While graphs and charts created in Microsoft Excel do sometimes serve our clients’ needs, oftentimes we believe there is not only a more compelling way to represent data, but also a more effective way. Nevertheless, change can be frightening and even we sometimes use default graphs rather than visualizations that push the boundaries.

Following are two different examples of recent data graphics we have given to clients. One demonstrates how large amounts of data can be condensed into a single graphic, while the other shows how data can be stripped from a graphic to make it more succinct.

In this data graphic you can see two sets of data for each media format represented together. In the foreground is the frequency with which people obtain information and in the background is the perceived reliability. This enables the reader to more easily compare both between the two variables (frequency and reliability) and among formats (TV, radio, etc.). Source: EFCA report on the social impacts of mining in Kyrgyzstan 2012-2013

A Sample of Agricultural Indicators from Batken Province

This is a variation on “sparklines,” a type of graphic created by Edward Tufte, a Yale professor and leading thinker on data visualization. Sparklines are small graphics, usually without labeled axes, that can be placed inline with text or stacked closely together. The point of these graphics is to convey the relative movement of the variable over time, with less importance placed on the exact value at any given point. Source: Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, “Agriculture in the Kyrgyz Republic” 2006-2010

While neither of these two graphics is revolutionary – after all, we’ve all seen a bar chart and a line chart – they are examples of how a little extra time and effort can make a generic data graphic into something more compelling. These two charts are only small samples of the many data visualizations we have done for our clients. If you would like other examples or have any other questions regarding our work, please feel free to get in touch with us.

When news about the most recent blow to mining investment in Kyrgyzstan broke, it was hard to be surprised. A group of protesters shouting nationalist slogans broke into a TV studio preparing for a televised auction of several mining licenses and stopped the proceedings before they could start. Not only are such methods common as tools for political persuasion in Kyrgyzstan, but there are few topics more controversial or better-suited for a nationalist agenda than mining.

Mining has become among the most heated political topics in Kyrgyzstan since the 2010 revolution. A lot of post-revolution commentary about the situation has been irresponsible and poorly-informed (see this gem for a shining example of irresponsible research on the issue). However, as is often the case, reality is much more nuanced than many of these discussions would have you believe.

In the last two years an exploration company in Talas has had its camp attacked and burned down by torch-wielding horsemen – twice; another company had their license illegally revoked at the whim of a parliamentarian; protesters have blocked access to mining and exploration sites across the country over concerns with environmental damage and political corruption; and Kumtor – the queen bee of mining in Kyrgyzstan – has been threatened with nationalization by the parliament. Driving many of these actions and the debates surrounding them are a number of myths.

The first myth about mining in Kyrgyzstan is that it actually exists. Ok, yes, there is mining here, but it’s not what many people probably think. Since independence in 1991, there has been one – just one – new mining enterprise built in Kyrgyzstan. And while it contributes over 12% of the country’s GDP and makes up over half of its industrial output, it is not really something we can call an industry. Since the early 2000s, there have been several foreign exploration companies that have come to Kyrgyzstan with an interest in mining, but none of them have done anything but explore (unless you count the Chinese company that was caught illegally exporting ore this spring).

Another myth is that Kyrgyzstan is sitting on heaps of mineral wealth. Much like the ridiculous, perennial speculation about Afghanistan’s coming resource windfalls, media and politicians here discuss mineral wealth in Kyrgyzstan as if it could someday solve all of their economic ills. The country does indeed have resources that could become a larger part of the country’s overall economy, but from a technical perspective Kyrgyzstan is not a particularly attractive place to mine. Most of the mineral wealth is found in difficult-to-reach, high-altitude areas (much higher than equivalent deposits in much of the rest of the world). This limits access and makes extraction difficult, as seen in Kumtor’s recent experience with shifting ice slowing their project. The situation is further exacerbated by a difficult climate, poor local infrastructure, and poor access to export routes. Resource extraction will never make Kyrgyzstan the Qatar of Central Asia.

