Reassessing the Relevance and Role of Traditional Communal Societies in Post-Independent Tajikistan

Abstract

The paper reassesses the role of traditional communal societies in post-independent Tajikistan. The author argues that these informal social institutions have become more relevant with dawn of independence embracing new roles and looks at the way in which donors have used traditional aspects, which are replicas of modern civil society .The author also argues that traditional communal societies are being engaged at community level to carry out work of civil society development, democracy promotion and this is how they believe social capital could be strengthened in the Tajik society by installing infrastructure, efficiency, expertise in these age old social practices. Donors have also realized the importance of dialogue with these communities and especially of well-respected male members of the community who sit on the aksakal council and resolve local disputes. Their participation is seen both to legitimise the project in the eyes of the villagers and to ensure that they will be mobilised to participate in it. Often, the authority of the aksakals is needed to persuade community members to contribute their labour and or money to a particular project. Finally the author believes that Tajikistan’s social fabric contains elements of civil society even if that is available in rudimentary form or informal practices but we cannot ignore it while evaluating the role NGOs in post-independent Tajikistan.