“We are not terrorists”

Journalists Sher Kashimov and Colleen Wood join Stephanie and Michael this week on Nonviolence Radio to give background about the current situation in Kazakhstan. After the government shut down the internet, very little information was known about the protests or the government’s increasingly violent response with an invitation to the Russian military, “Shoot to kill.” 

Sher and Colleen manage to shed light on this worrisome situation due to their long relationships with the country and their steadfast commitment to uncovering the truth about the events now taking place.

“…there’s a history of nonviolent movements, nonviolent protests in Kazakhstan. And historically the Kazakh regime, instead of recognizing the legitimacy of the demands and concerns of its citizens, likes to paint any sort of protest as civil unrest, violent unrest, that threatens the sovereignty of Kazakhstan and stability of Kazakhstan as a country. The movements in Kazakhstan make it a very specific point that they’re nonviolent – that they’re peaceful, they’re legitimate. They’re democratic. They’re not funded by any external actors…As to what has been happening since January 2nd in Kazakhstan, it is, by far and large, a peaceful protest. And Almaty was the only, essentially, hot point, even though there were people killed in other towns outside of Almaty. Almaty, essentially, was a single flash point. Otherwise, most of Kazakhstan was a scene of peaceful protest. ”

The concrete breakdown in communication is not the only concerning factor: equally important is the way communication can be distorted and damaged by the language we use to describe events, in Kazakhstan and elsewhere. When, for instance, we take any concession and compromise by those in power to be a form of weakness rather than an expression of integrity and strength, we undermine the processes that can lead to justice and lasting peace.

Transcript archived at Waging Nonviolence