Seminar in Osh


Date: Tue, 09 Sep 97 09:30:09 -0500
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Subject: Seminar in Osh

From:    MINELRES moderator       \ Internet:    ([email protected])

Original sender: Natalia Ablova   \ Internet:    ([email protected])

Seminar in Osh


Dear colleagues,

Please find below a draft agenda of the 6th seminar  within the Project
"Central Asian Forum". In case you get interested contact us promptly.

Organizers

---------------------------------------------
Project:          Religion and Community
Host:              Soros Foundation - Kyrgyzstan
Coordinator: Almash Naizabekova
Dates:           October 8-10
Location:      Osh, Kyrgyzstan

Project Description:

Religion was drawn back during the communist regime and the community
supposed to be "atheistic". Today in all post- soviet countries the religion
has taken it's certain place. Especially we should mention the Central Asian
countries, which should define their attitude to religion, religious
concessions and minorities during the transition period when different
communities are appearing (closed communities, half-closed communities and
communities which are intended to create open civil societies).

Central Asia is placed on the cross border of different cultural and
political regions in some of which religious intolerance and fundamental
Islam is existed (Iran), in others - representatives of one and the same
concession are launching fratricidal civil war (Afghanistan), thirdly
religion became the part of national identity and liberation idea (Tibet,
Eastern Turkestan), and one more thing - the orthodox Christianity takes the
leading position, but it coexists with other religious trends in Russia.

Meanwhile, specialists in the sphere of religion and intellectuals from
Central Asian countries are leading odd works on evaluation of religious
situation and working out optimal versions of peaceful, tolerant coexistence
of different concessions in one and the same country.

Proceeding from above mentioned we consider it's necessary to arrange
seminar for specialists in the sphere of religion: historians, philosophers,
sociologists, political scientists and representatives of different
religious concessions of Central-Asian countries.

This seminar will take place in Osh- southern town of Kyrgyzstan. We pay
tribute to this town as the Sulaiman mountain placed in the center of Osh,
is considered to be the sacred place for Moslems of Central Asia and this
mountain was a sacred place since ancient times. 

Participants of the seminar could see wonderful traditions of eastern
town, which is trying to combine new ideas and is becoming the town of
tolerance. 

The number of participants shouldn't limited only by Central-Asian
representatives. We would like to invite Orientalists from Russia and West,
who deal with contemporary religious issues in the region and research
religious situation.

The topic of the seminar should cover the following issues:
- the history of religious trends in Central -Asia;
 religion as an aspect of spiritual life of community;
- Moslim and tolerance;
- Social foundation of religious tolerance;
- Experience of each country or concessions in creation of tolerant
community

Participation and Financial Commitment

East East Program of the Soros Foundation - Kyrgyzstan will support all in-
country costs, accommodations and meals expenses of participants from your
countries. 

The final agenda of this seminar will be based on theses submitted by
participants. Participants you support are requested to submit their theses
by September 20, 1997. The final agenda of the seminar will be sent to you
closer to the date of the seminar.

Participants will be met either at Bishkek or Osh airport and will be
accommodated at a hotel in Osh.

Participants should plan to arrive to Osh on the 7th of October. Working
days of the seminar are the  8th, 9th, and 10th of October. Departure is on
the 11th of October.

Preliminary Agenda

8 October

9.30-10.00  Opening of the seminar, welcome speeches 
10.00-11.00  Discussion on the topic: "Disintegration of Soviet System and
Religious Renaissance in Central Asia" (new realities in Central-Asian
countries)
11.00- 11.30 Coffee break
11.30-12.45 Discussion on the topic: "Meeting of East and West: exchange
of spiritual value through religion"
12.45-14.00 Lunch
14.00-16.00 Discussion on the topic: "Central Asia as an arena of
confessional co-operation and competition in the context of new "religious
repartition" in the world
16.00-16.30 Coffee break
17.00-18.30 Discussion continuation
18.30-19.00 Acquaintance with the theological faculty of Osh State
University
19.00-20.00 Reception

9 October

9.30-10.15 Information on the topic: "International Legislation on Freedom
of Conscience"  
10.15-11.00 Discussion on the topic: "State Politics and Freedom of
Conscience (different forms and legislative regulation methods in Central
-Asian and next regions)
11.00-11.30 Coffee break
11.30-12.45 Discussion continuation
12.45-14.00 Lunch
14.00-15.30 Discussion on the topic: "Conflicts on religious ground.
Religious Social and Political Organizations: real opposition to government
or phobia"
16.00-18.00 Visit of Suleiman-Too mountain
19.00-20.00 Dinner

10 October

9.30-11.0       Discussion on the topic: "Christian and Islam forms of
Democracies. Problems of Proselyte and Fundamentalism. Issues of religious
education"
11.00-11.30 Coffee break
11.30-12.45 Discussion on the topic: "Religion and Family: freedom of
conscience"
12.45-14.00 Lunch
14.30-16.00 Discussion on the topic: "XXI Century and future of Religious
dogma in space of Central Asia"
16.30-17.0      0 Coffee break
17.00- 18.30 "Way to tolerance and faith tolerance" 
19.00-20.00 Farewell Dinner
--
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