There have been many attempts to bring peace to our world, our countries, our villages, and even our homes. But the latest attempt by the Kyrgyz government is in my opinion one of the most interesting and perplexing. The federal government of Kyrgyzstan has initiated a proposal to combat low birth rates and the ongoing tension between its neighbors. The proposal specifically targets teachers, mainly due to the fact that teachers in Kyrgyzstan are the lowest paid state employees, around $63 a month. The proposal calls for soon to be married individuals to consider prospective partners from other countries, in this case Uzbeks. If a teacher marries an Uzbek he or she will receive 100,000 Som ($2,000), a pretty hefty reward for a 'small' act for peace. The government has at the moment only promised this sum, but time will only tell if these couples will live the life of international peace and short term luxury. So if this unique take on peace-building takes off, I propose we recommend it to our friends in the Balkans, Kosovar-Serbian marriages for $2,000 a piece. A small price tag to our friends at USAID, for a lifetime of conflict ridden babies.

It's interesting that these politicians are wasting their time on legislation of this kind. They don't focus on political/economic reform so people would have a natural inclination to pursue peace and avoid conflict. When you give your people a chance to make a livable wage, a chance to prosper socially, and a willingness to progress; then ridiculous procreation-cross-border political agendas will become unnecessary.