DUSHANBE, May 25, Asia-Plus -- Publication of the “Introduction to Conflict Settlement” textbook is a quite important event, Tajik Education Minister Abdujabbor Rahmonov remarked in the textbook-presenting ceremony at the “Kayon” Hotel in Dushanbe on May 24.  

Noting that the new century requires new approaches in training of specialists, the minister said that studying of the conflict settlement issues was of special significance for Tajikistan because it had gone through a civil conflict. 

Abdujabbor Rahmonov noted that national and international scientists had expressed their views regarding both sides of the civil conflict in Tajikistan in achieving the historic peace agreement.  “The phenomenon of the Tajik peace process requires very serious attention and we should thoroughly study this unique experience and guard this peace most carefully,” the minister stressed.  “Our American colleagues arrived in Tajikistan to study the conflict in that period, when it was unsafe here,” noted Abdujabbor Rahmonov, “During four years they jointly with their Tajik colleagues collected, studied, generalized and systematized the experience in overcoming conflicts that became the basis of the textbook.”  

One of authors of the textbook, Professor Harold Sanders from the U.S. International Institute for Sustained Dialogue telling the textbook-presenting ceremony stressed that the important thing was that professors had taken to the today’s students and further to future generations the experience of peace building in the country.   

During the presentation ceremony it was noted that the textbook having circulation of a 5,000 would be distributed free of charge among students and teachers at five universities in Tajikistan – Tajik National University in Dushanbe, Khorog University, Khujand University, Kulob University and Qurghon Teppa University.  

According to Ms. Randa Slim, Vice-President of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue and a former member of the Inter-Tajik Dialogue moderator team, a special website has been launched and 75 articles on the conflict settlement subjects would be posted on that website.  “It is to be noted that now not only people of Tajikistan may study the experience of the West in overcoming conflicts but also vice versa,” she noted, adding that the textbooks had been published in the Tajik language but it would be translated into English soon.