Toward "Enlightened Islam"? Religion and the Secular State in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has remained staunchly secular and taken a firm stand against extremist movements since independence. In recent years, however, Uzbekistan’s policies have shifted from a defensive to a more proactive approach. The recent surge of reforms has affected the religious area as well. Uzbekistan has taken major steps toward the promotion of what President Shavkat Mirziyoyev terms “Enlightened Islam” at home and on the world stage.

This Forum was part of CACI’s ongoing research on the relationship between politics and religion in Central Asia and the Caucasus, and coincided with the release of the Silk Road Paper “Religion and the Secular State in Uzbekistan”, by Svante E. Cornell and Jacob Zenn.

Speakers: Svante E. Cornell, Director, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council

Moderator: Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

Where: Middle East Institute: 1319 18th Street NW, 20036

When: Thursday, June 7, 2018 from 4:00 - 5:30 pm

Full Recording of the Forum Below:

 Opening Up in the Caucasus and Central Asia: Policy Frameworks to Support Regional and Global Integration

The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute's (CACI) Forum continued its long-term partnership with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to present it's semi-annual Economic Outlook for the Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) and a special paper on how to leverage regional and global integration to capitalize on the more favorable global environment. The subject of discussion is of particular significance in times of profound political and economic changes in the region. 

Speakers:

Juha Kähkönen, Deputy Director, Middle East and Central Asia Department, IMF 

Peter Kunzel, Assistant to Director, Middle East and Central Asia Department, IMF

Moderator: Mamuka Tsereteli, Senior Research Fellow, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

Where: Middle East Institute: 1319 18th Street NW, 20036

When: Tuesday, June 5, 2018 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Video Below

 Opening in Uzbekistan: A Preview of President Mirziyoyev's Visit

Please join the Atlantic Council and the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute of the American Foreign Policy Council for an event entitled Opening in Uzbekistan: A Preview of President Mirziyoyev's Visit on Monday, May 14, 2018 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Atlantic Council headquarters (1030 15th Street NW, 12th Floor, West Tower Elevators).

This May, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan will visit Washington, DC at the invitation of US President Donald J. Trump. The new government under President Mirziyoyev announced political and economic reforms to open Uzbekistan for international cooperation and foreign direct investments. The new regional policy of Tashkent in Central Asia has given dynamism and prospects to solve old issues like border demarcation, a fair share of water resources, extremism and terrorism, and peace building process in Afghanistan.   

The Atlantic Council and the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute of the American Foreign Policy Council are convening a panel to discuss and evaluate President Mirziyoyev’s visit to the White House, along with implications for US-Uzbekistan relations, broader international and regional issues, and overall stability in the region.

We hope you can join us for this timely discussion.

Speakers:

Senator Sodiq Safoev
First Deputy Chairman
Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Dr. Akmal Saidov
Director; Chairman
National Human Rights Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Committee on Democratic Institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations and Citizens' Self-Governing Bodies Committee of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis 

Ambassador Ismatulla Irgashev
Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan
Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Mr. Eldor Aripov
Director, Information and Analytical Center for International Relations
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan 

Ms. Lisa Curtis
Deputy Assistant to the President 
and Senior Director for South and Central Asia
National Security Council

Dr. Frederick Starr
Founder and Chairman 
The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program

Moderator:  Ambassador John Herbst
Director, Eurasia Center
Atlantic Council

Where: The Atlantic Council, 12th Floor (West Tower Elevators), 1030 15th Street, NW

When: Monday, May 14, 2018 from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

RSVP: Send to Atlantic Council

 CACI Forum with the Rumsfeld Fellows - Impact of Digital Connectivity on Governance and Economies of CAMCA Countries

The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute presented this spring's team of Rumsfeld Fellows, emerging leaders from the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Central Asia (which the alumni themselves have dubbed the 'CAMCA Region.') At this session, they discussed how new platforms of digital connectivity between CAMCA countries can contribute to diversifying and strenthening of national economies, accelerate emerging regionalism in CAMCA and help to better integrate the region into the world economy.

Moderator:
S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

For a list of the 2018 Spring Central Asia-Caucasus Fellows, a partnership between the Rumsfeld Foundation and American Foreign Policy Council's Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, click HERE.

 For a link to the Rumfeld Fellows' Presentation, click HERE.

Where: The Middle East Institute, 1319 18th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036

When: Wednesday, May 2, 2018 from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

 Book Launch: The Long Game on the Silk Road

The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at AFPC held a book launch for their most recent work: The Long Game on the Silk Road, by S. Frederick Starr and Svante E. Cornell.

Drawing on CACI's twenty years of interaction with the region, the book takes stock of both American and European policies toward Central Asia and the Caucasus. It acknowledges the many achievements, but argues that Western policies suffer from serious and unacknowledged conceptual and structural flaws. The authors propose concrete ways to address these issues and render U.S. and European policies more effective.

Speaker:
Fred Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

Svante Cornell, Director, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

Where: The Middle East Institute, 1319 18th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036

When: Tuesday, May 1, 2018 from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm