Article Published
Just a quick update to say that an article has been published - Jones, H. (2006) ‘Working Together: Local and Global Imperatives for Women in Mongolia’. Asia Europe Journal Vol. 4, (3): 417-430. (ISSN 1612-1031).
Conferences Well Received!
Since my last message I have had two pieces published about the research trip and I'm working on another article for a peer reviewed journal. I spoke about violence in the context of Mongolia at a seminar that I facilitated this summer which formed part of the Women's Aid Federation (England) National Conference.
Also during the summer, I presented two full conference papers. The first was in Belfast at the European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control, with a paper entitled 'Modern Nomads: Women in Mongolia'. The second was in Aberdeen at the Feminist & Women's Studies Association with a paper entitled 'Working Together: Local and Global Imperatives for Women in Mongolia'.
Jones, H. and D’Cruze, S. (2005) Mongolian Women’s Rights: An International Approach. Mongoljingoo. Ulaanbaatar: Mongolian Women’s Federation.
A quick update
February certainly feels like a long time ago but I'm still in touch with contacts made then and I'm still hoping to return to continue the research.
An article was published in the
Open University's Sesame magazine (Issue 226, p32, entitled "In Genghis Khan's footsteps").
I'm currently writing up a conference paper, to be presented in the Autumn.
I'll update this blog again then and in the meantime if anyone has some funding money they would like to give to me, just email me!
View from the Chinggis Khaan hotel of Ulaanbaatar: note the frozen river in the centre of the photograph.
District Police Officer with crossbow (no longer in use!).
Shani & Helen, dressed in ceremonial robes with some board members of the MWLA.
Picture of the tapestry that was on the wall in the breakfast room of the Chinggis Khaan Hotel - about 5 metres by 3 metres!
At the Chinggis Khaan Ger camp with the Mongolian Women Lawyers Association.
Visit with the Board and office team of the National Centre Against Violence.
Inside the traditional Ger of Echo's Grandmother, with her uncle, aunt and cousins. Shani is wearing gift of blue scarf.
Shani and Helen with some Board members of the Mongolian Women Lawyers Association.
Sunday at the Chinggis Park
Final Meetings
Tuesday morning and we have just had a breakfast meeting with UNIFEM. They have a small operation here in Mongolia and projects include education and gender mainstreaming. It was good to meet with them to alert them to our work and what we want to achieve in the future. They may be able to point us towards appropriate funders.
We are now in a small lull before embarking in our last meetings in Mongolia and there will be no time to update this blog further before our return to the UK.
Shani has tried to contact the British Embassy and we are currently waiting to hear if there is anyone available to see us. It is not imperative that we do this but it would be useful to have a brief conversation just to alert them to our presence!
Later this afternoon we hope to visit the University and meet with a law professor to assess the level of academic participation within political and civil life here in Mongolia, as our impression at the moment is that it is completely different to that in the UK.
The agreement of intent will be brought to the hotel at 5.30pm for signing and this will be our last meeting with MWLA. Meeting them has been a very fruitful part of the research trip and we very much look forward to future collaboration with them and also the National Centre Against Violence.
This evening we have a dinner planned with Echo and she may be bringing another academic to meet with us, so this gives us another chance to make academic links.
And then it is an early evening (and not too much vodka hopefully!), as we have an early flight back to the UK via Moscow. We are being accompanied to Ulaanbaatar airport by the UB police - an act of hospitality on their behalf - nothing sinister! The flight to Moscow is 6 hours, we have a 5 hour wait at Moscow airport and then just under 4 hours back to Heathrow.
Whilst we will be glad to get back home, this trip to Mongolia has been an amazing, unforgettable experience and one which we are so pleased to have had. Our concerns at the outset - of being cold, maybe not liking the food and having translation problems - were not realised. The cold here is very easy to deal with - we went trekking in -25degrees on Sunday but it was not as cold as the miserable drizzly winters we have at home. The sky is always a perfect blue and the sunshine can almost feel warm. The brightness is very welcome, having had too much of the grey winter months at home. The food has been very meaty - not ideal for vegetarians at all - but fine for us. We have not encountered anything that we absolutely could not eat - although my own personal wish is for a toaster at breakfast - I miss my toast! The Mongolian people have been very hospitable and I will certainly miss the key contacts we have made here. Thank goodness for email so that we can stay in touch. And translation has not presented a problem. A combination of good English speakers within most organisations that we have met with and some imaginative sign language has meant that communication has not been a problem. Yes, it can be extremely exhausting to converse in careful, simple language when trying to discuss complex issues but we have used a mixture of media to convey our key points - including using a biscuit as a demonstration tool at one point - and with a great deal of success even if I say so myself. We have been imaginative in our presentations and tailored them 'on the hoof' depending on our audience and I have to do a little self-congratulation here because Shani and I actually make a really good double act! I think this is due to our respect of each other's specific skills and talents which have been very complementary to the job in hand.
I hope the blog has helped to give a flavour of what we have been up to. I think its been an excellent way of staying in touch and I hope that others use it to log their research activities in the future.
For now, we will finish our meetings today and look forward to being back with you all very soon.
Helen and Shani
Ulaanbaatar (minus 28 degrees!)
