Kyrgyzstan: The Challenge of Post-Soviet Multiethnic Nation Building

Abstract

The thesis attempts to understand why it is difficult to establish peace and stability in Kyrgyzstan; to determine how to establish interethnic and cultural harmony; Understanding the importance of ethnic and national identities and their dynamics also helps to clarify potential problems such as separatism and conflict, which are likely to recur in the future. The World Bank Data Survey from 2004 is used to investigate different variables in which the presence of significant influences (ethnicity, citizenship, education, territory) on building national identity. It also elucidates the ongoing debates of ethnic division in the development of national identity and its challenges. The first significant trend was the fact that ethnic Kyrgyz are more apt to prioritize the importance of ethnicity rather than citizenship. For some, living in Kyrgyzstan provides a context that is necessary for being Kyrgyz. Here again we see the importance of Kyrgyz civic identity.