Religion in Mongolia

In 1937, more than 17,000 Mongolian Buddhist Monks were executed, 700 monasteries were purged and thousands sent to Siberian labor camps. The communist were just as ruthless on religion in the 30's as they had been on private enterprise in the 20's. Today, 19 years after the collapse of Russian control, it is estimated that over 90% to 95% of the population would say they embrace Buddhism as their religion.
Here you will see me standing in front of the main Buddhist temple in Ulaanbaatar, the Migjid Janraisig Sum. This is one of the few temples that survived the purge.

Chinggis Khaan was very supportive of all religions but did have his own personal Shaman. Buddhism has been part of the Mongolian culture for the past 600 years and continues to this day to be the major religion of the country. Between the Chinese and the Russian control of the country, there was a short period of independent control under the Bogd Khan. The picture below is one of the structures at the museum of Bogd Khan's Winter Palace. In the front of one of the structures at the Winter Palace is the CHF Agribusiness Coordinator, Batbaatar, who took me on the private tour of the Buddhist structures remaining in the city.

This next picture is one taken at the Choijin Lama Temple Museum. It is no longer a temple but just a museum.

Next to the Buddhist Dharma Center, in the center of the city, there is a Church of the Latter Day Saints. Some young folks outside the Mormon Church tried to recruit me to come in as I was leaving my meditation class at the Dharma center the other evening. I just tried to remain centered...and not slip on the ice. There are numerous religious groups working in the city, but Mongolia is definitely a Buddhist country.
There might be only a limited number of monks and Temples in Mongolia, but the Dharma Center, here in Ulaanbaatar, does have a meditation instructor as good as any I have had in California. Even old guys like me, who don't classify themselves as Buddhist, are warmly welcomed and find beneficial training at the Center.

Change is The Name of The Game

The National Museum Of Mongolia has a great pictorial display showing the history of the country. Here in front of the museum is a large upright stone typical of those common in ancient times here in Mongolia. It reminded me a bit of Stonehenge and the upright stones you find in Ireland.

The main impact of the museum for me, however, was it's pictorial history of all the historical drama that has happened here in the last 20 years. In 1990 the Soviet Union collapsed and Mongolia moved away from Communism. In 1991 the country privatized 20 million head of livestock. Then in 1997, twelve years ago, it privatized over 90% of the housing stock. The picture of the nine story apartment complex you see on this blog is a very typical scene you see all over Eastern Europe. There must be hundreds of these buildings here in Ulaanbaatar. These were built during the 69 years the Soviet Union controlled Mongolia.

When Russia pulled out of Mongolia and took their highly controlled social and economical system with them, there were some desperate years here in Mongolia as they coped with the radical change in everything. This very large country is now trying to make its way as a Democracy with a market driven economy. It was controlled for nearly 300 years by China and then for nearly 70 years by Russia. Now, it is trying its hand at Democracy and a new economical plan. It seems like Murphy's law is at work here as this new country, trying to make it economically, finds itself caught up in a global economic collapse and serious environmental issues.
Hopefully, CHF can help some of the small businesses find their way in this new game plan.
A few other stress points in this game change involves nearly half the population living in Ger communities in somewhat of a nomadic culture and they are now finding themselves being pressured with urbanization, globalization and the high tech phenomenon.
One of the very interesting things I find in all of this is that even though the Russians did some really bad things during their 69 years here, the people like the Russians. However, they don't seem to like the Chinese, even though they get nearly all of their vegetables from them in the winter months. Then in the middle of this mix, the language of choice to learn here is clearly English.

