Zuhra Halimova

"Is democracy a real issue in Africa? Is it on the agenda?"

Country: Tajikistan

Areas of Interest: Health; Social Development; Government-Citizens Relationships

Email: zuhra.halimova@osi.tajik.net

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What is she currently doing?

Executive Director of Open Society Institute - human right, freedoms, public health access transparency, accountability, legal reforms, torture in prisons, abolition of death penalty - making citizens more resilient and active.

New Questions around democracy

Post soviet countries had illusions that democracy could be done in a day. What are our experiences teaching us? What are the obstacles that new democracies should not repeat? Everything is done in the name of democracy? A lot happens under the guise of democracy. Is democracy the institution people want? The euphoria of democracy is lost. What are the choices for the next generation? What is the correlation: democracy vs. prosperity?

Suggestions for the international Network and connection with the Foundation

The conversations would be more realistic- for different democracies- young, new etc. Connections with some Kettering fellows on a personal level. This could be facilitated as a club of similar thinkers for example the peace workers. This could be done more around the issues rather than country or regional conversations. Something may be working in one country and you can distil the methodology and share There could be series of facilitated publications, research, briefs. Events/deliberation could be held based on these publications biannually . People should come prepared not as guests to a facilitated discussion. A mix of the young and old generation was good but also there should be a meeting of alumni sitting together, people with experience of the processes - it will be a more open conversations like Dayton days but with people from different countries

Quotes/Insights

The Foundation was a very good school- skills helped me become what i have become- I would never learn otherwise. The theoretical skills made me more effective leader in my work. Made me more capable as a person living in an apost conflict country.

#humanrights #accountability #transparency #tajikistan