Chinggis Khan Moves to the City

DZ Man and Friends: Mongol Music Videos!

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 03:22:51 +0000

Hey everyone,
So I haven’t been posting much here lately, and don’t really know when/if I’ll be doing serious writing here again. More likely is the occasional post when I have writing that’s polished enough, or find interesting links etc… (like below). Otherwise, I encourage you to head over to my writing blog, where you can also subscribe to updates and read some of the crazy stuff I’ve been writing. Though that blog is a bit more high-volume than this (at least during the month of January I’ll be posting daily).

Oh, and I guess I have to finish uploading the photos too…

I leave you with some amazing music videos (after the jump):

From Adam’s email to the group:

Hey y’all,

I thought I’d pass along some YouTube videos of some of the Mongolian songs we found!!
enjoy!

-Adam

Javhlan – Hairiin Gegeen Boroo (Chamda!)

Har Sarnai (Black Rose) – Tor uls mini gerelteesei (i.e. the sweetest video ever made)

Har Sarnai-Tor uls mini gerelteesei

DZ MAN feat ENKHZOL – FREEDOM /COOL/

YES! DZMAN 0wnz you. Leave it to a 70 year old newscaster (!!!).

SHO and Egshiglen – Amidraliin Togloom

Tatar – Horvoo

And last but not least, Javhlan again, with a live version of Zöölön Zöölön Zambuulin:

Oh my goodness… special bonus. For anyone curious about what it’s like to go clubbing in Ulaanbaatar, here is a clip from Metropolis (near the Sky Mart, North of Enkh Taivan)

Photos, The Approach of Winter, and my NEW BLOG

admin — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:27:17 +0000

So I’ve posted more photos over at flickr, I’ll keep posting updates as they’re uploaded: http://flickr.com/photos/yule

In other news, I’m now back at Middlebury, taking a class in Creative Nonfiction (we have a class blog) and so am starting a new blog for those writings. I’ll probably still post the more polished pieces over here if they’re relevant, but if anyone’s interested in following my writings more closely, head over to the new blog, Reflections on a Ridiculous Place.

Here’s a little preview to whet your appetite!

PHOTOS

admin — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:26:22 +0000

SO, all you anxiously awaiting photos, here is a quick update… I deleted most of the photos I’d posted on flickr because I’d lost track of which I’d changed offline and had to re-upload, etc… So I’m systematically going through them all and adding tags and descriptions and editing a bunch of them. Then I’ll reupload them. So far I’ve gotten through 2 of the few dozen folders… so I have a ways to go, but they should all be up by XMas at the latest. I’ll also probably be posting a copy of the slideshow I eventually make up, as well as a smaller gallery of choice shots to post directly on this site for easy viewing, since flickr can be kind of overwhelming. But, for now you should be able to see them there.

Panoramas

admin — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:20:05 +0000

So, I took a short break from preparing a mega-slideshow to show some family friends this weekend to put some of the panoramas up with an interactive full-screen viewer that actually does them justice. Be warned, the images are large (up to 5mb), and loading them takes a while even on a cable connection, but its worth it. Click an image to load the viewer, then click and drag to navigate (pan the ‘camera’), or zoom in/out with shift/control. When you’re sufficiently impressed, pres ESC to exit. There will still be a small viewer at the bottom of the page, which might be a bit smoother if the full screen is too intense for your computer. Then click on the panorama you want to see next to load it full-screen!

So far there are 4 or so up, but I have several more waiting to be uploaded… so check here for updates.

Here’s the link: http://mongolia.yulebomb.net/pano

ISP: Changers – From Steppe to Market, and Beyond: Connecting the Pastoral Economy of Livestock Products

admin — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:19:54 +0000

Alright, so I guess treat this as a draft, even though I’ve handed it in already for credit, it’s not really complete. But there’s still some good stuff in there. Here is a link to a pdf version which preserves all my sexilicious typographic manipulations, I’ll post one in HTML as well for online viewing, with some typography preserved.