Meeting the Ministry
Monday morning found us setting off to the Ministry of Justice. We met with a Minister who has been centrally involved in the new Domestic Violence legislation and who was keen to hear our thoughts about perpetrator programmes from a UK perspective. We discussed the type of model that is used in the UK and outlined how such programmes differ from the 'anger management' style programmes of the past. Our meeting lasted about an hour and we felt this was a fruitful introduction to the Mongolian government.
We then stopped off at the National State Department store to have some of our photographs developed. They provided an excellent 30 minute service for about $4.
These photographs provided an excellent discussion point for our formal dinner with the board directors of the Mongolian Women Lawyers Association. The photos were mainly from our 'Snow Trek' the day before and they were very interested in seeing them. We made them a gift of some of the photos but don't worry because I have plenty more on the digital camera - so we can still do the promised slide-show!!
The formal dinner really helped to establish our collaborative relationship and of course, many more toasts were made with vodka. They thanked us for making such a long journey, for bringing academic skills and for friendship. Shani has drafted an agreement of intent to clearly outline our ongoing work and priorities and this will hopefully be signed by the MWLA and ourselves before our return to the UK. Although not legally binding it demonstrates committment to collaboration and may be a useful document to evidence the relationship to future funders.
Snow Trek
Sunday was hospitality day from the Mongolian Women Lawyers Association (MWLA). We were collected in a mini-bus for a trip with the board of directors to the Chinggis Khaan camp, about 40 minutes outside of Ulaan Baatar, along the bumpiest 'roads' I have ever travelled on. This is a historical museum of Mongolian life, consisting of traditional gers, horse stables and vast outdoor meeting arena - all set in open fields surrounded by forested mountains - very dramatic scenery and covered in a good foot of snow. The snow however is very different from home. We tried to make snowballs but it is so dry that you cannot compact it into a ball, it just falls through your fingers like sand and this also means that your feet don't get at all wet. At one point my foot went into the snow and I ended up calf deep in it. In England, my trousers would have been sodden but here we were perfectly dry.
One of the gers had a display of weapons and traditional ceremonial robes. The MWLA took great delight in dressing us up. Shani was dressed in the robes of Chinggis Khaan's mother and I was dressed as a princess! We took lots of photos and must arrange a slide-show when we get home! Shani slipped and fell outside one of the gers - so that makes us one-all!!
We were then treated to lunch - an amazing affair with various courses. The tradition is to open a bottle of vodka and keep pouring until it is finished. So many toasts were made, pledging future visits and collaboration and friendship. The man who served us the food and poured the vodka turned out to be a senior police officer and he sang us a traditional song. The MWLA obviously have a very good relationship with the police! Glowing from the vodka, we then travelled to the National Park - the oldest park in the world, having been opened in 1630. We had a walk in the woods, again amidst the snow - very beautiful. It is here that the annual Naadam is held in the summer: a three day festival of horse racing, archery and wrestling.
We then invited everyone back to the hotel to sample the Irish whisky that I had in my room and, as if by magic, they proceeded to spread trays of meats, pickles, crisps and nuts that they had brought with them, along with yet another bottle of vodka and Mongolian beer. This was all in the name of securing good international relations of course!
Monday looks set to be an interesting day. We have a visit arranged with the Ministry of Justice and a senior judge. The evening is a formal dinner with the MWLA - and might involve more vodka. This research stuff can be so demanding!
We will post another message tomorrow - probably our final message before coming home. Helen & Shani.
Day off
First of all a big thank you to everyone who has posted a comment on the site. We really enjoy and appreciate getting messages - so please keep them coming - we are starting to feel a long, long way from home!
To respond to a few of the messages already posted:
Julie - you are right - different culture and diverse organisations and processes but really same problems of poverty, male violence and the struggle to get it onto the political agenda. I wish you were here because you would relish the discussions we are having with women's groups. I feel that I am having a wonderful opportunity to exercise my skills - many of which we developed together long ago!
Stephen W. - Shani has sent the letter of intent and we will probably discuss it further with the Mongolian Women Lawyers on Sunday's trip to the countryside. A good mix of pleasure and business.
Sandra - yes, we will definitely disseminate to the group - I think Shani already has plans to call a meeting on the Wednesday we get back - more info to follow direct from Shani.
Ricky - I'm still staying warm and haven't needed to find a yak to cuddle up with for heat yet!
Sarah - how are you and has the baby arrived yet??!!
Barry & Sally - I will go gift shopping before I come home. And by the way - I have bought myself a new pair of slipper - so you can let the barcelona slippers walk themselves off to the bin!
Saturday was a day off of sorts. We spent the morning catching up on emails - quite difficult when the computers either don't work or grind extremely slowly. In the afternoon I caught up with reading some of the documents we have been given and Shani ventured out down the road for a walk and bought a bag of apples!
In the evening we went for a meal with our research contact, Echo, and watched a show of Mongolian musicians and throat singers. I bought the CD so if anyone wants to have a listen, just let me know.
Sunday is a trip into the frozen countryside to 'Turtle Mountain' with the Mongolian Women Lawyers Association - so we will report back on that in our next posting.
Don't forget to leave a message to say hi - we miss you all!! Helen & Shani