Ambassador Mark Minton

Today, the U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia, Mark Minton, held an official press conference here in Ulaanbaatar on the subject of the Mongolia-U.S. Relations during the Obama Administration. I did not have my press card with me but they let me in the door. I think my grey hair, sports coat and tie probably got me through the check point. Ambassador Minton assured everyone, the U.S. would continue, and in fact, increase it's program for U.S. Aid For International Development and complete it's commitment to The Millennium Challenge Grant.
Probably the biggest concern of the Mongolian government officials and mining industry revolved around the Millennium Challenge Grant. This program was signed during the Bush Administration and targets about 300 million U.S dollars for Mongolia. This money will be spent for some medical concerns, some vocational education, and some legal work on land entitlement, however, the major part of it will be going to improve the rail system in Mongolia that goes primarily from China to Russia. It was not discussed today of course, but one could ask, why are we helping Russia and China develop a better trade route. The unofficial answer seems to be that the rich mineral reserves of Mongolia are its long range hope. If you are going to export large quantities of coal, copper, uranium, gold and other precious commodities out of the country, then you need a rail system to export the product. If Mongolia is going to make it economically and be an effective Democracy embracing fair trade and commerce here between the two giants of Russia and China, then it needs some help as it tries to find its way, after being a part of the Soviet Union.
Ambassador Minton also lifted up there were over a 100 Peace Corp Volunteers in the country and the program would continue. I liked the part where he said the U.S Aid Program would continue and increase, but he did not put at the end of that sentence "in Mongolia" and that is what I was hoping to hear.
He also said he was in daily contact with the International Monetary Fund and that was probably the elephant in the room that was barely mentioned, since the economy in Mongolia is truly on the edge.
Meanwhile, CHF is doing everything it can to enable the micro and small businesses here in Mongolia to make it in a down economy. If it works here, maybe we will be funded by Mongolia to try and make it happen in the U.S.

Trade Fair

This is a picture of Dairiimaa, one of the CHF staff working the trade fair being held today and throughout the weekend here in Ulaanbaatar.

CHF International works in many different ways in over 35 different Developing countries. If you check out the web site for CHF International, I think you will be amazed at the diversity of programs and places where CHF works. People ask me why I selected Mongolia in the middle of winter and I respond by saying, who says I selected Mongolia? I thought I was going to Africa when I volunteered until Barbara Jones at CHF called me and said, How about Mongolia? I don't know what it would have been like wherever they might have sent me in Africa but I am certainly enjoying Mongolia and the Mongolian people.
The program here in Mongolia is focused on Business Development through providing business consultations and services to primarily micro and small businesses. This program is not built around loaning money to small businesses but around providing all types of services to them. One of those services is helping the micro and small businesses obtain loans from Mongolian banks. There are 16 different Mongolian Banks and who knows how many branch offices. Currently, with the Mongolian dollar in a free fall, the banks are not making many loans. This activity, however, is only one of many services being provided to small businesses by the eight branch offices of CHF in Mongolia.

After meeting this morning here in the Corporate office of CHF, I caught a ride with some of the staff out to the Trade Fair CHF has going on for 75 clients. CHF has been working with these clients in many different ways in helping them develop their businesses. The above picture shows me finalizing a purchase with one of the trade fair participants. One of the things I purchased was a mug for drinking coffee at the office. It cost me 5,000 Togrog, the name for the Mongolian dollar or about 4 bucks.

Saturday, Feb 7th---A work day?

Today is Saturday, and the sun is shining through a bright blue sky. It is a brisk morning but then what should one expect, when you are in Mongolia. My computer at the apartment is not working so I came over to use my office computer for some personal emails, only to find several staff were already here and working on Saturday. I left the office around one, leaving a bunch of folk glued to their desk, and headed for the gym, hoping to catch the DUKE U. basketball team on the tube while I did my time on the treadmill. On the way to the gym, I saw these guys out on the ice playing what I decided to call Swish Ball. I could just hear these guys planning this, saying well it is Saturday and it is below freezing but it is the warmest day we have had in months so let's go do something. Then they figured that what they had to work with was ice, and there is always ice in the winter in Mongolia. snow brooms that are used with clearing this very dry Mongolian snow, some kids ball and a dog. So what else do you need for a good game of swish ball where you don't need ice skates or a hockey stick or anything like that. I think the dog was the referee because every time the guys would fall down, and they fell down a lot, the dog would run out on the ice and bark or he might have been keeping score. The guys were definitely laughing too much to keep score.

On the way back from the gym, I took a couple of pictures of these uncovered
manholes that are dangerous for people and cars. The one man hole has been uncovered for two weeks and is on a rather busy street. A good rule here is that if you are going to walk at night, be sure to carry a flashlight. Slipping and falling on the ice would be nothing compared to falling into a manhole. They say if you are homeless and don't get down into a manhole, where there are some hot water pipes, then you will freeze to death. It is a strange way of dealing with the homeless population but I am sure the Mayor of San Francisco would vote for it.


