FoT President's Update

by Thomas 'Skip' Mark, T-8

Dear Friends:

On behalf of the newly elected Executive Committee and Board of Directors, I would like to thank you for your interest in Friends of Turkmenistan. I am writing this letter to update you on the current state of affairs of the organization, to share with you our strategic plan for 2010, and to describe to you the benefits of becoming a member.

Turkmenistan Updates

Turkmenistan beat Tajikistan 2-0 to advance to the finals of the AFC Challenge Cup for the first time. The AFC website pointed out that Turkmenistan has done well in the cup despite challenges, including the hot weather and spicy Sri Lankan food which does not sit well in Turkmen bellies.

Turkmen composer Nury Halmamedov, who died in 1983, would have turned 70 this week. RFE/RL posted a story in honor of the event, including some clips of the music he wrote during the Soviet era.

The Washington Times published an op-ed piece earlier this week urging more US strategic interest in the Eurasia, particularly Central Asian energy market. Outside the hydrocarbon market, Turkmenistan has convened a conference on alternative energy in Ashgabat.

U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke visited the former Soviet Central Asian republics, including Turkmenistan, to warn of the danger of Al-Qaeda sponsoring activities to destabilize the countries.

Job Resources and Suggestions for T-stan RPCVs

by Kelsey Beckner, T-11 (Dashoguz)

Welcome back to the US! Or if you're just finishing more school, welcome back to the glorious U.S. job market! In this article I will provide a bunch of useful resources for finding a job on your return from Peace Corps.

The author power networking herself into the prestigious FoT Vice-President position

1. Peace Corps Career Center and other resources. If you're in Washington, DC you might as well head over to the Peace Corps Career Center, located in Rosslyn, Virginia. I found the spreadsheet listings of international development organizations most helpful for learning about the multitude of development organizations that are in DC and around the country. While this is a good place to start and gives you a sense of purpose in your job search, I do not recommend spending too much time there. Try it out for a few days max and then move on to a coffee shop.

I also found the Hotline magazine pretty helpful as a resource for current job listings. It is also a good place to learn about development and other non-profit organizations.

Turkmenistan News

President Berdymukhamedov announced that Turkmen citizens will be allowed to register new political parties this year.  Currently, the only registered political party is the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan has advanced to the semi-finals of the AFC Challenge Cup, the international soccer tournament for asia. If they beat Tajikistan, the Turkmen players will face either North Korea or Myanmar (Burma) in the finals.

3rd Goal Presentation Tips

by Charles Gussow, T-11

After completing their service overseas, Volunteers are considered "Returned Peace Corps Volunteers" rather than "Former Volunteers" to emphasize their continuing duty to educate Americans about their country of service. This responsibility is tied to the 3rd goal of Peace Corps - bringing the experience back home to the United States (the first and second goal are providing technical assistance and sharing American culture with foreign hosts, respectively).

In honor of the upcoming Peace Corps week (March 1st - 7th), Camel Spit is pleased to offer some suggestions for successfully sharing your experience at your local school or community center.

Don't be afraid! Use the classroom match at the Peace Corps site or just call a school/library near you and set up a talk. At least once during your service, you convinced a room full of children/doctors/ministry officials that you knew something about health/business/the English language that they didn't (okay, you probably didn't need to fake English language knowledge). You actually do more about Turkmenistan than most people in the U.S., so will be able to pass on a ton of information to your audience.

A taste of soccer glory at the AFC challenge cup

Sports fans!  Turkmenistan held South Korea to a 1-1 tie in the AFC challenge cup for under-23 teams.  The Turkmens only had 10 men on the field for most of the second half.  The South Korean team had been World Cup finalists. More coverage from Goal.com, notes that the South African bound Korean team probably should have easily beaten the young Turkmen team.

Turkmenistan News

Turkey would like Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to join the parliament of Turkish speaking countries. In another forum, the Economic Cooperation Organization, Turkey held itself out as a role model of development for their Central Asian cousins to follow. Perhaps part of that development project is the new power plant built by Turkey in Ashgabat.

Sports fans - check out the profile of the Turkmenistan international soccer squad, written by an Indian sports site excited about the upcoming Asian championship.

Dashoguz has a new cotton mill.

Cool Things in Random Places posted a story about the perpetual gas fire in Darvaz, called "The Door to Hell." Catchy title.