Tajik government. Before coming here, I covered Kaza- khstan, Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Turk- menistan. I was well received in all countries. Q: As ambassador, what achievements are your most gratify-
ing?
A: Advocating for improving health care, maternal and infant health and nutrition, and the rights of persons with disabilities, and also supporting development assistance programs. The US has provided almost $1 billion in assis- tance to Tajikistan since the early 1990s, helping to build capacity and improve the lives of Tajiks. I am proud of how we spend American taxpayers’ hard-earned money here. Q: Where else have you served? A: Moscow, Belfast, Athens, and Lima. And I’ve traveled to almost every country in the world. Being named ambas- sador is the highest honor I’ve received. My next favorite was being consul general in Northern Ireland when people from both sides of the conflict decided violence would not achieve their objectives. It was fascinating to see people with radically different points of view come together and govern. Q: Do you choose your job locations? A: We bid on assign- ments, and we’re not sent to a posting with- out our agreement. I very much wanted Tajikistan, since I had been working on Cen- tral Asia, Russia, and post-Soviet Union is- sues most of my career. In 1994, at the State Department, I worked on Tajikistan during and after its civil war, and I was an observer at its peace talks held in Kazakhstan.
Q: What has been the effect on your family of moving around?
A: My sons learned foreign languages, and a lot about different cultures, very early. They also learned to ap- preciate what we have in the US—freedom, democracy, clean
water, good roads. Since my husband is in Iraq, a place I cannot visit because of the danger, we usually arrange our meetings for Florida, where we own a home. Q: Any destinations still on your bucket list? A: I would love to visit Australia and New Zealand. My last vacation, with my husband and friends, was in 2013, to Africa.
Q: If your phone rings, who’s likely to be on the other end? A: Honestly? Most often, my husband or son!
Communal good
A planner of public health and public spaces, Kenya native Nabila Alibhai ’00 is launching two initiatives, Commons and MIT Engage, using the arts to foster em- pathetic community leadership in the development of healthy public spaces.
Working in conflict-related professions over the last 15 years, I saw how public spaces influence our identities, our sense of comfort, and our health and safety. The Commons initia- tive uses places such as community markets, demonstration farms, and recreation areas to support wellness, gov- ernance, and active citizenry. In 2014, for example, I worked with an eco-tourism association in Kenya to help develop rural micro-enterprises. The project culminated with a regatta where local fishermen raced traditional outriggers and crafts women show cased their prod- ucts. We hope to de- velop a garden/factory space for these women to convene, create, and prosper.
NABILA ALIBHAI ’00 WORKS “TO MAKE GOOD PEOPLE COMMON AND COMMON PLACES GOOD.”
MIT Engage is anoth- er international initia- tive, using public art as a change vehicle by guiding communities through a co-visioning and co-creating process
28 SCOPE SPRING 2015
NICHOLE SOBECKI
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