Sex and the City #Mongolia

Strolling through the streets of Zaisan, gigantic iced mocha in my hand, heels clicking on the pavement, I catch a glimpse of my shadow, skirt and scarf blowing in the breeze. A giant gold Buddha to my left, gers to my right, I make my way cautiously over a pedestrian crossing, cars and buses whizzing around me. It’s my first week of work and as I approach my office – a three story house in an estate called Dream Land – I feel like I’m in a scene from Sex and the City Mongolia.

For three days a week I am lucky to work amidst a bunch of rambunctious, talented, young Mongolians at the Silk Road Foundation (SRF) who all share a passion for educating the people of their country on liberalisation, limited government and a free market economy.

The SRF manages a number of projects including producing a fortnightly magazine, an online TV show, a think tank and an economic club, which is where I will focus my attention. The Economic Club of Ulaanbaatar holds monthly lunch and dinner presentations for business men and women to discuss the major issues effecting the Mongolian economy. I attended my first event a couple of weeks ago, where a representative from the International Finance Corporation spoke about gender and economic growth in Mongolia. I had to laugh when I found myself at a table with three people I had already met in my short time here. UB has a population of 1.7 million but it is still a small place.

This week I learnt a little more about the Economic Club, but everyone’s attention is on the 5th Freedom Online Coalition Ministerial Conference which is being hosted by Mongolia in 2015, with logistics managed by the SRF. The conference will see the likes of diplomats, tech experts, human rights activists and social media gurus from 26 countries (including Australia who joined the coalition in 2014) fly to UB for two days to discuss the importance of human rights and free expression in the online world, without government interference and restriction. This is an important topic for Mongolians, who are trying to move forward in their transition from socialism to democracy. Defamation carries a hefty jail term here and the lines continue to blur with a recent Twitterer being locked up for criticising a Minister in a tweet.

Our office looks over the Tuul River, which only two weeks ago still had people jogging on it in its frozen state, and has a fantastic view of the city – colourful houses border tall buildings and between them I can see distant ger camps spreading up towards the mountains. I’ve probably tasted more Mongolian food in the last week than I have since I arrived – salads, noodles, casseroles, meatballs, mutton, suutei tsai (salty milk tea) and khuushuur. Everyone has been very inviting, offering me a chair to sit and share food as they squash around a tiny table to eat, laughing, chatting, making jokes.

If only I had any idea what they were saying..

For my remaining two days each week I will work alongside a man who so far has been described to me as ambitious, passionate, humble and ‘famous’.

Going by the name Jargal DeFacto, this much respected economist, author and TV host is a household name and represents independent views of Mongolia’s current economic, social and political situation. The Mongolian’s follow his movements as he is fighting for what the majority of the population here desire – liberty. The foreign investors follow him as he provides a clear, level headed critique amongst a somewhat shifting and tumultuous government.

An excerpt from the preface of his book “The Secret of Smart Government”:

“In the midst of this all (Mongolian economic downturn), Mr Jargalsaikhan was the consistent and courageous exponent of rational thought and truly patriotic criticism of the ills that had begun to plague his country…

His voice reflects the worries and frustrations of all Mongolians, from livestock herders in distant aimags to the class of young Mongolian professionals … who are waiting in the wings for their chance to revive the prospects of their country as a progressive society...

I hope his views will be the blueprints for a better tomorrow in Mongolia.”

The purpose of my aid assignment here is to support sustainable economic development and effective governance. I hope to do this by assisting Mr Jargal in pushing six years of research out to larger audiences across Mongolia and internationally.

Not feeling the pressure at all!

http://silkroadfoundation.mn/

https://freedomonline.mn/

http://jargaldefacto.com/