A Story from Tajikistan

After a presentation on mediation in a workshop in Dushanbe with professors from eight universities, I find myself drawn into a story recounted by the only professor in our group who had mediated during the Tajik civil war. Abdul Rahman’s gold-capped teeth flash as he tells his experience of being asked by the government to meet one of the hardened opposition renegades who many considered a notorious criminal warlord.

“We talked philosophy. In this part of the world, you circle into Truth through stories,” Abdul smiles waiting for the words to move across our linguistic and cultural gap. “This took several years,” he continues, “but I kept going to visit him. I wanted to persuade him to take the chance on putting down his weapons.”

Abdul nods his head as the translator completes the last words, and then comes to the point of his story about this informal shuttle diplomacy…