Hard to Say Goodbye...and Other Observations

In a few short hours, I'll get on a plane in Ulaanbaator, Mongolia.  Thirty hours later, I'll touch down at Bluegrass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky.  Two layovers - Incheon, South Korea and Detroit, Michigan.  And, then, home.  My old Kentucky home.

This is not my last post.  It is my goodbye to Mongolia post, however, with a few observations thrown in.

Am I excited to be going home?  I certainly am.  I can't wait to see Jackie and Spicy and sleep in my own bed.  I can't wait to see my family and friends and get back to KLC.  Will I miss Mongolia?  Yes, I definitely will.  Why?  Because I've had an incredible journey here and met so many wonderful people.

Before I leave though, I have one final dinner with Hatnaa tonight.  How do you say goodbye to someone that has put his life on pause and provided you the experience of a lifetime?  I don't know, honestly.  He scheduled twenty meetings for me with people who make decisions that affect an entire nation.  From a Member of Parliament to the Deputy Mayor of Ulaanbaatar.  From the chairman of the General Election Commission to the dean of the National Academy of Governance.  And just as importantly, the directors of the NGOs who work hard every day to improve the quality of life for the everyday citizen of Mongolia.  Heavyweights, one and all.

More than that, Hatnaa and I (along with Einkhtaivan) have shared experiences on the road together driving across the Mongolian countryside and visiting the places that are the essence of this great country.  This experience was supposed to be about "living" the life of a Mongolian.  Understanding what this country was all about.  It lived up to all of the hype and more.

Mongolians are friendly, generous and welcoming.  I learned we share a lot of the same struggles, emotions and frustrations.  I also learned to look at people and places through a different lens.  It's amazing what you can learn when you open your heart, eyes and ears to the world.  I know I'll be coming home with a different perspective.  Maybe a different attitude, too.  I want to do more, see more, be more and help more.  I think that was another purpose of this experience.  My jaded glasses have been removed, thankfully.  I feel alive and inspired and determined.

I don't know what I'll say or how I will feel when we say goodbye.  One thing is certain.  I won't leave feeling the same way I did when I arrived.  I said I wouldn't put my preconceived notions out there prior to experiencing the people and culture of Mongolia.  I'm glad I didn't because I was wrong about many things.  I've laughed at myself and I've been mad at myself.  That's what happens when we make assumptions before we really understand what things are all about. 

I do love this place and these people.  I thank Hatnaa from the bottom of my heart for helping me to see what his people and his country are all about. Goodbye dear friend!  And thank you for everything we did together.  I hope I'll see you again some day.

That's my observation for today.  Peace!

Random Observations Again - Karaoke and Other Things

I love observing.  Just watching things unfold and saying "Huh?"  In other words, it is what it is.  That's what this post is about.  My observations - part 3.

• Mongolians love karaoke.  In Ulaanbaator, you'll find a karaoke bar or karaoke pool room or karaoke hotel on every block. I noticed several Irish Pub Karaoke Bars.

The K Club Irish Pub & Karaoke

Another Irish Pub & Karaoke Pub

• You really haven't lived until you've heard Karaoke at the Nomad Ger Camp.  370 km from civilization after a 7 hour road trip and almost meeting my demise in the Big Black Hole of Kharkhorum, I was sitting out in front of my Ger tent looking at the the night sky when I heard a sound like I've never heard before.  Apparently, the camp where we were staying is a little hub of civilization for the nomads.  I swear I heard Mongolian rap karaoke coming from the main tent.  Yep, Hatnaa confirmed.  "They love karaoke in Mongolia." They sang until around midnight when I finally fell asleep.

After hearing karaoke rap at the Ger camp, I decided that fermented mare's milk (aimag) was not for me.

• Today I was at the State Department Store in UB city doing some shopping.  One of Mongolia's most revered songs was playing over the Muzack when a guy came up behind me and started caterwalling like he was on the Mongolia National Opera stage.  Except he wasn't.  And won't be.  Yup, they love karaoke in Mongolia and they don't have to be in a bar.  Happy people.
• The electricity is off.  You know how I know?  The lights, television, AC and internet are out. Happens all the time.  Suddenly, the city just goes dark.  It's the most random thing ever.
• Except when the water is out.  I came back to the hotel on Sunday from my trip to the countryside to be greeted by a sign that said "We are so happy you chose Ramada. We want to inform you that the city will be cutting off the water today.  So sorry for the inconvenience."  And they did.  From 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. After 3 days in the countryside I really needed a shower.  Had to put that plan on hold.  Of course, we didn't have running water in the Ger camp either so I'm getting used to adapting.
• Just saw a story on Discovery about vertical farming.  How tall would a building have to be to grow enough food to feed 50,000 people.  Thirty-two stories and one-square block.  Vertical farming is on the way and Ulaanbaatar could use it today!

