Word: mankoff
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...that are eyed covetously by both neighboring Russia and China, as well as the West. Yet the region - dominated by corrupt and repressive regimes - is itself precariously poised, home to its own native Islamist insurgencies vulnerable to domestic upheaval. "There is the possibility for really unpredictable change," says Jeffrey Mankoff, a fellow for Russian studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. And it's change few Central Asia watchers expect to be positive. While great powers vie for resources and influence, countries that were once seen as a bulwark against more turbulent nations to the south...
...Kyrgyzstan, the U.S. has again turned to Karimov's Uzbekistan for logistical assistance. Central Asia watchers in the U.S. say that part of the difficulty Washington now faces in the region stems from its own short-sightedness in engaging governments there. "The U.S. approach was one-dimensional," says Mankoff of the Council on Foreign Relations. "A lot of attention has been paid to cooperating with military and security forces at the expense of a broader relationship." The Obama administration has no dedicated Central Asia envoy nor is it willing to pursue a strong agenda for change and reform...
...Although Mankoff finished training only three months ago, he already has 10 talks scheduled before March around the country, everywhere from high schools and church groups to city hall. So far, he says he has been overwhelmed by the community's reception to the program, adding that 90% of the groups he reaches out to are eager to have him speak. "It's a powerful presentation and people are really moved when they see it," Mankoff said. "The movie may exist, but people are more likely to see it if they find out that some community event is occurring around...
...stops on Mankoff's tour of duty this week was Bronxville High School in New York, an environmentally friendly school whose student faculty legislature (SFL) created a Global Warming Day based on An Inconvenient Truth. The event drew some of the top scientists around the country and one of the most infamous global warming deniers, Richard Lindzen, a professor of meteorology at MIT. "We are trying to introduce students to this idea that we don't talk about in school," said Alex Tarantino, a senior at Bronxville High School and secretary of the SFL. "We should be talking about...
...After Lindzen's remarks, the students broke into smaller groups. Mankoff told his group of 11th and 12th graders that Lindzen was wrong and Gore was right. "Gore has the entire scientific community behind him," Mankoff said. "In the scientific community, I believe that Lindzen stands alone...