There is another information gap in the public debate – the real impacts of mining. Civil society organizations, mining companies, and the government have all weighed-in, but a lack of information or bad information still persists. It seems everyone has a vested interest in taking a position (either economic or political – or both) or at least appear to, leading to a lack of trust.

I have attended conferences meant to facilitate dialogue between mining companies, lawmakers, and locals, but these meetings generally end up with members of local environmental or youth organizations shouting about the “pure people of the mountains” being exploited by corrupt politicians and foreigners, or questioning the Kyrgyz language skills of other speakers, among other nationalist digressions.

Some politicians have latched onto this new resource nationalism and have exploited it for political gain, even to the significant detriment of the national economy. And in their defense, it is hard to deny the neo-colonial cast of being told you’re sitting on a pile of wealth but the skills and capital to retrieve it can only come from rich foreigners. Foreigners who of course promise to share the riches equitably.

There are several lawmakers in Kyrgyzstan with reasonable and moderate views about the matter but they are accused of being in the pockets of the mining companies. And as is always the case, nuanced views of a complex situation are not the way to endear oneself to a struggling populace.

For their part, many of the mining and exploration companies have not done a brilliant job of defending their positions. Rather than addressing the concerns of locals living near their sites, they often point to shadowy actors attempting to drive them off of their licenses or disrupt progress for political or economic gain. They see the grievances of the community as a symptom of corruption, and who can blame them? Corruption is present everywhere, and practices like paid protests are widely acknowledged to be common.

Even the government believes public grievances are driven by conspiracies. Responding to the protests that broke up last week’s license auction, the Director of the State Agency of Geology and Mining claimed, “This was the work of those who want to sell licenses under the carpet.” However, there has been little compelling evidence presented publicly to support these theories, and regardless, it ignores the larger issue of popular concern.

The assertion of the “shadowy actors” theory is not without merit. It is likely that there are some people paid to harass the mining companies and those who support them. However, focusing on this robs the populace of their agency and reduces their worries to a conspiracy theory rather than valid concerns.

Exacerbating this is the lack of information given to locals, so that many of their concerns – radiation, cattle deformation, heart attacks caused by blasting – do not have any basis on science or the actual impacts of mining, which are real and require careful oversight and management.

This burden of education rests with the government, civil society organizations, and the mining companies – none of which are widely trusted by either the public or each other. And in an environment of surging nationalism, a north-south divide, and an unstable government, it will be difficult to get all these people together to agree on a reasonable path forward. That is not to say that it is without hope, but it will take years of effort and lots of hard work. It remains to be seen if everyone is ready to commit to that.

A group of residents from Ak-Shirak AO gathered at the AO office to listen to Dr. Kanykey Jailobaeva, the lead researcher, give a presentation on the summary of her findings from both desk research and a field trip to Ak-Shirak AO a few weeks prior. The participants were very open in discussing the findings with Dr. Jailobaeva, freely voicing their opinions about points they felt needed to be corrected or expanded on for the final report. A resident of Barskoon (considered “the lowlands” by the residents of the high-altitude Ak-Shirak AO) was also present at the workshop, lending his thoughts on how a future mine could also affect him and his community, as well as offering lessons gleaned from living in an area impacted by the Kumtor gold mine.

Results from the workshop will be incorporated into the final report for this project. The Oxus International team would like to thank the Ak-Shirak Ayil Okmotu for their willingness to participate and cooperate with our research efforts!

A collection of photographs from our trip are displayed below.

Farrell was invited to ride with the head of the Ak-Shirak Ayil Okmotu in his Niva to the workshop site.

The rest of the team took the scenic route from center of Kyzyl-Suu to the workshop site. (From left to right: Dr. Kanykey Jailobaeva, Aanchal Anand, Meerim Maturaimova)

The Ayil Okmotu’s office was stocked with the necessities; computers, printers, and a portrait of President Atambayev.

The head of the Ayil Okmotu participated in the workshop.