Steps Without Borders NGO

Ms N. Bayarsaikhan is the director of the Steps without Borders NGO and coordinator of the Publish What You Pay Mongolia Coalition. Publish What You Pay works with the Civil Society Council Coalition to address issues related to transparency and accountability within the mining industry.  It is a work in progress to improve civic participation in the local decision making process on issues that impact the environment, economic development and quality of life particularly in the countryside.

 

Ms. Bayarsaikhan is the director of Steps Without Borders NGO

 

Steps without Borders seeks to protect the cultural values of the people of the countryside.  The encroachment of the mining sector on the nomads' grazing lands is having unintended consequences that Steps without Borders hopes to address before it's too late.  The Mongolian people, in general, are close to nature.  It is a critical part of the national identity.  Since the transition to a market economy, the sense of local community and heritage has been lost.  Previously, local communities were very dependent on the central government.  All decisions were made by the central government and everything was very planned and fixed.  Now, planning issues have shifted to the local level.  No history of experience in dealing with planning issues exists on the local level.

 

Steps without Borders is working to change the mindset of people by encouraging them to express their opinions and act to solve their own problems.  People have grown to believe that mining revenue is the answer to everything and will always be around to provide funding for the communities needs.

 

The local and national leadership should be directing their attention to the future.  What happens when mining revenue decreases?  This is an inconvenient truth that politicians do not want to think about.  The country needs to quickly diversify its economy during the good economic times in order to soften the blow when the minerals are gone. 

 

The agriculture sector is focusing on planting practices and improved methods of crop production.  The Ministry of Economic Development is beginning to create industry focused on finshed-product manufacturing instead of exporting the country's raw material.

 

Local communities do not have any options for capturing revenues generated as a result of mining.  All of the revenue goes to the central government.  The Steps without Borders NGO belives that this revenue should be set aside for future development.  There is a lack of political ill to do anything.  Public input on budget issues is very limited.  The government gives the impression that it is beholden to the mining interests.  Steps without Borders NGO is working to open the national dialogue about these and many other issues that affect the future well-being of the country.

 

Tolgoit Community Development Center

Ms. Natsag-Orgi Erdenesuvd is the executive director of the Community Development Center in Tolgoit.  She and her staff are about as grassroots as it gets.  The center addresses the issues and needs of women and is the first Mongolian NGO to specifically address female problems in the Ger districts.

 

Ms. Natsag-Orgi Erdenesuvd, executive director of the Tolgoit Community Development Center is on the left.  The other two ladies are members of her staff.

The concept is simple.  The center provides basic needs for women such as a health care assessment.  From this initial service, doors are opened that foster further conversations about basic legal information for domestic abuse and psychological help for the immigrant population.  The community center's clientele consists primarily of nomads who have been displaced by recent droughts and driven to the outskirts of Ulaanbaator where ger tent cities have sprung up by the hundreds.

The community center is located in a Ger tent.  The familiar surroundings provide a familiar setting for the women who come to the center for assistance.  in 2005, the 1st Civic Workshop to listen to people's needs helped to establish good relations among the residents, the mayor of Ulaanbaatar city and district's Member of Parliament.

In addition to basic health assessments and counseling, the community center has also assisted the neighborhood to create a sustainable food program and established community gardens.  These activities are bringing the community together.  Initially, the center served 8,000 residents in 2004 and has now grown to more than 12,000 people served.  Their target audiences are the poor, disabled and vulnerable.  The center's success has garnered the attention of government and the business community.

The center's first priority is to meet the social needs of the community.  As time goes by, the center has begun to partner with the business community, the health care organizations and labor groups to provide training and education opportunties that will eventually lead to employability.  I appreciated the work of the community center. It really spoke to me.  They utilize the same approach as we do...meet the needs and provide skills that improve the quality of life.

 

Mongolian National Federation of Disabled People's Organizations

Mr. Tseden Oyunbaatar is the president of the Mongolian Federation of Disabled People's Organizations.  The federation was established in 1997 as an NGO.  In 2004, several organizations merged their efforts to establish a lobby group to seek change in public law through the Parliament.  Seven public laws were passed to address the needs of disabled people.  In 2009, Mongolia participated in the International Convention on Disabled Persons.

