nCa Report
On 25 May the World Kurultay of Kazakh people will start in Astana. It is the fourth Kurultay since the declaring of Kazakhstan’s independence.
Kurultay is the traditional form of public representation among the nomads of Central Asia. It is difficult to say when this idea to hold such meetings emerged. Exact time is unknown. But the historians believe the Kurultay is connected with the public meetings since the military democracy of the Bronze Age. Nowadays such forum is the unique mechanism for Kazakhstan to maintain and develop relationship with all the fellow countrymen abroad. The main value of the Kurultay is communication with historical motherland and fostering of patriotism.
Three forums were held in Almaty, Turkestan and Astana, uniting Kazakh people all over the world. At present the Kazakh people reside in more than 40 countries, the majority of them living in neighboring countries. In Uzbekistan and China one and a half million Kazakh people live, in Russia – nearly million people, in Turkmenistan – 100 thousand, in Mongolia – 80 thousand, in Kyrgyzstan – 45 thousand. Other countries, where Kazakh people live, include Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan. Moreover, some diaspora reside in Europe, Northern and South America.
Delegations from more than 30 countries will attend the present forum. The participation of Kazakhstan’s President H.Nazarbayev lends greater importance to the Kurultay.
The main theme of the fourm will the evaluation of the country’s progress, gained during the 20 years of independence. Moreover, such issues as realization of “Nurly kyosh” program, adaptation of migrated Kazakh people in Motherland, development of cultural ties between Kazakhstan and foreign diaspora, development of Kazakh people in globalization epoch, challenges of training of foreign Kazakh youth in Kazakh universities and other pressing issues will be considered.
Notably, in order to solve these issues the government of Kazakhstan worked out the program for support of Kazakh diaspora abroad. The program provides for rendering cultural and moral support to Kazakh people, living outside. In particular, the Cultural Centres of Kazakhstan were opened in Russia, China, Mongolia, Iran, Turkey, the USA and some European countries.
In accordance with this program the ministry of justice and ministry of education and of science of Kazakhstan prepared new regulations for getting education in Kazakhstan by Kazakh students, living in other countries.
Most delegates of the 4th World Kurultai of Kazakh people will visit their historical motherland for the first time, that’s why Kazakh people, living abroad, actively prepare for the forum. For example, recently the 3rd meeting of Kazakh people of Trans-Ural took place in Kurgan (Russia). The meeting summed up the five-years activity of national-cultural autonomy of Kazakh people, living in Kurgan region. In regional centre Krasniy Yar of Samara region the Kazakh public organization from 20 town and regions held the meeting under the auspices of Federal national-cultural autonomy of Kazakhs of Russian. It was created after 3rd World Kazakh Kurultay. The Volgograd Kazakhs, created their own cultural center, attended the meeting for the first time.
Moreover, Kazakhs from ten European countries annually held the Small Kazakh Kurultay of Europe. In 2006 they created the Federation of Kazakh public organizations with head-quarters in Munich, opened the Cultural center in Belgium.
The Kazakh Kurultay of Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan deserves the special attention. It was organized in this region for the first time in the history of Kazakh.
Each World Kazakh Kurultay gives the impulse for further development of Kazakh diaspore abroad and proves the direct participation of Kazakhstan in the life of fellow countrymen. In this context the 4th forum of Kazakh people is expected to bring fruitful results.