Mongolian Diary: February 2005

Thursday, February 24, 2005

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

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

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!)

Monday, February 21, 2005

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.

Sunday, February 20, 2005

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

Friday, February 18, 2005

Different Views

Friday was a very interesting a busy day. I didn't even get chance to look at my watch until 9pm!

We started the day with a meeting with the Mongolian Women's Federation. The president, Chigme, had arranged a meeting with the police and women's prison director. Neither spoke much English and as our Mongolian only extends to saying hello (how clever are we!) Chigme interpreted. At times this was quite odd as the prison director would talk for about 4 minutes and it would be translated as 'she agrees'. Anyway, very fruitful meetings and each provided us with an insight into how domestic violence is managed within the criminal justice system.

The afternoon took in the other side of the coin. We visited with the National Centre Against Violence - the organisation that runs the only refuges in Mongolia (one in Ulaanbaatar and a small shelter house in the south of the country). If my friend Julie is reading this, she will know what I mean when I say that they were 'our' sort of feminists. Wonderful women and it took about half an hour of our formal presentation for them to see that we were 'their' sort of women. We had a fascinating meeting in which we explored similar problems and issues shared between Mongolia and the UK in relation to the CJS and supporting women out of DV. Then we were taken to visit the shelter (refuge). Anyone familiar with refuges in the UK in the 1980s would not have been surprised by the standard and condition of the accommodation. For anyone unused to refuges, this would come as a difficult situation to comprehend. In three bedrooms, 18 women and 15 children eat and sleep - mothers sharing their beds with children. There is one toilet and one bath: one tiny wardrobe and one food cupboard - with no signs of food in it. This is the only refuge for women in Ulaanbaatar. They receive 3millionTg per year from their government to cover core costs - the equivalent of $3,000.

We had a great conversation with the refuge staff - who were no different from refuge staff in the UK - full of hope, compassion and committment but low on resources and energy. They have been open for 10 years and cannot cope with the demand. They are hopeful that the new Domestic Violence legislation, with its promise of more shelter places, will help to improve the situation but at the same time they are practical in their expectations. These are great women working against incredible odds - a real inspiration: http://www.ncav.org/en/index.php

Ger visit

What a wonderful evening!

We were taken to meet the grandmother and family of a research contact. Her grandmother has always lived in a ger and currently shares her home with our friend's uncle, his wife and four children: two teenage boys, a young girl of about 8 years old and a boy of three. We arrived by taxi at about 7.30pm. The site is a cleared building plot and just a few gers in habit this area of about the size of a football pitch. We were greeted by the uncle who showed us in. The interior was much bigger than I thought it would be with plenty of headroom and it was very, very warm. We greeting the grandmother with open hands and were kissed and welcomed by the whole family. Shani, as senior woman, was given a gift of a scarf and we shared a ceremonial drink of hot milk with the grandmother. We then gave the gifts that we had taken - a sewing kit for the grandmother, a calendar with photographs of horses for the uncle and a bag of lollipops for the children. The grandmother was dressed in a beautiful azure silk robe, which she later discarded to reveal an even more beautiful purple der (traditional dress).

We then sat on very low stools at a table laden with food by a huge cast iron stove which cooked food and provided heating for the ger. This single room dwelling had beds, a wardrobe, display cabinet, sink - all arranged around the outside of the room with us, the table the stove in the middle. There was also a TV which remained on with the sound turned low.

We were offered a delicacy of a type of sour milk fudge and given drinks of warm milk. Then the main course was served. This was large pieces of boiled mutton. Shani was given the sharp knife to cut the meat and serve me with pieces. She was also presented with the honoured guest speciality of a large slab of sheep fat - about 6 inches square and 2 inches thick. We were also offered 'buuz' a traditional steamed dumpling of boiled mutton. It is traditional for just the guests to eat but the family also joined us in this feast. There was also fruit, sweets and later we were given tiny glasses of a delicious Mongolian fruit wine.

