TAJIKISTAN:
A REMOTE REGION OF THE WORLD
at a crossroads
by Alice R. Thomas
A Tajik farmer works his field in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast.
Photo by Courtney Gerard
Few Americans are familiar with the Central Asian
country of Tajikistan. It rarely makes the news in the
United States, and when it does, it’s often lumped
together with the other “stans.” Yet despite the country’s
small size and relative obscurity, Tajikistan has
conspicuous neighbors, namely Afghanistan, China,
and Russia. As such, it has a critical role in the broader
development and security of the Central Asia region.
4 | JOURNEY OF HOPE
In June 2019, I traveled to Tajikistan
to meet with Central Asia Institute’s local
partner, Central Asia Institute Tajikistan
(CAIT). There I had the wonderful opportuni-
ty to visit some of the schools CAIT has built
and meet with the children, women, and men
whom the organization is helping to lift up.
At the same time, I learned a lot about this
small, faraway country perched “on the roof
of the world.” While Tajikistan has made
significant progress over the past decade
to increase economic growth and maintain
stability, it is now at a crossroads. Whether
it proves able to overcome complex challenges
could have broad geopolitical ramifications.
CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE