Policy Briefs
from
Caspian Studies Program
Recommendations for Democratization Assistance
In the Caspian Region
Dr. Vladimir Shkolnikov
Caspian Studies Program, Policy Brief Number 7
Preface
For over a century, several groups in Central Asia and the Caucasus have been attempting to promote greater democratic freedom and political liberalization in their own societies. Many of the national movements that emerged in this region in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century had a strong liberal element.
For instance, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920) established in its constitution equal rights for all citizens "regardless of ethnic origin, religion, class, profession, or gender." As such, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic became the first Muslim state to grant women suffrage and did so before most Western states, including the United States and Sweden. Many regional groups'' desire to rid themselves of autocratic governments influenced them to cooperate with the Soviets and contributed to Moscow''s retaking of the area in the 1920s.
During the post-Soviet period, many of the democratization programs instituted in the Caucasus and Central Asia have -- despite local support for political liberty and democratization -- failed to meet many of their goals. These mainly Western-sponsored programs have unintentionally succeeded in making democratization and liberalization seem to be foreign aims, weakening their chances for success. For political liberalization and democratization to succeed in the region, the people of the region must see these goals as products of locally-based political movements.
In its previous publications, the Caspian Studies Program has emphasized the importance of creating "open society infrastructures" -- such as free media and wide public internet access -- in the region, as important means for promoting democratization. We strongly support U.S. and European support for democratization programs aimed at developing open society resources in the region. Local populations can benefit from receiving assistance in developing these open society infrastructures, but they should be allowed to lead the process of integrating new reforms and to set the priorities in their home societies.
In this brief, Dr. Vladimir Shkolnikov, an experienced researcher and practitioner in the field of democratization in the former Soviet Union, points out some of the reasons for Western-sponsored democratization programs'' failure to meet many of their goals and ways to rectify this situation. He specifically points to the damage done when Western organizations impose their own agenda on political and civic institutions in these societies. For example, I personally have been struck by Western governments'' promotion of value-based programs (such as in the field of gender relations) that have set goals way beyond the accepted practices in the sponsor countries. Western-sponsored democratization programs have also too often failed to address the needs of the "ordinary citizens" in recipient countries and have instead appealed to elites in the region.
Dr. Shkolnikov correctly points out that the dramatically increased levels of Western involvement in the Caspian region during the post-September 11th period have led to a revamping of policies toward the area. At this time of renewal, we should take Dr. Shkolnikov''s recommendations into consideration in order to institute more successful democratization programs in the Caspian region.
Brenda Shaffer, Ph.D.
Research Director
Caspian Studies Program
Harvard University
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