Here’s the PDF: [US Letter] or [A4]

Abstract:
Changers are traders who emerged during the traumatic early 90’s as an organic answer to Mongolia’s problems of economic disconnectedness, revealed by the collapse of the regional socialist framework. Today, despite more than fifteen
years of transition, they remain a vital piece of the Mongolian economy. Connecting herders to factories and to Chinese merchants, they allow for goods to navigate Mongolia’s notoriously sparse landscape economically.

Focusing on one sub-group: those who trade the livestock by-products skins, hides, wool and cashmere, this paper aims to understand them as a phenomenon: how and why did they emerge? What is their role in today’s Mongolia? How has changing evolved, and will its evolution continue? Is there a place for changing in post-transition Mongolia?

Despite evidence of changing’s transitional “ad-hoc” nature, the institution seems to evolving in step with the economy as a whole. The further up the supply chain one looks, and the more volume a changer processes, the more formal their operations. For now, the vast majority still operates firmly in the informal realm, with little official contracts or business agreements, but the future is far from clear. Changers seem to appreciate the benefits of evolving along with the economy; without such evolution the place for these traders in the future is uncertain.

The paper closes with a look to the future: as factories begin to search for formal contractual arrangements to ensure predictable supply, changing becomes a target for formalization and incorporation. What does this mean for the future of these notoriously individualistic and unorganized traders? Will they cease to be changers?

ISP and Coming Home

admin — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 10:34:13 +0000

So. I’m done. I’m now home (actually, at Middlebury) and dealing with re-entry… but I haven’t really written or posted since the beginning of ISP period. Things went pretty well, though my actual final product (the paper) was less than impressive, since my rather absurdly bad time management/organizational skills (or, rather, lack thereof) conspired to thwart my best efforts at creating a polished piece. So, the paper is less than amazing. And my presentation was pretty good, but I was running on not-much-sleep, and according to my host father, it showed (though he said I shouldn’t listen to him since he’s a pastor, and his standards are pretty high).

Anyways, he filmed a bit of the ISP presentations, which took place on December 1st, from 9am-1pm Mongoliatime at the Ulaanbaatar Hotel; notable guests included several of our lecturers including my advisor, Sukhee, as well as Ambassador Mark Minton and one of his staffers, a former SIT student-turned-fullbrighty who is studying NGO ethics for a thesis in Philosophy, my host family from UB, my host mother from my stay in Arvaikheer (the aimag center of Övörkhangai aimag (province)), who has since been promoted and moved to UB (she’s a judge).

So that’s a quick overview, just enough so I can post some documents for your perusal, before I post the ISP itself (i’ll make it more web friendly first), here is a sexy diagram I spent far too much time on, which illustrates the network of changers and the products they trade:
PNG (image):
PDF:

Reflections on Mongolia

admin — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 02:46:00 +0000

PART I.TURBULENCE

With perestroika and the decline of Soviet power in the late 1980’s, Mongolia entered the first period of its post-communist development. This romantic period was a time of hope; Mongolia was to become the next Asian Tiger. Yet with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the halting of related aid money, newly democratic Mongolia was faced with an economic crisis of epic proportions. The fruits of democracy were enjoyed as well; newspapers sprang up, their variety reflecting the budding of Mongolia’s new multi-party democracy. Churches tripped over each other to send missionaries to cultivate her fertile sands, and Buddhism re-entered the public sphere. However, the lack of visible progress led many Mongolians’ to enter into state of now-familiar disillusionment.

Elections brought the young Democrats into power, who hastily implemented an intensely neo-liberal plan to shock the Mongolian economy into complete liberalization. Despite optimistic forecasts from policymakers, the life of the average Mongolian took a serious turn for the worse. Problems that had been forgotten during the times of Stalinist ‘utopia’ ravaged the country. Unemployment, massive inflation (as much as 350%), shortages of essential goods, and an almost complete collapse of the Mongolian economy were among them.[1] Social ills soon followed, with Mongolian males and their fragile egos faring worse that the women; alcoholism and violence, especially, spread amongst the growing population of unemployed young men.[2] Such chaos swept the MPRP back into power, beginning another dark era of de-democratization, though with some economic recovery.