The Mongolian laws apply to all soums and aimags equally.  The federation works with the social welfare system to monitor progress and implementation.  Funding only pays for activities; not salaries. 

Currently, 97,000 Mongolians have been identified with some form of physical or mental disability.  A classification system is needed along with guidelines that delineate the government's responsibility in assisting disabled persons.  The current program is administered under the Ministry of Welfare rather than the Ministry of Health.

Mongolians with disabilities are stigmatized and marginalized by society, in general.  Presently there are no teachers or education programs to assist people with special disabilities.  The federation currently has no capacity for training new teachers to address the needs of the people. 

Mr. Oyunbaatar believes that the first step is to conduct a National Needs Assessment for the government.  We discussed the history of the US in addressing these issues.  I suggested that the Americans with Disabilities Act might provide his organization some ideas on potential draft legislation to help Mongolia's disabled persons.  Obviously, significant cultural differences exist between our nations, however, America's long struggle to adequately address the needs of the disabled may provide a model for Mongolia to consider.

Mr. Tseden Oyunbaatar, President, Mongolian National Federation of Disabled People's Organizations is pictured on the far left.

Erdene Zuu Monastery

Last weekend, we visited the countryside of Mongolia.  We stayed in a ger camp (See Big Black Hole Post and Other Ger Camp posts) and toured the Erdene Zuu Monastery the next day.  Erdene Zuu, founded in 1586, is the oldest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia.  Hatnaa and Einkhtaivan are practicing Buddhists so this trip held special meaning for them.  I learned so much here.

I'm going to let the pictures do the talking.  Erdene Zuu is a beautiful place.  If you want to learn more, just Google it.  A lot of information is available online.

 

One of three ancient temples

 

 

 

Hatnaa and Einkhtaivan at the 2nd temple

 

Roof ornamentation

 

 

 

 

 

 

The present-day working monastery.  We were allowed inside and listened as monks were teaching their students

 

 

 

The present-day temple and prayer wheels

 

 

 

Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex - 3 Goggles and All!

The first time that I searched for Mongolia on Google back in the spring, an image of the Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex popped up.   This statue stands 43 metres high (about 130 feet).   I've wanted to see it ever since that day.  Today was the day!

 

They have big horses in Mongolia!

 

This boot holds the Guinness World Record as the largest shoe in the world.

 

Hatnaa and I throw up the Kentucky 3 goggles while standing on top of the horse's head.  Where are you KSR????

 

That is what I call a landmark worthy of an empire!

 

Kentucky Colonel Hatnaa

 

Kentucky Colonel Khatanbold "Hatnaa" Oidov - officially one of "us."

In April 2012, Hatnaa was a participant in the US State Department's Legislative Fellows program.  The University of Kentucky hosted a group of five Fellows from Mongolia, Cambodia and Indonesia.  KLC was fortunate to have Hatnaa (Khatanbold Oidov) as our Fellows intern.  It's really more of a mentoring and cultural exchange program.  Hatnaa fit right in.  Our staff and our city officials really took to him.  I think that I learned as much as he did.  He was great to work with and we became fast friends.

The Kentucky General Assembly was in a special called session at the time.  J.D. Chaney, KLC's Chief Legislative Officer, introduced Hatnaa to Senator Dorsey Ridley and Senator Ridley wanted to recognize Hatnaa on the floor of the Senate...which he did.

In additon, Senator Ridley requested that Governor Beshear commission Hatnaa as a Kentucky Colonel.  Because of travel schedules, the commission certificate did not reach Hatnaa before he left the US.  When I found out that I would be traveling to Mongolia, I asked Senator Ridley if he could help us locate the certificate so that I could deliver it to Hatnaa.  Thanks to Senator Ridley for moving heaven and earth to make it happen!

This past week, I had the honor of presenting the certficate to Hatnaa on behalf of Governor Beshear and Senator Ridley in the presence of the agency for which Hatnaa works.  We decided to go downtown to the Ulaanbaatar City Hall building to take a photo.  Please congratulate Colonel Hatnaa!!  He was surprised to receive the honorary commission and appreciated Governor Beshear and Senator Ridley for making it possible.

 

The Big Black Hole on the Road to Kharkorum!

