Kyrgyzstan

Eurasia Foundation first opened a representative office in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in 1999. In 2001, Eurasia Foundation opened AKI-Press, the first independent media outlet in southern Kyrgyzstan.

As part of its drive to establish partner foundations throughout the region, Eurasia Foundation set up Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA), an independent organization with offices in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 2005. EFCA opened an office in Osh, Kyrgyzstan in July 2006.

EFCA’s office in Osh, located in the Ferghana Valley, which spans portions of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, is increasingly devoted to fostering peace and tolerance building activities throughout southern Kyrgyzstan, with a particular focus on engaging youth.

Programs

EFCA’s most active programs in Kyrgyzstan include:

  • Improving the Lives of People with Disabilities, which seeks to improve employment opportunities and promote income generation activities for PWDs. This project aims to increase the capacity of CSOs to provide services to PWDs and promote awareness and inclusiveness of PWDs in Kyrgyz society. This project is funded by the European Union.
  • Improving the Quality of Higher Education, which seeks to improve the transparency and the quality of higher education in Kyrgyzstan. This initiative hopes to create and build capacity of student bodies in the universities of Kyrgyzstan, in order to better assess and improve the transparency and quality of education. This project is funded by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
  • Labor Migration Program, which protects the rights and interests of labor migrants from Central Asia by improving access to legal support and information, helping migrants find jobs, and encouraging communication between civil society and government on legalizing labor migration and protecting migrants.
  • Media Development, a project run in tandem with the Central Asian News Service (CANS), now has over 127,000 readers per month with 100 AP-style news briefs published daily and 20-25 analytical articles published each month. Supported by U.S. State Department, CANS publishes news from through Central Asia. Its articles are available in English at en.ca-news.org.
  • Cross-Border Youth Cooperation, which seeks to enable youth on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border to address the root causes of conflict and development needs and build cooperation and trust between communities and local authorities.The project is being implemented by the Osh office of EFCA and receives financial support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
  • Youth Rights, Inclusion and Political Engagement in Southern Kyrgyzstan, which aims to create a more pluralistic and inclusive Kyrgyz society by assisting youth achieve greater political participation and improving the observance of youth rights. This project is being implemented by the Osh office of EFCA and is funded by the European Union.

Impacts

  • Workcamps attended by 160 youth as a part of the Youth Rights, Inclusion and Political Engagement Project in Southern Kyrgyzstan yielded several positive results:
  • Young representatives of Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities collectively rebuilt a kindergarten in Isfana, refurbished sports halls in Nookat and Uzgen and completed the construction of a hospital complex and 2 youth information centers in Arslanbob.
  • Several youth went on to initiate their own projects. In Isfana, participants addressed rumors and misinformation that almost prevented them from attending the camps, initiating a new information service for children and parents at 8 schools.
  • After an extensive review of 35 proposals, Youth Bank representatives selected 4 ongoing Cross-border Youth Cooperation Projects. While conducting needs assessment, Youth Banks interviewed over 500 people including local authorities, giving local Youth Banks the confidence to withstand pressure and maintain their independence.
  • Target communities have identified local tensions and how they might be reconciled, including joint social events, cooperation between local authorities, and better water management.
  • 3 cross-border sports and social activities arranged for 450 individuals increased understanding, cooperation, and trust between ethnic groups and 8 communities on either side of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.