PART II. AWAKENING THE TIGER

Big Brother is watching, don’t say the

Wrong thing, look the Wrong way.

Traditional systems dis-

Integrate. Morals, ethics, freedoms and structures of life on the steppe.[3]

Yet what happens when Big Brother falls?

The veil is lifted, euphoria blossoms;

The image of the Tiger mesmerizes,

Nurtured by romancing Western winds. [4]

Yet change proves illusory, as do the goods

That once lined the oppressive shelves of state-owned stores.

A dissatisfied electorate speaks with their vote;

Old are replaced by new: the heroic Democrats

Stumble forward.

The electric paddles they hold still drip saliva,

Fresh from the drooling mouths of the waiting West.

With the suavity of a toddler’s first step, they apply the shock;

Sparks fly, illuminating their fresh faces frozen in naïveté and terror.

With the ferocity of a dead fish the Mongolian economy coughs,

Collapsing into torpor.

PART III. THE PERILS OF FREEDOM

With the fall of the soviet-installed communist system, freedom was thrust onto the Mongolian people in every capacity. Suddenly, Mongolians were free to think, worship, vote, move, and work (if they could find a job) as they pleased. Yet with this freedom came an immense individual responsibility, to make it in this new system without the help of the state, a drastic change to say the least. Also, these freedoms came without any tradition—after 70 years of socialism, only a faint memory remains of what came before. Some consequences have been rapid urbanization, pastureland degradation, over-hunting and over-harvesting, and generally unsustainable patterns of development. Where a cohesive state plan once was, is now blind free market, “me first” capitalism.

According to various religious leaders, the economic crisis was, and continues to be accompanied by a moral crisis.[5] Alcoholism, crime, and violence all became endemic, though whether this was due to the abysmal economic conditions and lack of law and order, or the supposed demolition of Mongolian morals by the Soviets is not clear. That the moral structure was destroyed by soviet policies and oppressive moral policing makes sense only if people were truly too scared to think independently (like East Germany with the STAZI[6]). Nonetheless, Mongolians clearly have a dark history behind them, one that must be confronted if they are to move forward, “Here in Mongolia… I think only with dealing with the reality, also admitting what went wrong, they can really find out again what they are, and what they want to be.”[7]

In greatest danger of degeneration by the toxic societal climate are the nation’s young men. Faced with a crisis of national identity, these young men and their already fragile egos must come to terms with the anarchy unfolding around them. The easiest way is to find a scapegoat: the Chinese (and Koreans). Thus groups of young men have formed together under the financial and moral manipulation of powerful politicians, to carry out a campaign of terrorism against foreign-owned businesses and their employees. Powerful messages of militarism from abroad catalyze this transformation.[8] Yet they are just that, pawns of people with money and an agenda.

It is not only the young men who face the new deluge of media imagery from abroad. Where they were once shielded by an overprotective government, Mongolians are now left completely exposed to a barrage of alien culture, “Its not just the lifting of the pressure, it’s the moving of a completely different world, with all the television, with all the Western, European, American values and which come in a completely unrealistic way.”[9]

PART IV. IDENTITY

The Christians say, “Of course! This Beast is Lost,

Searching for the Something more.”

The Mormons wait with their sharp suits and

Clean-cut lines. What happened to that

Which once filled this place? A Buddhism since

Gutted by the years of not-so-subtle stifling;

Banished to a realm of irrelevance. Yet does Christ,

And those who use His name, truly fill this void?

Do the 50% under 25 really know

That to which they subscribe?

Or that over which they passed

To accept this foreign faith?