 

Leaving Kharkhorum, the ancient capital city of Khan's Mongolian Empire

 

 

Dark was settling over the vast Mongolian landscape as we rode, bounced, and bobbed our way around potholes and other obstacles on the road to Kharkhorum.  Einkhtaivan is a helluva driver.  (He's pictured on the right in the photo above.)  Worth his weight in gold.

 

We got a late start out of Ulaanbaatar on our way to a ger camp near Kharkhorum. I've already mentioned how I feel about traffic in UB.  It is absolutely nuts.  Traveling around a roundabout, like the one near Shillito Park only bigger (5 lanes of traffic going around a circle), we had a little "scrape" as Hatnaa described it.  A SUV decided to come into our lane while we were trying to get in his lane and we scraped.  Let's just say that Einkhtaivan wasn't very happy, but he and the driver settled the deal and we went on our way.  Einkhtaivan said "Little scrape at the start of a trip means good luck ahead."  Never have any words been so prophetic. 

 

The drive to Kharkhorum takes about 6 or 7 hours depending on how long it takes to get out of city of Ulaanbaatar.  Traffic was horrendous until we hit the freeway at the edge of town.  Then, we were driving through the open plains of the countryside.  Gosh, I love being in the countryside.  It felt familiar to me given my rural heritage. Hatnaa and Einkhtaivan were singing away to the traditional Mongolian music on the mp3 player that blared from the back speakers.

 

As darkness fell, I came to realize that we had traveled almost 300 km and still had 77 km to go.

 

 

Dusk on the road to Kharkhorum

 

As we crossed the welcoming arch to the ancient city, I soon discovered what others were talking about on www.tripadvisor.com.  The roads disappeared.  I mean we were diverted off the road into a field with dusty paths.  Then, magically (and if we made the right choice of paths to follow) we'd pop back up on the blacktopped road again.  This happend about a dozen times.  We drove for miles without ever seeing a light, a house, a car, headlights...nothing but pitch black and the light from our headlamps.

 

Suddenly, we were confronted with 4 car paths.  Einkhtaivan was a pretty good judge of which path to take.  This time however he took the road less traveled by in words of Robert Frost.  Shortly afterwards, he slammed on the brakes and shrieked words that I could only guess as to their meaning.  Out came the flashlights.  Yes, I had mine, too.  We got out of the vehicle.  I kid you not, about a foot in front of us was a big black hole.  A big FREAKING black hole.  We were all just kind of in a daze thinking about what would have happened if Einkhtaivan hadn't had such good eyes.

 

We backed up, turned around and hauled ass out of there!  We met a hippy van and flagged it down to give them a warning as to what was ahead.  The guy shouted back "I know where I'm going.  Just follow me."  Famous last words.  Without missing a beat, he headed straight to the black hole.  We blew our horn and flashed our lights.  Thankfully, he, too, came to a screeching halt, and I heard those same words come flying out of the windows of the van.  They certainly didn't need any translation.  I understood exactly what was being said.  You might say we were speaking in tongues on this night!

 

We all turned around and finally found the right path.  After a long, weary and exciting drive, we arrived safe and sound at the Ger camp in Kharkhorum.  That is a trip that I will never, ever forget.  On the way back to UB the next day, we saw the spot of our "almost" demise, and I got out to take pictures. And now I truly understand what it means to be standing on the edge of the abyss. As my colleague, Mark Filburn at KLC, would say "We're all going to die!"   Here's the hole.

 

 





 

We stopped at the edge where the horses on the left are standing!

 



Nomads Going Green...and other Observations

Another sampling of Random Observations

1. Nomads are smart.  Really smart.  They have survived for centuries on the steppe plains of Mongolia by digging, scratching and clawing out a living off of the land.  They've herded their horses, sheep, goats, cattle and, yes, dogs all across these plains and survived.  Some things took me by surprise.  Many of the nomads now use motorcycles to tend to their herds and to run errands to the store for supplies.  I saw herdsmen on motorbikes, monks on motorbikes, mom and dad on motorbikes, and children on motorbikes.  Harley-Davidson would do well here!

 

Yes, he's a blur because he was haulin' ass!

 

2. Nomads are going green!  I saw several gers with solar panels and solar arrays as well as wind   turbines to generate electricity.  Many of them had satellite dishes.  They are connected to the world and generating their own energy to boot!

 

 

Horse - Check

Wind turbine - Check

Solar panel - Check

Satellite dish - Check

Motorcycle - Off to the store!

