Going around with Nomin...uncovering conservation and compassion in UB

Today was Awesome. Fantastic. I learned so much about Mongolia, from the average price of a meter of silk at the black market to the Buddhism’s relationship with the environment. So, let me share some of my newfound knowledge with you all.

I was given the opportunity to do some interesting work for The Tributary Fund today around UB with the help of a very nice girl my age named Nomin, who was my translator. The Fund was interested in trying to put together some projects for the women they work with in rural areas to supplement their income. So maybe a craft or something local that would appeal to tourists. Consequently, I was sent off to investigate prices of potential materials at the black market. I thought the black market was going to be really dangerous and exciting, in some secret location that only Mongolians knew because it was so complicated to get to. Turns out it was actually just an open market a relatively short walk from our hotel that sold lots of cheap stuff from China. Kind of similar to Wal-Mart in that sense. It did, however, have an amazing variety of fabrics, which tend to go for between 3,000-5,000 tugriks per meter, in case you were curious.

After completing my fabric research (which was to supplement that which Chimga had already done), Nomin and I set off for the university. This was so interesting. I got to interview about 12 biology students about their views on conservation in Mongolia currently and in the future. All of the students were pursuing a career in conservation and many had done internships with foreign NGO’s concerning their particular area of study. The overall feeling was that respect for nature is something deeply ingrained in Mongolia’s culture, but like any developing country that’s experiencing rapid urbanization, it struggles to implement environmentally friendly practices. In addition, the students expressed that most people in the city were struggling with more immediate threats to survival, like providing for themselves and their families, and, as a result, environmental concerns weren’t their top priority. Most students felt the biggest way to improve environmental awareness was through education from a young age. They said that being students of ecology and biology, they were far more knowledgeable on the importance of conservation and environmental protection than the average Mongolian. Most Mongolians know the importance of respect for the environment through the lens of Buddhism, but few have any scientific knowledge to combine it with. They felt that approaching environmental awareness through Buddhism was a great idea because they agreed spiritual reasons would be more compelling for people, especially those in rural areas, to change their current practices. Plus, they thought it was important to teach people about conservation within the context of their own culture.

My interview with the students was even more illuminating when coupled with the information I gained later in the day when I interviewed a monk at the Gandan Monastery. I asked him similar questions that I had asked the students, except with an emphasis on Buddhism. He explained to me that Buddhism’s close relationship with nature comes from its emphasis on compassion. Because Buddhism promotes compassion toward all living things (not only animals and humans, but anything with a spirit), respect for nature is inherent in the religion. He also explained that Buddhism is so old in Mongolia that all Mongolians have some Buddhist ideals, because it is so much a part of their culture and heritage. For these reasons, he thought teaching conservation through Buddhism was very logical and important. He said the Buddhist leaders command a lot of respect and authority in Mongolia as do their teachings. When I asked why, in light of all this reverence and respect for the environment, environmental issues were not being addressed, the monk made an interesting point. He said that when Mongolia was totally nomadic, the people were entirely dependant on their environment and interacted with nature on a day to day basis. So it was easy for them to live in harmony with nature and understand it’s direct impact on their lives. However, now those living in UB rarely interact with nature and consequently don’t think about it’s role in their day to day lives. The monk believed this was a major reason behind the lack of concern for environmental issues. A disconnect between people and the environment.

This is an issue that we face in the United States as well. It was interesting to learn about Mongolia’s view of conservation, not only for its being useful information for The Tributary Fund, but also to compare it to that of folks in the U.S. There are many similarities that I would guess could be said of people most anywhere in the world. One clear difference however, was the potential role of Buddhism as an effective way to connect Mongolia’s culture and history to conservation today.

After my day on the town, Sue and I were invited to a lovely dinner at Salsa’s house. We got to eat with his family aand discuss some of his upcoming projects for the Gandan to become more “green.” I got to have my first cup of milk tea! It was very cool to be a part of. I feel very fortunate and I’m very grateful to Salsa to have been included and Sue for letting me tag along. Thanks guys, it was great!! Oh, and if Salsa reads this, I’ll also thank him for the gift of beautiful cashmere gloves as well.

It was a wonderful end to an awesome day in UB! We’ll be heading to the countryside soon, so I wont be able to update until I get back. I keep a good journal though, and post some new adventures as soon as I get back.

Cheers!
Grace