PART V. POINT OF NO RETURN

“The free market is blind, following it blindly leads to collapse.” –Ganbaatar, CEO Confederation of Mongolian Trade Union[10]

A look around Ulaanbaatar is all one needs to sense anarchic levels of freedom. Buildings sprout from a cement sea like the grass that once grew beneath. Chinese workers scurry about, erecting monuments to the new Lords of the Land: the ?ugrik, the ?on and the ¥uan. Law and order resonates nowhere; the MP’s poaching marmots send a clear message to the rest of their people. The insanity that is traffic in UB reflects this; why obey traffic laws when those who write them show such blatant disregard? Walking the streets, one sees street children begging for food from well-dressed businessmen and politicians as they descend from shiny land-cruisers. The emerging Mongolian middle class makes UB feel like the capital of a much more prosperous country than it is. One need only travel in any direction outside the city center to witness the kilometers and kilometers of families trying to eek out a living in this new system, despite the odds against them.

After 15 years of transition from authoritarian communism to the current ‘democratic’ free-market system, Mongolia is approaching a precipice, a point of no return.[11] Corruption in the highest levels of government breeds corruption in the lower levels. A growing shadow economy, and widespread bribery indicate the financial interests that are developing and becoming entrenched. Perhaps the most frightening development has been the worsening of Mongolia’s elections. Once famous for its quick transition to internationally approved elections, suspicious events during the 2004 elections call such innocence into serious question.[12] Such corruption only worsens existing problems of poverty, unemployment, insufficient infrastructure, growing crime and violence, and especially a pervasive air of lawlessness. While some manage to be optimistic about the future of governance, cynicism seems to be far more pervasive.

In order to secure their future, Mongolians must work through their disillusionment, come to terms with their past take ownership over the present and future of their country. They must take their democratic rights in hand, no matter how tenuous they may feel, and use them to catch the rapidly closing doors of political legitimacy. Only by building a viable civil society movement, with support from the public to keep a stern watchful eye on all aspects of government, does Mongolia stand a chance for a truly sustainable future. Without such a movement, politicians will continue to work for their own interests, and corruption will continue to flourish. The growing symbiotic relationship between government and business will become one of permanence.

PART VI. SURREALITY

The Mongolian cat still bares her humble teeth,

If only in campaign ads.

From her mouth peer politicians: slick suited,

Pockets fleeced with Copper and Gold.

They will reform, herald a new era;

Or so they say. Until then

The youth wander the streets, crackling

With insecurity and xenophobia.

Coal fills the winter air;

Pastures fade;

Lines form to overpay at ger district water pumps;

Drunks stumble across sidewalks, their bloodshot glassy eyes half-open;

Street children recede to the sewers, watching the world above pass them by.

[1] Sanjaasuren Oyun, “Burning Issues in Mongolian Politics & Economy,” September 18, 2007.

[2] T. Undarya, “Democratization: Challenges and Opportunities,” September 17, 2007.

[3] Such as traditional land use practices, and the freedom to migrate where one wants.

[4] Reference to the assurances from Western advisors that their policies would lead Mongolia to become the next ‘Asian Tiger’.

[5] D. Dashdendev, “Story of a Mongolian Christian,” October 10, 2007; Ueli Minder, Personal Interview (2007); Serge Patrick, “The Catholic Church in Mongolia,” October 12, 2007; Aleksei Trubach, “History of Orthodoxy in Mongolia,” October 11, 2007.

[6] Ueli Minder, Personal Interview.

[7] Ibid.

[8] T. Undarya, “Democratization: Challenges and Opportunities.”

[9] Ueli Minder, Personal Interview.

[10] Ganbaatar, “Mongolian Civil Society and Social Issues,” September 21, 2007.

[11] T. Undarya, “Democratization: Challenges and Opportunities.”

[12] Ibid.

ISP!!!

admin — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:10:58 +0000

SO, I’ve updated the research page with my final ISP proposal, as well as one of the previous iterations. The last week has been completely INSANE, trying to finish up all our “regular” work on top of finalizing ISP topics and arranging all our travel plans/translators/budget/etc… So I finally have a wikiplan for the month.