Our hosts spoke no English but fortunately our friend translated all their questions, which were very tentative to begin with but became more probing as we all relaxed with each other. They asked which other countries we had visited and what our husbands did for a living. Uncle was most impressed with David's job! We then took photographs and much arranging of seating positions was undertaken before we could start! This really broke the ice, particularly with the digital camera because they enjoyed seeing themselves in the display on the back of the camera. We also showed them our passports and they were very interested in our Mongolian visas. Uncle explained that people he knew had been swindled out of their homes with the promise of UK visas. They would love to visit the UK and America. Uncle likes Tony Blair's political policies. The calendar of horses was very well received and there were many questions asked about horses in the UK. They were surprised at how large UK horses are and they asked if children took part in horse races in the UK. When we replied that children did not but that jockeys were usually small men, they found this very funny indeed.

We were shown certain traditions and fortune telling bone casting was explained. I mentioned that some people in the UK tell fortunes from hands and then we spent about 15 minutes examining everyones hands for signs of long life, number of loves and number of children - oops, I think we might have started a new trend in Mongolia!

I really can't begin to express what a huge priviledge it was to have experienced this. We had a wonderful evening. When we left, we shook hands in the 'British tradition' and also exchanged kisses - this time just one kiss on the cheek, this idea being that you have to return in the future to get the second kiss - a lovely tradition.

I'm not sure that we can top this - but we will continue to keep you posted. Keep your messages coming - we really appreciate them. Helen & Shani.

Thursday, February 17, 2005

First meetings

Well we are struggling a little here with jet-lag but despite that we have had a very positive day so far. This morning we had a meeting planned with CEDAW Watch Network. A taxi arrived at 10.30am and tried in vain to find the building that we needed to go to. After almost an hour of driving around the same square mile of Ulaanbaatar we admitted defeat and returned to the hotel! Frenzied telephone calls later and a great deal of help from the hotel receptionist resulted in a second taxi which (still with some difficulty) found the building. Totally anonymous from the outside, this building houses major NGOs, including Amnesty, Liberal Women's Brain Pool and the organisation we were trying to find. Only an hour and a half late we began our meeting. We had a very productive and informative meeting. Our gifts of Thorntons chocolate and 'Truth About Rape' campaign postcards were welcomed and we were given document reports of their latest work - with promises of other documents to follow. They seem very interested in developing collaborative work.

A quick whizz back to the hotel and then it was on to our next meeting, this time with the Mongolian Women Lawyers Association. We were met at the hotel and taken to their offices to meet with board members. Gifts were again exchanged, we listened to a presentation from their Executive Director, and we gave a presentation on our work and research interests. I then did a demonstration using a biscuit as my main prop (don't ask - you really had to be there) but it worked really well!! They are very keen to do collaborative work and - being lawyers - want to draft an agreement for us to sign!

They are arranging for us to meet with the Minister for Justice on Monday and before then we are being taken on a mini-bus tour of the countryside on Saturday. They have also offered to take us shopping so that I can replace the scarf that I lost at Moscow airport!

In ten minutes we are going to a ger (tent dwelling) so I have to go. But please, please keep your messages coming - they mean so much to us and it is a great way of keeping in touch with everyone in the UK - and beyond!

Wish us luck with the ger visist and we will report again tomorrow. Helen & Shani

Finding our Feet

We have been here for a full 24 hours now and feel a bit more settled after a good night's sleep. Yesterday we were taken out for a traditional Mongolian meal which included hot salty tea with fat and milk (surprisingly good actually - more like broth than tea), fried pancakes with liver pate, and what can only be described as a deep fried cornish pasty. The meal was very welcome, following our previous two day diet of airline food and sandwiches at Moscow airport! Getting to the restaurant was an adventure in itself - slipping and sliding along the darkened pavement and then stepping out into the road to hail a passing car. Many private cars operate as taxis, although there are a couple of 'official' taxi services but it is generally okay just to wave down cars from the side of the road. Our Mongolian host thought it quite funny that I almost lost my footing at one point! I am certain to disgrace myself at some point during the week! I'll let you know if I win the 'falling on backside' event for the UK.

