The seminar in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek was going well. MPs Gary Streeter (Conservative) and Andy Reed (Labour) had made big impact with the students who were endlessly questioning them. Do you have to be rich to get into politics in the UK? Do all British MPs drive governmental cars? The students frequently contrasted their country with the UK. ‘In Kyrgyzstan politics is all about personalities,’ commented one. Well, I thought, perhaps it’s not so different from the UK after all.

Our team was united by an understanding that Christian mission, if it truly is to give a reason for the hope that we have, must extend to more than saving souls and bodies one by one. The project, launched in 2005, identifies and supports young people who have faith in politics. This year’s visit, in July, included the workshop with students and a number of private meetings with Christians and others involved in public service.

Following the ousting of the government in a ‘democratic revolution’ of March 2005, Kyrgyzstan has been through 18 months of uncertainty. The new government, under President Bakiyev, is abundant in old faces and short on new ideas. It faces substantial opposition. Our visit, initially planned for earlier in the year, was postponed due to largescale demonstrations in the capital which some feared may lead to a repeat of the violence of 2005. Eventually, in November 2006, Bakiyev was forced by largescale demonstrations to relinquish some of his powers in a new constitution.

Much remains uncertain in Kyrgyzstan – the one country in post-Soviet Central Asia where progressive political change and a degree of pluralism remain possible. There is no shortage of political parties, with more than seventy registered at the last count. However, as our students realised, they are almost all based around promoting the patronage networks of regionally-based elites. Authenticity is at a premium when working for ‘democracy promotion’ in such a setting.

We sought to keep our feet on the ground by working student body which had not previously worked with international donors, the National Union of Students (SSK in Russian). Through SSK we sought to establish relationships with small groups of students.

July’s workshop and meetings dwelt on the essential importance of faith and values in political and social change, and practical ways in which that might happen.

Right now, for example, this may mean acting primarily through organizations such as SSK to tackle corruption in higher education. For the more ambitious in the SSK group, the seminar led to thoughts of establishing their own political parties and movements not bound by patronage ties, or encumbered by donors. By keeping in touch through a number of follow-up events we hope to provide support and encouragement.

All this is very small scale, but as Christians involved in politics we know that hope is rarely realized through fanfare but can be fulfilled in the modest actions of people of faith. Our workshops provided some examples, from Martin Luther King to William Wilberforce.

Kyrgyzstan’s experience will be different again and getting beyond post-Soviet poverty and pessimism remains an enormous challenge. It is people of both faith and political acumen who can make the difference.