Parliament. There, they met with Maya Kasymova, the head of the Human Rights Ombudsperson\u2019s office, discussing issues about media freedom and women\u2019s and LGBTQIA+ rights. Kessler learned that Kazakhstan\u2019s increasingly restrictive legislation \u2013 especially around LGBTQIA+ rights \u2013 will exacerbate an already difficult environment and increase fear among human rights defenders. She and others said they came away with a deeper appreciation for the rights they enjoy in America and the importance of safeguarding them.<\/p>\n<h2>From the serious to the sublime<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21441\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21441\" style=\"width: 380px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21441\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/swerdlow_maymester_instoryc-422x550.jpg\" alt=\"Students sit around a long table in a narrow room with an array of foods dispersed on the table\" width=\"380\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/swerdlow_maymester_instoryc-422x550.jpg 422w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/swerdlow_maymester_instoryc-786x1024.jpg 786w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/swerdlow_maymester_instoryc-768x1000.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/swerdlow_maymester_instoryc.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21441\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students experienced local cuisine and other cultural aspects of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. (Photo: Courtesy of Steve Swerdlow.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The class also immersed itself in Central Asia\u2019s rich cultural heritage. A meal hosted by a Dungan family, Chinese-speaking Muslim minorities in eastern Kyrgyzstan, offered a glimpse into a community Cheng described as \u201cwarm and welcoming.\u201d The cuisine provided students with a novel culinary experience, highlighting the region\u2019s unique flavors and traditions.<\/p>\n<p>In Kyrgyzstan, the students attended a private viewing of the traditional sport kok boru \u2014- a game akin to polo but played with a goat\u2019s carcass instead of a ball. Mohika found it \u201can enlightening experience,\u201d while Cheng preferred the Kazakh ballet in Astana\u2019s opera house, where the performance fused traditional Kazakh dance with classical ballet.<\/p>\n<p>Hiking through the Ala Archa gorge near Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and swimming in the pristine waters of lake Issyk-Kul in eastern Kyrgyzstan provided a refreshing respite from their intense academic schedule.<\/p>\n<h2>Shaping the Future<\/h2>\n<p>The political dynamics of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, along with meetings with activists and officials, inspired several students to pursue a career involving human rights. Pan now aims to become a diplomat, while Mohika is weighing his options in diplomacy or at a think tank. \u00a0Cheng is also exploring careers in diplomacy, and Kessler reaffirmed her plans to attend law school.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s nothing better than watching my students quickly learn to hold their own in high-level advocacy meetings with the best of them,\u201d said Swerdlow, who is preparing his 2025 Maymester to another complicated region: Armenia and Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field 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(downward facing) dog<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A USC Dornsife Maymester course offers undergrads an chance to engage with human rights activists, politicians and diplomats in one of the world\u2019s least studied, most fraught regions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":21437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,50,17],"tags":[164,85,186,95],"class_list":["post-21436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dornsife-global","category-politics","category-student","tag-human-rights","tag-international-relations","tag-maymester","tag-social-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - 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