There are a number of interesting connections to make between the macro economic position in Mongolia and the micro level inter-personal dynamics. The post-socialist changes in Mongolian society have, on the one hand, extended women's civil rights and freedoms, opening up work opportunities and participation in democratic processes but, on the other hand, broader economic forces mean that women predominantly bear the brunt of the depressed economy, unemployment and poverty. These changes also affect general gendered roles within society and so we perhaps should not be surprised to learn that domestic violence emerges as a real social problem. Many NGOs are working on the issue of violence against women, to get it onto the public and political agenda but they also have to deal with a cultural reluctance to talk about domestic and sexual violence, as they are behaviours which are constructed through a discourse of shame.

Today we will have the opportunity to discuss these issues further with a number of NGOs. Our first visit is to the CEDAW Watch Network - an organisation which monitors the progress of the Mongolian state in eliminating discrimination against women. A key question we will hope to explore today is where 'violence against women' stands in the priorities given to CEDAW in Mongolia.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Shani here

This is to prove that I really exist. So far we've slept, talked a lot more, and eaten chocolate cake. [Helen claims that her fruit gateau was more healthy]. But we now have a presentation worked out for the list of meetings we have tomorrow and are due for dinner in a MOngolian restauraunt this evening with our MOngolian friend and expert Ekho. We can report that the thermal underwear is worth every penny.
So by tomorrow evening we should have lots more information from some key organisations working n the area of dv in Mongolia; CEDAW and the Mongolian Women Lawyer's Association. The MWLA were our very first contacts here and one of the oldest NGOs working in the area having been founded in 1992 soon after the People's REvolution.
Do pass this web address on to anyone else you think might be interested in our trip and the topic.
Best
Shani and Helen

Arrival

We are Here! It was a very long journey but well worth it! After leaving home on Monday 14th Feb, Shani and I arrived in Mongolia this morning 16th Feb at 7.05. The long wait at Moscow airport gave us a great opportunity to fuly immerse ourselves in the research issues. Those who know me will not be surprised to learn that we never stopped talking! The flight into Mongolia was long and we landed in the darkness of early morning, just before the dawn. It was quite unnerving to see no surrounding lights as we circled to land. We are so used to seeing buildings and settlements surrounding Western airports but there was nothing except for the airport. Getting our bags and clearing Customs took no time at all and before we knew it we were outside the airport building and really in Mongolia. It is a frozen world of mountains, far away horizons and snow everywhere. The cold is biting and the air is very clear. The hotel is fine and we had a breakfast meeting with a key contact - well, we are only here for a week so we might as well get right on with the job! We have a meal planned for tonight and at the weekend we are going to visit a ger (traditional tent dwelling). Tomorrow and Friday are packed full of meetings - which will stop me from missing everyone back home. Wish us luck and thanks for all the messages - keep them coming and watch out for the next installment of our Mongolian diary.

Saturday, February 12, 2005

Next posting will be from UB

Well, as the song says, 'all my bags are packed and I'm ready to go'. The reality of travelling half way across the globe is finally setting in. This is feeling like a huge adventure and the anticipation is very real. Everyone from the Sociology Department at Manchester Metropolitan University have wished us well on the trip and I appreciate all the support. I've had messages from numerous friends and goodbyes have included a wonderful meal in a very good restaurant and another evening where the pub quiz team 'Mongolian Quest' won - must be a good omen!

Hopefully the next message will be from Ulaanbaatar - (temperature currently minus 27 degrees).

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Tsagaan Sar

Tsagaan Gar or White Month is one of Mongolia's two major holidays, the other being Naadam in the summer. Tsagaan Sar marks the end of winter and the beginning of a new year and is a social and family orientated time. My friend Echo tells me that she has made 900 buuz ready to be steamed for the holiday. The holiday lasts for a number of days but will be over by the time we arrive in Mongolia.

The weather today in Ulaanbaatar in minus 40 degrees.

Mongolian Diary