 

3. Loo, loo, skip to the loo!  Well, that's not exactly how the song goes, but you'll understand what I mean shortly.  First night in the ger camp was primitive. PRIMITIVE. The tent was fine.  The bed was fine.  However, we didn't have showers or bathrooms.  We arrived late in the evening - it was pitch black dark.  When I got settled in, I discovered that there was indeed a bathroom.  In Kentucky, we describe it as "the little path out back" meaning we had a two-hole outhouse.  I haven't been to the outhouse since I was a kid growing up on the farm.  Let's just say it was a trip down memory lane without a Sears & Roebuck catalog.  Wish I had a picture of that little green shack out back.  That's all I have to say about that.

 

4. Mobicom Lotto Winner! Mobicom is my telecommunications provider.  I bought a Mobicom SIM card for my spare cell phone so that I could call in-country at something less than the $20.00 per minute that AT&T charges.  Mobicom is a gigantic company in Mongolia.  Each month they sponsor a lottery drawing for prizes.  Once a year, they have the BIG drawing which includes a free car and a free apartment in Ulaanbaatar.  I snapped a picture of the Mobicom Lottery winner and family on the road from Kharkhorum.

 

 

Somebody's gonna win.  Might as well be them!

 

 

 

DEMO - Democracy Education Center

Ms. Gombodorj Undral is the director of the Democracy Education Center (DEMO) and coordinator of the Civil Society Council (not to be confused with the Civil Servants Council).  The mission of DEMO is to build the civic capacity of Mongolia's non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  NGOs play an important role in building neighborhoods through citizen participation and conduct research to measure the progress of democracy in the country.

 

Ms. Gombodojr Undral, Director of the Democracy Education Center

 

Prior to the 1990's NGOs were created from the top down.  In other words, only one party of government decided that a NGO needed to be created, for what purpose and who ran it.  In 1997, the NGO Law was enacted by the State Great Hural.  The modern NGO is created at the grassroots level by social activists who want to improve the quality of life in Mongolia.  The American Federation of Teachers came to Mongolia in the late 1990's to develop the leadership capacity of NGOs.  The skills that were taught fundamentally changed the way in which NGOs operated as well as their effectiveness in initiating social and economic change.  Over 12,000 NGOs are registered with the Mongolian State Registrar's Office. 

 

DEMO functions as a clearinghouse for research, training, and innovation.  It is much more than a resource center.  DEMO is "boots on the ground" in implementing change.  In 2007, 10-15% of NGOs were active and functioning.  In 2009, the Civil Society Council implemented a program of accountability for its member NGOs.  23 NGOs  monitor the quality of public accounting.

 

The year 2013 will be a watershed year for Mongolia.  For the first time, the national budget law will mandate that tax funds be returned to local communities and that citizens will drive the decision-making process in terms of where the money is spent and on what projects.  NGOs will assist with the process of public input, development of strategic plans and implementation accountability. 

 

One incredible example of the power of the NGOs to implement change comes froma school district in which students were having to share textbooks...sometimes one textbook for three children.  An NGO started asking questions.   Government officials were stymied.  The books had been bought.  The money had been paid.  The principal and teachers had not received the textbooks and no one could find the answer to this mystery.

 

One day local activists (actually parents and citizens of the community) showed up at the school demanding answers.  They conducted their own search of the school.  In a back room down a long hallway, they discovered a locked door.  Lo and behold, textbooks were found stacked in boxes from the floor to the ceiling.  As many as could be stuffed in the room.  What was going on?  They discovered that the school officials had made a deal with a manufacturing firm to sell the textbooks so that the factories could make toilet paper.  Now, isn't that a crock???  The manufacturer was getting cheap paper and the school officials were pocketing the money.

 

Back to the meeting - In the early part of the last decade, over 100 NGOs of the Civil Society Council met to ask one questions - Should we cooperate with the government?  The past tactics of veiled threats and confrontational meetings were accomplishing little so a new approach seemed in order.  In 2008, the Civil Society Council worked with Parliament to pass Resolution 93 that established a cooperative agreement betweeen the government and the society.

 

Over the next five years, the Civil Society Council wants to expand its role as an accountability partner with the government particularly in economic reform.  They have established the Partnership for Social Accountability.  The goal is to establish ten new NGOs working in each government sector (environment, health, education, mining, etc.) 

 

I asked about the state of philanthropy and corporate giving in Mongolia.  Currently, the Mongolian government does not provide any tax break or incentive for charitable giving.  The council is working with Parliament to draft the Law on public Benefit Activities.  The council hopes that providing tax incentives for donors will create new public-private partnership activities and encourage large corporations to take an active role in building a better quality of life for all Mongolians.