I’ll be studying animal skin and meat changers (mongolian: chenjuud), they’re raw material traders who travel around buying stuff from herders or other changers, then selling to other changers or factories or whomever. My plans right now are to hang out in UB for the next few days, spending some time at these two huge raw materials markets on the East and West outskirts of the city (1hr drive with bad traffic); Emeelt is on the West, and is where all the traders from Western aimags come to do biznizz; vice-versa for Nalaikh on the east side, which trades with the Eastern aimags. I’m hoping to get some contacts with changers in UB that I can meet with and chat, get an idea how things work. Then I leave on Monday for Darkhan, the third largest city in Mongolia (not saying much, 76,000). I’ll spend a couple days there (staying with the uncle of one of our language teachers, along with another student and her translator) visiting a sheepskin coat factory, and hopefully talking to some changers while I’m there. Then back to UB, and onwards to Kharkhorin, the ancient capital of the Great Mongolian Empire (known in the West as Kharakhorum). In Kharkhorin I have a homestay with a changer! Which is gonna be awesome. So he’s super busy right now because all the farmers are slaughtering their animals, since there’s been predictions of a harsh winter coming up. So there’ll be plenty of activity for me to tag along and watch. I’ll spend a week or so there, then onwards to Tsetserleg where I’m staying with the family of one of our teacher’s wife. Their whole extended fam lives there, so they know pretty much everyone, and can hook me up with contacts and such. Then on the 18th its back to UB to write, and visit some factories here since I prolly won’t have time before I leave.

Phew. Well I gotta run since its 1am and I still have to walk home (or is it worth 50 cents for a taxi…). Anyways, sorry about not getting any recent photos up, but its super slow where I have wireless, and when I don’t its just too confusing putting photos on my flash drive, then only getting some uploaded, but not being sure which ones… blah blah. So y’all will have to wait until I get back to UB… or maybe the states. heh…

Hope all’s well. And by all means, send emails or drop comments here! And I’d be happy to respond to questions and stuff too…

October: UB Homestay and Mongolian Christians

admin — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 06:16:13 +0000

So Halloween fast approaches, and with it, our ISP period. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

I haven’t written much about the last few weeks, which I should, but I’m thinking I’ll probably just type up some of my journal entries, since they give a pretty good picture of some aspects of life here. We went on a whirlwind trip down to Khamrind Khiid (Monaster) in the Gobi, and saw the shambala (108 stupas, and a place to cleanse your karma), a museum dedicated to Danzanravja, the Gobi Saint (he was a lama who lived in the Gobi in the 19th c. and built Mongolia’s first theater, among other things), and some dinosaur bones and petrified wood. The train ride was wild, we spent more time traveling than we did in the Gobi!

Otherwise, I’ve been living with a family here in the city, in the 13th microdistrict (I’ll have to post a map of the city at some point as well, and some photos of the neighborhood are forthcoming). My father is an Evangelical Christian pastor, who has his own church; he also runs the Mongolian Bible society, which is responsible for maintaining a Mongolian language version of the Bible (its NRSV I believe, which is pretty progressive). He was actually one of the lecturers during our religion week, so we all knew who he was when I found out I was living with him. He’s not so extreme, but still, it was pretty insane at first. Anyways, I have 3 host bro’s 13, 11 and 20, and one who’s 25 or so and lives in a ger district by himself (he’s a starving artist, which is awesome). My mom works at the Bible society as a translator, and likes talking to me in English that is only barely better than my Mongolian, which is frustrating. Our apartment is actually pretty nice, it’s on the ground floor of one of the 80’s stalinist apartment buildings, and has 3 bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and living room (where I stay). They have a TV, a pretty nice computer (and digital camera etc…) and lots of German stuff, since both my parents studied in East Germany. My host father was actually studying to become a vet at first, but he decided to switch to theology. I’ll write more about church later, maybe. I’ve been twice, once to the adult morning service, and once to the youth (teenager) service, both led by my host dad. The youth service was much more interesting because my eldest brother, Sotou, helped us follow along in an English language bible, as well as translating some of the most important words so we could at least follow the main ideas of the service. I had a friend, Kevin, who came too, so I guess it was due to our accumulating a critical mass, but a few times my father paused to give a quick English synopsis of what he’d been talking about. It was a little unnerving to be the focus of attention, but it was worth having a clue what was happening. My mongolian isn’t bad, but it’s not quite sermon-level…

