The Kyrgyz Education Minister,
Prof. Ischengul Boljurowa, and Arne Seifert, CORE

The workshop dedicated to good governance in secular states having a muslim majority, which took place in Bishkek on 15/16 November 2008, pursued the dialogue initiated by CORE on the relationship between secular elements and islamic components in Central Asia. The workshop, organised by CORE in co-operation with the Institute for Strategic Analysis and Prognosis of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, and sponsored by the German Foreign Office, was attended by participants from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia and Germany. The discussions focussed on relevant political issues, like the rights and responsibility of national religious authorities and other religious organisations.

Furthermore, on 17 November 2008 the book “Secularism and Islam in the modern state: what unites them?” was presented in Almaty, Kazakstan. The volume, published by CORE, the Kazak Institute for Strategic Studies (KISI) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Almaty Office, summarises the results of a similar workshop which took place in Almaty in 2007.

Contact: Dr Wolfgang Zellner