 

Ms. Urdral currently works with over 900 NGOs through the Democracy Education Center and the Civil Society Council.  She is passionate about improving community life and building a better quality of life for her fellow citizens.

 

 



 

Civil Service Council of Mongolia

Mr. Samdan Tsedendamba is the director of the Civil Service Council of Mongolia.  The role of the council is to support and train the civil service and public administrators who work for the national and local governments.

 

Mr. Samdan Tsedendamba, Director of the Civil Service Council of Mongolia

In 1996, the Parliament adopted the Law of Civil Servants to establish a civil servant and public administation workforce throughout Mongolia.  In 2002, an amendment to the law created an independent council (the Civil Service Council of Mongolia) to support the training and development of a professional public sector workforce for all levels of government in Mongolia.  The council members serve 10 year terms and are appointed by the State Great Hural (Parliament).

The Civil Service Council (CSC) created a subscription certification program in cooperation with the National Academy of Governance to provide educational opportunities for the civil servants in their respective fields or programs of work.

In Mongolia, four categories of civil servants were established.  They are:

1. Political civil servants and administrators - the staff of the elected officials
2. Public administrative staff - work for the public sector in the Aimag (county) offices
3. State Special Organizations - Customs & Immigration, police, emergency responders and tax offices
4. State service employees - teachers and anyone who receive funding from the public budget

Civil servants organizations fall into one of two categories:  1) university and 2) public administrators

The primary challenge for Mongolia is how to protect the civil service employees jobs.  When political power changes hands - whether it's within the same political party or a different political party - the civil servants fear the loss of their jobs.  In 2002 and 2008, the Parliament passed civil servant protection laws to prevent the loss of the country's professional public workers.  In practice, these laws have done little to prevent political cronyism and favoritism.  The challenge is how to given these laws "teeth" so that they can be enforced.

While my notes from this meeting are short, the discussion was deep and very substantive.  We went way over our one hour alloted time.  We discussed Kentucky's past history and the creation of the Kentucky Merit System. The growth pains that Mongolia is experiencing seem to mirror those that Kentucky and the US have experienced over the past 200 years.  It seems that they are us all over again.  I really did not realize the importance of bureacratic structure as the underpinning for making our democracy work. A very interesting discussion.  Time flew by!

 

General Election Commission of Mongolia

I had an opporutnity to meet with Namsraijav Luvsanjav, chairman of the General Election Commission of Mongolia.  Mr. Luvsanjav oversees the conduct of all of the elections - federal and local - that take place in Mongolia.  (Think of the Kentucky Secretary of State who oversees all elections in Kentucky.)

 

Namsraijav Luvsanjav, Chairman, General Election Commission of Mongolia

What a fascinating individual!  I really wanted to be prepared prior to this meeting taking place so I jotted down a couple of burning questions that were on my mind and practiced with Hatnaa:  1) How does the commission create trust in the adminstration of elections?  How does one insure transparency, accountability and accuracy in a setting that is rife with the potential for corruption and rigged ballot boxes?  2) How does the office divest itself of the appearance of favortisim in the political process when the ruling political party essentially appoints the members of the commission?  How does the office serve as the "independent voice of the citizens?"

On the question of trust, Mr. Luvsanjav discussed in great detail the way in which the elections are conducted.  Over the past few years, Mongolia has transitioned from paper ballots to electronic ballot machines in much the same way that Kentucky has done.  At first this created angst and confusion among the voters, but they have come to accept that this method provides a more accurate and tamper-proof way of adminstering the elections.

He described the process by which the Division of Information and Technology partners with international organizations to write the program code for the machines to insure that the vote counting is impartial, accurate and trustworthy.  The ballots are electronically scanned.  The interests of the minority parties are protected through a "challenge" system and the Minority Working Group works with the Information and Technology Division's Investigative Agency to address any questions regarding the integrity of the vote.

In addition, poll workers attend mandatory training on the election procedures.  About 2000 election workers are hired on a temporary basis to assist at local polling stations throughout the country.  Election commissions are established in every polling district to protect the integrity of the vote on the local level, i.e the aimags, districts and soums.

Further, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international monitoring organizations monitor the election process and validate the results.

On the question of separating the commission from the appearance of political favoritism, Mr. Luvsanjav pointed out that while the position is approved by the Parliament, the integrity of the ballot must be sacrosanct.  His office insures confidence in the process through the following safeguards:

1. Validation of all election results by local election monitors.
2. Conducting elections in the presence of international election monitors from the UN and other democratic NGOs.
3. All of the processes and results are made public.
4. The process is transparent.  Nothing occurs behind closed doors.
5. All decisions are made in the open to insure accountability.
6. The elections must be conducted fairly regardless of political party affiliation.

Mr. Luvsanjav was very adroit at answering the politically sensitive questions.  Of course, our time was limited because Mongolia has just completed national elections and will conduct additional local elections in October.  I made the most of our thirty minutes together.  He was very interested in Kentucky's election process, and we both agreed that we have much in common.  I thought of former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson several times during our meeting and his efforts to educate the public, increase transparency and encourage civic participation during his term in office.  I'd like to think that he would have appreciated and enjoyed this discussion immensely.

(NOTE:  I specifically did not use the pronoun "you" in any of my questions because I didn't want to appear to be questioning his personal integrity and this really is about the "office" and not the "man." Mr. Luvsanjav could not have been more cordial or forthright, and I really appreciated the manner in which he answered every question as well as his interest in my home state.)

Mongolian Academy of Sciences - Institute of Philosophy, Sociology and Law

Dr. Tsveen Tsetsenbileg is the president and CEO of Operative Research & Consultancy and the head of the Department of Sociology at the Institue of Philosophy, Sociology and Law for the Mongolian Academy of Sciences.

 

Dr. Tsetsenbileg, Mongolian Academy of Sciences

 

Ms. Tsetsenbileg conducts research and studies the sociological impact of the economic and social programs on the emerging needs of the citizens of the country.  The migration of people from the countryside, particularly nomads, has created socio-economic challenges for both Ulaanbaatar and the national government.  The snow-drought of 1999-2000 caused many nomadic families to lose their livelihoods when their herds of cattle, sheep, goats and horses died from the lack of food and water.  They were forced to move their gers to the tent cities surrounding UB.

 

Mongolia has limited funds available to create a safety net for these displaced citizens.  The city is forced to deal with the social and economic ills that come with the upheaval that displacement creates.

 

The Millenium Goals Report outlines the challenges facing the people and the government to provide minimal financial and social services to this growing population.  The nation's budget does include an increase in the level of support for social programs and there is optimism as the overall levels of income among the displaced citizens has begun to increase.

 

 

She identified four primary areas that need to be addressed on a national level:

 

1. Inflation - The booming mining sector coupled with decreased agriculture output has created a disparity of wealth and lack of staple goods within the country.  The increase in economic activity has created a lot of pent-up demand for goods.  This has led to higher prices and an exhorbinant rate of inflation for staple products placing even more pressure on the low-income sector.  The central bank needs to address the problem of inflation.
2. Monetary Policy - Since the transition from socialism to democracy, the nation's central bank has not implemented the necessary monetary reforms to regulate interest rates and inflation.  Monetary policy is determined by the needs and wants of politicians seeking short-term fixes rather than long-term solutions.
3. Social Programs - The social needs of the citizens, i.e. food, clothing, housing and psychological care, are not being met.  Although this situation is slowly improving, the migrant population still suffers from the shock of leaving their former lives behind and adjusting to an urban lifestyle. This creates mental stress, emotional discord and increase in alcoholism and domestic violence.
4. Lack of Moral Authority - When the country shifted from communism to democracy, the entire social fabric was instantly swept away.  For more than 70 years, the social structure was very stable.  Community meant something to people.  Free market capitalism caused people to change their mindset to a "me-first and me-only" mentality.  The sense of community and neighborhood no longer have any meaning.  People do not feel obligated to care anything about their communities nor do they feel obligated to work together in a cooperative fashion.  It is "every man for himself."

 

A generation has now grown up knowing only capitalism as their point of reference.  The moral authority of "neighborhoods" is not as strong as church or religion.  When compared to the U.S., they have no historic context for doing things that are in the public interest, the greater good, volunteerism or charity.  For this generation, social trust does not exist.

 

This does not seem to be meant as an indictment against democracy, free markets or capitalism.  Rather, it is indicative of the upheaval that takes place when everything that a country has to understand about its past 70 years is swept away and nothing exists to instill the sense of community and obligation to help one's neighbor.

 

Traditional Mongolian Cuisine

What about the food?  What about the food?  Inquiring minds want to know.  Have you eaten anything interesting?  Anything gross?  Anything?