Dr. Kanykey Jailobaeva presented Powerpoint slides with summaries of her research findings. Pictured below, various Ak-Shirak AO residents discussed and lent their thoughts about Dr. Jailobaeva’s presentation.

We thought it might be interesting to start posting information including  both our own articles and links to others about developments in Kyrgyzstan’s news media, and to start, we’re posting a brief history of the news media in Kyrgyzstan. These posts are meant as a reference for those seeking an introduction to the development of the media in the country, rather than an exhaustive analysis. But we hope you find them interesting and / or useful, and would love to hear from you with comments or questions. Just use the information listed on our contact page.

For a little context, Styers borrowed a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King and adapted it for a question about the future of the media in Kyrgyzstan* when he said “I think the arc of the Kyrgyz news media bends toward good journalism.” While it is sometimes easy to be pessimistic about the media environment here, Oxus International thinks in the long run, it is improving. The world is not a predictable place, least of all Kyrgyzstan, but based on the research we have conducted, we believe the growing democratization of information here will lend itself to a freer media environment. Problems of accuracy and responsible use of information will still be daunting in this freer environment, but the potential for improved news media certainly exists.

For information about our media analysis and research capabilities, check out our research services page or contact us.

*As it turns out, Dr. King also borrowed the quote, with some minor edits, from nineteenth century minister Theodore Parker.

Although development and education efforts are a bit out of the box for Oxus International, the conference turned out to be a great opportunity to learn about the international donor environment in Kyrgyzstan and gauge the atmosphere for current projects, as we are in the midst of our first project in Kyrgyzstan.

Emil Nasritdinov led with a compelling discussion of the need for Kyrgyzstan to re-think current development discourse, driven largely by the West, and establish a new Kyrgyz standard. Kyrgyzstan is entering a new phase in its history; the population is anxiously asserting its unique cultures and identities and needs to focus on coming up with its own translation for “development”. He described the transition of development from what was an ideal in the 60?s to the “industry” it is now.

David Gullete, a Planning and Reporting Analyst at the University of Central Asia, emphasized the need to incorporate local knowledge into development practices to ensure their effectiveness. Another UCA professor, Dyishon Shamatov, argued that despite millions of dollars spent on several long-term projects by organizations like the World Bank, Soros Foundation, and the Asian Development Bank, lack of coordination and effective planning have led to issues of dependence rather than empowerment and sustainability.

Chinara Ryskulova, a faculty member at AUCA, presented issues that Kyrgyzstan is facing while trying to implement the Bologna standards, the education standards used across all of Europe. She echoed the conference’s theme of translating Western ideas and projects to be effective in Central Asia, mentioning shortcomings such as inventing new words to describe “curriculum” and “credit hours” without grasping the true purpose of those concepts.

Kamila Murzaeva, a representative of the Central Asian Free Market Institute, ended the conference with a note of optimism as she shared details of her organization’s many programs for encouraging Kyrgyz youth to get involved with local and international businesses and entrepreneurs, from arranging dinners where youth can talk casually with local businessmen, to organizing summer camps where kids can learn English and practical workplace skills with a focus on business. It was a great example of a successful Kyrgyz organization that developed organically with the local population in mind.

There is plenty that Oxus International can take away from this event as we start on our own projects in Kyrgyzstan. The criticisms of “development as an industry” and development based on a Western discourse, beg for locally informed solutions which we hope to encourage with projects informed by social research. Integrating “local knowledge” with our projects may in some small way help inform this new discourse, and demonstrate to the West that new models can be considered. We hope not to become just another organization to drop into a town, carry out a pilot project, write a report and leave.

The Communications Department at AUCA is currently working on a video summarizing the conference that we’ll be sure to post here as soon as it’s available. Oxus International wants to give a special thanks to AUCA and the Social Research Center for allowing us to attend this conference; we are looking forward to continued collaboration with the university.

Oxus International is excited to apply these lessons to our upcoming projects in Bishkek. Be sure to check back as our focus group and media survey get underway!