After my Saturday workout, a little shopping and dinner, I came back to the office this evening to work on this blog. It was 7 in the evening and the accounting department was still working, Serjmaa was working on the third floor and here in this nice large office suite I share with five other people, Oyuntungalag Zundut, the lady whose picture you see below was still working. She was working on the Value Chain Program in preparation for the new grant that officially starts the first of April.

It was an easy Saturday for me and I hope a productive Saturday for all of the staff who were working here in the office and not out someplace risking life and limb playing Swish ball.

Listening, Planning, and Implementing

You see in this picture Serjmaa Bavuudorj, The Executive Director of DS (Development Solutions), a new Mongolian non-profit that has come into existence under the guidance of CHF and her right hand person Altanbagana Bayarsaikhan (Bagana),the Program Director of DS. They are both well educated and have worked there way up the ranks here in the CHF program during the past five years. They know the program of providing Business Services to micro, small and medium sized businesses from the inside out. Currently, they supervise eight branch offices with a total of about 45 members of the DS staff. It has been planned for years that DS would be a spin off non-profit from CHF and continue to have a primary contract with CHF for the next two years. This plan is finally becoming a reality.
My primary task is to mentor or be the CEO coach of Serjmaa here in the beginning of this process and to work with her on a Business Plan and other start up tasks for this new non-profit.

In this picture you see BatOrshikh Erdenebat, the fellow on the left side of the picture, who is the Branch Manager of the Sukhbaataar Branch office. He is leading a listening and planning session with a group of small restaurant owners in the area of the Branch office and staff of the Branch office as they talk and plan for the transition into a new phase of work for CHF and DS. In the right hand corner of the picture is Chloe, a grad student on a Fulbright Scholarship, who is volunteering part time with DS on marketing issues.
During the past five years, CHF has been working under a Grant by USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development). It is now in a transition stage as its USAID grant winds down and a new Grant for the next two years with USAG (The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)gets going.

Here we have another group of clients at a different Branch office holding another listening and planning meeting. This one is being led by Batbaatar Burbazer, the Agribusiness Program Coordinator for CHF in Mongolia. Batbaatar is the father of Buka, the three year old snow angel shown in the last Blog.
Listening to the clients and planning new programs with them is always a critically important task for CHF to manage change and transition with staff and clients. Batbaatar says he is amazed at the differences he finds in interest and concerns in different Branch Offices of CHF in different parts of Mongolia. Sometimes it would really be nice if everyone were the same but then it seems the uniqueness of each person and each community of people is part of the overall creative process that makes life so interesting and at times so challenging.

Work Hard and Play Hard

The CHF staff here in Mongolia work hard but they also really enjoy structuring some time every once in a while to hang out together. The CHF offices open up at 9 in the morning and goes until at least 6 or later in the evenings. I have been in the office the last two Saturday mornings until at least 1 and there are always staff in here working. There is a good spirit here in the office and it continues out of the office, when there is a gathering. This past Saturday, was a time for a snow picnic. The organizers had anticipated more folk to show up but it worked out great just the way it happened. Buka, one of the younger picnic attendees, was not counting how many were there, he was just enjoying the snow and his dad, Batbaatar, did not seemed to mind everyone enjoying Buka's presence.

The group pitched in and rented a GER for the day for about 15 dollars at a GER camp, about three miles out of the city. Time was spent inside the GER and climbing the snow mountain but primarily just enjoying having fun being together. It is not difficult for Mongolians to just have fun being with one another, when work is not on the agenda.

One of the nice things about the snow here is that it is so dry that when you fall or sit down in it you don't get wet. The only problem with that is that it makes terrible snow balls. In fact it does not make snow balls or snow men but Buka enjoyed making snow angels.

The GERs at the GER camps come in all sizes and prices like a large campground in America. The one we rented had no facilities but there were decent common facilities that we could use in the area. Some of the larger GER's actually had indoor facilities and were used by families who had a few dollars and wanted to get away from the city for a weekend or whatever.

I will toss into the blog this picture of me with my t-shirt from DUKE University for the benefit of my grandson Mike, who is attending DUKE. He convinced me I could use this blog and got me started with a thirty minute lesson on how to use it. I needed another dozen lessons but I was grateful for his help anyway.
It was a fun afternoon enjoyed by all. Then as the sun began to set, the crowd dispersed for a local pub, since it had been a very dry afternoon. Buka's dad took Buka home for the evening and I called it a good day and headed home myself.
It was a fun snow picnic.