Well, of course I've eaten every day.  Nothing too adventurous for me.  For example, NO, I'm not trying horse meat or goat innards.  However, I have had some really, really good traditional Mongolian dishes.

Traditional Mongolian Khuurga (Mutton)

The first dish is a very traditional mutton dish that looks and tastes like a stir-fry. We had this meal at the first Ger camp we visited in Kharkhorum.  It's called Khuurga and it is delicious!  I had this dish more than once during my stay in Mongolia.  Have a look at the photo I took.

 

 

Traditional Mongolian Mutton Khuurga

 

I have to say that this was a very tasty meal.  The mutton was fresh and the carrots, peppers and onions really added a rich flavor.  Served with rice and hot tea.  We had been on the road for almost 7 hours, and I was hungry.  This dish is so rich and filling that I could only eat about 2/3 of it.  Don't you love the hot serving plate in the shape of a sheep?

 

Lapsha (Mutton Noodle Soup)

 

For breakfast, we had traditional Mongolian Lapsha, a mutton and noodle dish with some onions served in a broth.  Soup for breakfast is a little foreign to me, but this may change my mind.  The soup was served steaming hot and is the ultimate comfort dish.  My taste buds danced a happy song, and I was full and satisfied, ready for another day on the road.  This photo is not my own, however, it is exactly what my breakfast looked like.  (I'd gladly give credit, however, it is in the public domain and I don't know the original photographer's name.)

 

 

Traditional Mongolian Lapsha (Mutton soup with noodles and onions)

 

 

Khuushuur (Meat pies)

 

Oh my, khuushuur is a tasty treat.  Chopped mutton and onions fried like a fritter in mutton grease.  These little pies were so delicious.  They were Paula Dean fattening delicious!  The traditional Mongolian dishes are meant to fill and satisfy.  The nomads have a very balanced diet.  The primary reason that so many of their dishes are meat-based or dairy-based is the climate.  The steppe plains are high (almost 1 mile above sea level), dry, windy and very, very cold during the winter.  We're talking -40C at times.  They work hard and burn lots of calories.  The fatty protein diet provides tons of vitamins and energy so they can survive the harsh climate.  This photo of Khuurshuur was borrowed. (Again, I'd gladly give credit, but no info available and in the public domain.)

 

 

 

Traditional Mongolian Khuushuur (Mutton Pies)

 

A lot of the food that I've eaten is what I would call "modern."  While Mongolians put their spin on everything, the dishes are not foreign to my taste buds.  I've had ham, sausage, chicken and beef prepared in a dozen different ways.  Nothing I've eaten has given me gastronomical nightmares.  I've also been very careful about choosing my food.

 

Water

 

The water is unsafe to drink.  The water is unsafe to drink.  Get it?  Even the hotel has signs that say "Do NOT DRINK water from the faucet or unbottled. It will make you ill."  That's clear enough for me!

 

Milk Tea and Koumiss (mare's milk) and Airag (fermented Mare's Milk)

 

So far, I've not been privileged to partake in any of these traditional Mongolian drinks.  But, I still have a few days.  Maybe I'll give it a try when I go back to the countryside on Thursday!  We did stop at a couple of places to see if they had Koumiss, but were out of luck (or in luck depending on your point of view).  I don't think I'll be allowed to leave the country until I've given one of these, er, tasty drinks a go.  I'll let you know about that later.

 

So there you have it.  The food has really been good and the hospitality large.  Mongolians, especially those in the countryside, enjoy entertaining visitors.  They're very open and friendly.  I've tried a little of everything and avoided the dreaded upset traveler's tummy so far.  I really do love the people here.  Traveling in the countryside reminds me of my boyhood days on the family farm in Lancaster, Kentucky.  These people are just good folks!



 

 



 

The Animals and Nomads of the Mongolian Steppe Plains

I know that blog posts about meetings are boring to some folks, but the meetings are important to my mission in Mongolia.  Blogging about them helps me to keep up with the conversations and serve as a record of my impressions and discussions.

The cultural aspects of life in Mongolia are equally important. Everyone wants to know about real LIFE in Mongolia...the sights, sounds and goings-on.  This post is dedicated to the animals and nomads of Mongolia that I've encountered.  The photos speak for themselves.  I took these on the way to and from Khurkhorum this past weekend.  The animals have thousands acres of unfenced plains to roam usually herded by the nomads.  Enjoy!

 

My Favorite Photo of the Trip!

 

Like father, like son.  Life as a Nomad!