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Traveling to a country deemed too unsafe for the Peace Corps, Jennifer Kosmela '93 served as a referendum observer in Uzbekistan in January. Referendum results established a bicameral legislature and extended the president's term from five to seven years. Although representatives from countries such as Russia, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Canada participated, the U.S. State Department and many other organizations did not send official representatives because the Uzbek government is not truly democratic, she says. “It's a pretty repressive government,” notes Kosmela. “The people are trying so hard to become more democratic.”
Kosmela observed voting in the city of Bukhara and a small town outside it. The meaning of the legislature portion of the referendum was unclear, she said, and conditions at some polling sites were characterized by poor lighting and heating. “The amazing thing about the process was that if you just put a ballot in the box, you voted for the initiatives,” she says. “If you didn't like them, you had to cross them off.” Observers were not allowed to watch the tallying of the ballots, she adds, and no adversarial political party exists for verification.
Still, Kosmela appreciated the opportunity to spend time in the central Asian country. “It was so wonderful,” she says. “The people were so friendly and generous. They were very interested in answering my questions.” Highlights of her sightseeing included a textile factory, Parliament, and an ancient marketplace set among buildings still standing after a millennium.
Kosmela is an adult curriculum specialist with the Close Up Foundation, the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan civic education foundation. Her responsibilities include working with high school teachers to enhance their civics curricula.
Kosmela earned a degree in history from Lafayette. “Studying abroad in London developed an appreciation for other cultures – seeing first-hand as opposed to just reading about what another country is like,” she says. “Certainly, some of my history professors encouraged my love of history and teaching, which is what I love and do.” Kosmela continued her education for two years in a graduate political science program at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Jennifer Kosmela '93