On another note, we had our final language exam today, which went amazingly well. I’m not sure what “level” I’m at officially, but I can hold a pretty decent conversation about anything not requiring special vocab. The key is that my grammar has gotten good enough that I can figure out at least an awkward way to say most things, and finding the vocab is easy since most people I talk to speak some English (yeah, kinda lame, but I think it’s actually helped me learn to some extent, since they can explain what we do wrong). Sooo, ISP…

I went through about 4 different topics in the 36 hours leading up to our proposals being due (thursday), and met with three different people, all of whom have agreed to advice me on different topics… O_o I settled on studying regional development, with a focus on the far western aimags (provinces), specifically Hovd. I plan to travel out west for two weeks or so to chat with the aimag governer, as well as some of the soum governers (smaller division than a province), and regular people. The lady I will hopefully be bringing to translate (my Mongolian isn’t nearly good enough to conduct an academic interview… but I’ll be able to follow along decently) is actually from Hovd herself, and used to be a language teacher at SIT. I’m meeting her this afternoon, so we’ll see how that goes. But overall, I’m still pretty mixed about my topic, since it feels a bit like a compromise. But at this point I really need to move on and just get started researching. I’m hoping that especially once I’m out west, I’ll be able to find some neat angles from which to look at things to make the project more interesting and engaging. I hope.

UB is getting colder, much colder. It’s pretty much below freezing all the time, though midday can be a bit warmer. Also, the smog that hovers permanently over the city in the colder months is rapidly accumulating, turning once lush views of surrounding mountains and hills into a hazy, sulfurous blur, even at night. The air doesn’t feel too bad yet, but we’ve been told during the coldest months you can taste coal in your mouth by the time you get to school (20-30 minutes), provided you’re walking outside. The cause of the pollution is mostly the scores of gers that blanket the land surrounding the city center for kilometers in all directions (except the areas with cleaner air, where the rich people build their mansions and keep their many landcruisers). Since there’s no wood left, people burn mostly coal in small metal stoves, that aren’t very efficient, and are running constantly to keep the frigid Mongolian winter at bay.

