In America, this would have been considered an everyday civics or history lesson. But here, I recognize, it would probably be considered by many to be subversive. While I’m not looking for trouble, I’m not going to forgo teaching these things. And I’m not going to lie when I am asked earnest questions by my students.
This lesson comes at a time when the future of Peace Corps in Turkmenistan is uncertain and my students know that, even if I wasn’t the one to initially tell them. The same day I taught this lesson, a student asked me why her government doesn’t want Peace Corps volunteers here. So I told her. “Your government doesn’t want you to learn about the rest of the world. It wants to maintain power by controlling information. Your government is very afraid. This summer there were uprisings in Libya and Egypt and other countries and your government doesn’t want that to happen here. That’s why many pages like Facebook on the internet are blocked. And that’s why Altyn Asyr (the country’s only phone company which is run by the government) doesn’t provide reliable service. Many of the protests in those countries were arranged through mass communication. Your government doesn’t want people here to be able to arrange similar protests.”
I’m not sure if she fully understood what I was saying, but like I said, I may not get up in club and offer this information, but I won’t withhold it if I’m asked. I can’t in good conscience tell kids who are devastated by the idea that there might not be any more opportunity to learn and improve their English after I leave that I don’t know why they’re being denied that chance.
I don’t know the ins and outs of the Occupy Wall Street movement since I’m over here and information is limited. But I have to say I’m proud that people in my country are able to demonstrate and are exercising that right. It wouldn’t even occur to people here to protest, and if they did, I can’t imagine the chaos that would ensue.