February 1, 2008
For Immediate Release
For an Interview:
Rusty Butler
(801) 863-8994
The UVSC Office of International Affairs and the Department of History and Political Science will host members of the Kyrgyz opposition party February 9-11, 2008. UVSC students will have the opportunity to discuss complexities involved in the establishment of the separation of powers with the delegation. The event will take place on February 11 at 9 a.m. in room 126 of the Woodbury Building on UVSC’s Orem campus.
Utah Senator John Valentine will co-host the group and Omurbek Tekebaev, former speaker of the Kyrgyz parliament, chairman of the Motherland Party and outspoken critic of the Kyrgyz government, will head the delegation.
Tekenbaev resigned as speaker of the parliament in 2006, but despite the resignation is still considered by many to be one of the most influential parliamentarians in all Central Asia. He will be joined by two of his former deputies who are also members of the Motherland Party.
“The U.S. has important strategic interests in Central Asia,” explained Dr. Rusty Butler, associate vice president for international affairs at UVSC. “Kyrgyzstan is home to the United States air base that provides critical support to the war effort in Afghanistan, and is also home to a growing Russian military base. A strong democracy is crucial for the stability of Kyrgyzstan as well as the entire Central Asia region.”
“In a democracy we must look at both sides of a question,” adds Dr. Alex Stecker, a lecturer in UVSC’s Political Science Department. “We can not and must not accept a one-sided answer. This is what education is all about. The delegation will help students and faculty understand the other side of the issue. The delegation will look at such areas as human rights, democracy building, legislative process and religious tolerance. We share this world with so many, we can and must share our ideas and hopes and they will do the same with us.”
The Kyrgyz delegation will also meet with UVSC faculty and explore ways in which the institution’s community can become more involved with that nation in a number of areas, including Central Asian legislative affairs.
# # #
College Marketing Contact:
Megan Laurie
(801) 863-7149
Written by:
Brenda Johnson
(801) 863-7011