Gotta run, time to meet my new translator… more later

NGO Paper: The Poison of Fear vs. The Salve of Education, 10/15/07

admin — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:09:16 +0000

I find myself agreeing with what I heard from Ueli Minder, CEO of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition in Mongolia, that the most important development issue in today’s Mongolia is its crisis of identity. Much like the representatives we met from an Evangelical Christian, a Catholic and a Russian Orthodox church, Ueli spoke of the receding tide of communism leaving a people stripped of their inner strength and belief system, thus lacking an identity in a harsh new world. To make matters worse, Mongolians are now suddenly open to the barrage of culture and information from which the Iron Curtain had shielded them, “its not just the lifting of the pressure, it’s the moving of a completely different world, with all the television, with all the Western, European, American values and which come in a completely unrealistic way.” Eager to fill this newly created spiritual vacuum, missionaries from various Christian sects have descended upon Mongolia; according to Father Aleksei, head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Mongolia, some are actively destroying the Mongolian identity. He cited an example of the result such destruction brings: the suicide of several young Mongolians in the name of Jesus Christ.
The basis of the identity and moral crisis in Mongolia is in the psychological effects of a people under dictatorial rule. With the ever-present eye of the government dominating one’s life, it becomes easiest to simply yield ones thoughts and beliefs to control from above: “How fear can destroy the human mind: trust and communication, everything.” Ueli gave an example from a Christian friend of his who was holding discussion groups, and discovered trust no longer had any meaning to young Mongolians; in Ueli’s words: “They didn’t know what it means. Trust… that hinders so much people to grow internally. Because they even don’t trust themselves.” Moreover, Mongolia’s ability to navigate a path into the future is dependant on her relationship to this dark history, “Here in Mongolia… I think only with dealing with the reality, also admitting what went wrong, they can really find out again what they are, and what they want to be.” This theme was echoed in a modern context by Mr. Ganbaatar, head of the CMTU, who lamented the rise of “crazy capitalism”, and expressed his wish that Mongolians take ownership of their country, and thus of their own destiny. Instead, a growing number are turning to outsiders to shoulder this burden, blaming the country’s problems on foreign businesses.
Ueli, much like the representatives of the three other religions, sees his role in the solving of this problem as primarily educational. In addition to teaching about Mahayana Buddhism, Ueli has taken advantage of his background in teacher education to affect some real positive change in the education system. After holding a seminar with several other religious groups on the family, alcohol and values, several teachers approached him pleading, “Do this more with us! We need help with how to teach the kids values, what to do!” Not only is he teaching about values, but also how to teach values, a more sustainable, though skill-intensive approach.
Buddhism also has a role in both the reclamation of Mongolia’s history, as well as the laying of a foundation for the future. By learning about Buddhism, Mongolians are rediscovering a vital aspect of their culture, one virtually eliminated during the socialist era. With the Buddhist education comes also a moral and ethical structure, which with history are vital to the building of a robust Mongolian identity. Ueli has no problem with Mongolians converting to Christianity, if they feel it will help them, but he is distressed when this conversion prevents them from fully reclaiming their history, since Buddhism is perceived as a threat to their new Christian identity. Without truly coming to terms with their history, these Mongolians are building a new identity on a partial foundation, and this results in an identity that is fragile and incomplete.
The phenomenon of growing extreme Nationalism is related to this crisis in identity, and aided by the growth of widespread corruption. During her talk on Democratization, Ms. Undarya talked about the growing fascist movement, with its emphasis on history and a biologically purist, male-centric national identity. Perhaps these young Mongolians are reacting violently to outside encroachment, which they perceive as a threat. Their insecurity and emptiness is activated by the presence of foreigners, which inflames and catalyzes the creation of an über-nationalist identity; this nationalism feeds on the strength of Mongolia’s ancient history, creating a sense of invincibility that is even less compatible with the reclamation of a dark period in history.
For the FPMT and Buddhists in general, their efforts are limited by any stigma associated with the name Buddhism. Even Ueli levels some criticism at the historical status quo in both Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhism, and their disconnectedness from society. Especially the mixing of opportunistic capitalism with Buddhism, which he believes has alienated many from looking further. But he also sees Buddhism changing, learning from other religions such as the service-minded Christians. The ability of Buddhism to change with the times, under the guidance of the FPMT and Gandan Monastery (the closest thing to a central authority in Mongolian Buddhism), will determine the future of Buddhism in Mongolia, and the extent to which Christianity is able to fill Mongolians’ identity vacuum before people have a chance to rediscover their historical faith.
Thus, Mongolia faces many challenges on its quest for a new identity. Mongolia must learn about and come to terms with its past, whilst staying afloat in the flood of imagery and culture that has especially deluged its media-saturated youth. Likewise, the poisonous appeal of fascist nationalism threatens to further radicalize the most severely disaffected. Like Ueli Minder, and his colleagues from other organizations said, civic and historical education, whether from schools or religious institutions, is clearly important to the success of this transformation. While each organization has its own particular approach, they will also all gain from working together, as the successful collaboration of the FPMT with other religious organizations showed. This will also foster dialogue between religious groups on other issues, helping to avoid a further polarization of the religious climate. However, in the end, Mongolia’s future rests in the hands of its people, most notably its large demographic of young people; if they succeed in acquiring a stable and secure identity, Mongolia can turn its attention to more technical issues of development. Otherwise, no amount of development studies or technical reports can fix the torn psyche of this people, caught in a flux between multiple worlds.