During her recent tour of Central Asia, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton [9] met with dozens of current or rising leaders in civil society, government, and the private sector in Tajikistan. Secretary Clinton held a town hall meeting with women, youth, and civil society in the capital of Dushanbe, leading discussion on the collaboration between the U.S. and Tajikistan, along with issues such as regional security and job promotion for youth.
Many of the town hall participants were alumni from the Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program [10], Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia [11], and the Legal Education and Development Program for Tajikistan [12].
“Hillary Clinton's speech was motivating and inspiring, especially when she said she was on the side of people and that everyone should be free to practice universal rights such as religion anywhere and anytime, as well as when she talked about the role of women in the society,” said Ibragimdzhon Rustamov, Senior Program Officer at IREX in Dushanbe and fellow Muskie alumnus. “I hope bringing stability and cooperation to the region, as well as supporting civil society and freedom, will remain her top priorities.”
For more on Secretary Clinton’s remarks in Dushanbe, click here [13].