The United Nations (UN) in Kyrgyzstan
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# 132
April 23, 2001

In this issue:


CULTURE, EDUCATION AND MEDIA SUPPORT

  • Youth Radio Launched in Batken
  • Tokmok Adult Training Center Moved to a New Building

GENDER IN DEVELOPMENT

  • Women's Conference Held in Bishkek

HEALTHCARE

  • Kyrgyzstan Experts Help Tajikistan

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

  • Update on Counterpart Consortium/USAID/UNDP/UNHCR/EU-Supported NGO activities

SUPPORT TO SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS

  • Update of UNDP Support to SME Project

CULTURE, EDUCATION AND MEDIA SUPPORT

Youth Radio Officially Launched in Batken – On April 12, 2001 the station Radio Salam in Batken was officially launched and presented to the national media. Radio Salam is a joint initiative of UNICEF (its main sponsor), Internews (who does the technical backup) and the Foundation for Tolerance International (who implements it). Its major aim is to promote the culture of tolerance and confidence through mass media, and the mobilization of social support, giving particular attention to youth – for youth represents a major proportion of the population of South Kyrgyzstan and adjacent and are the main potential change agents, as well as the main group at risk. Radio Salam went on air on 105 FM in early 2001 and so far has a reach of some 25 kilometers around Batken (which makes some 150,000 listeners at present). It is foreseen that it will reach as far as Haidarken, Isfana and Tajikistan in the future.

Contact: Radio Salam, ul. Hojaeva 22, 715400 Batken. Phone (03622) 36.104. E-mail:

New facilities-new future. Tokmok Adult Training Center (Funded by Danida) has recently moved to a new building, which was made available by Tokomk City Administration. The new building has enough space for accommodation of ATC administration as well as organizing different courses, cultural and club activities. Currently, two clubs are operating in Tokmok ATC: “Young Consumer” and “Together”. The Center is open to everybody willing to receive additional knowledge in entrepreneurship, legislation, psychology, tolerance, human rights, hairdressing and national handicraft. In addition to increasing awareness in different fields and giving new knowledge, ATC provides a real help for unemployed, because they are a special ATC target group. In collaboration with City Employment Department a number of courses for unemployed was organized. As a result, 12 course participants found a new job and 1 started his own business.

Contact: Djumaeva Ainura, Bishkek ATC Director , 27 Molodaya Gvardia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Tel: 24 36 10, 24 05 08. Fax 996-312-65 20 77. E-mail: , .
Asanova Bermet, Tokmok ATC Director, 389, Tokmok, Lenin street, tel: 996-3138-2 38 96.

GENDER IN DEVELOPMENT

UN Resident Coordinator’s Office together with OSCE, UNFPA, UNDP GID Bureau, USAID, and Soros Foundation in Kyrgyzstan supported organization of the conference “Women of Kyrgyzstan at the Edge of the Centuries” held in Bishkek on 13-14 April 2001. The conference gathered more than one hundred participants from all geographic regions of Kyrgyzstan representing various social groups, local female legislators, NGOs and government structures. The conference was initiated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and convened under the aegis of the newly formed National Council on Women, Family and Gender Development under the President’s Administration.

The conference's objective was to develop and adopt recommendations for the extension of the National Action Plan to advance women and promote gender equality in Kyrgyzstan for the years 2001-2006. This objective is in full conformity with international obligations and commitments of the government of Kyrgyzstan made in Beijing, 1995, and confirmed last year at the 23d UN General Assembly’s special session “Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace in the 21st Century” dedicated to the “Beijing+5” review. In the process of the conference, a review of the current situation after completion of National Action plan Ayalzat 1996-2000 was made. The Conference discussed and unanimously adopted concrete recommendations in critical areas of concern such as an increase of women’s representation at all levels of decision-making, further development of institutional mechanisms in the advancement of women, eradication of violence against women and economic empowerment of women. A Working Group composed of national and international experts was formed to complete the document and submit it to the government for final approval. The First Lady, Mrs. Mayram Akaeva, addressed the participants with a statement where she mentioned the need to start human rights with the rights of women.

Contact: Ms.Katarina Szeci-Osbrink, Assistant to UN Resident Coordinator; tel. 0996 312 61-12-06, email:
Ms. Dona Abdurazakova, Gender Specialist, UNDP GID Bureau, tel.: 0996 312 66-38-85, email:

HEALTHCARE

Kyrgyzstan Experts Help Tajikistan. Kyrgyzstan is the first among the post-Soviet countries, which has developed the National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS. In this regard, UNDP in Tajikistan invited the Project Manager from UNDP Kyrgyzstan and a national expert to provide technical assistance in developing the Tajik strategic plan. They successfully completed the task. Total registered HIV cases in Tajikistan is 23, and 12 of them are registered in March 2001 among injecting drug users in a small resort place Kaira-Kkum, the population of which is just 10,000 people, that is 120 per 100,000 of the population. Considering a common border and continuing drug trafficking from Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan, the support, rendered by Project staff is very valuable.

Contact: Mrs. Larissa Bashmakova, National Project Manager, tel./fax: (996 312) 66-36-91, tel.: (996 312) 22-03-84, e-mail:

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Update on Counterpart Consortium/USAID/UNDP/ UNHCR/EU-Supported NGO activities. The Civil Society Support Center (CSSC) in Naryn held a community-based meeting in the village Ugut, Ak-Tala region, on April 2, 2001. The meeting was held under the program funded through the USAID. The meeting was attended by 120 villagers who considered issues such as presentation of PCA in the village Ugut selection of priorities to be addressed selection of the initiative group in the village Ugut that will do community mobilization. As a result, the participants of the meeting learned about PCA approach, prioritized village priorities, on which the initiative group will work on, as well as identified members of the initiative group. The agenda included issues such as electing a governing body of the initiative group introducing to the action plan of the community designing an action plan of the community. As a result of the meeting of the initiative group a governing body and an auditing committee of the group were elected. The community designed an action plan. It was agreed that the action plan as well as projects on problems prioritized would be submitted by the initiative group by April 10, 2001.

A round table was held on April 10, 2001 in Naryn for 23 representatives of the NGO community, regional governing bodies, UNDP, CSSC, Soros Foundation and mass media. The round table was organized by the Naryn CSSC and UNDP office and funded through USAID. The purpose of the round table was to collect opinions and suggestions of all stakeholders to establish the Center of Volunteer Initiatives in Naryn. In addition, CSSC and UNDP explained to the participants the idea and vision for developing volunteer movement and establishing a center of volunteers. As a result of the meeting the following decisions were made the rector of the National University offered to provide office space for the Cmenter of Volunteer Initiatives and came up with the idea to create jobs for the University graduates the head of the regional employment department came up with a suggestion to create one paid position for the Center of Volunteer Initiatives with the purpose to create a labor exchange and an office for volunteers in own organization. The CSSC in Naryn will also make a contribution – it will provide the center with a volunteer coordinator, technical support and an access to the information and legal system “Toktom” as well as will conduct training workshops for NGO volunteers.

Under the cooperative project between Counterpart Consortium and European Commission “Building Capacity of Local Communities in Civil Society” (funded through European Commission) on April 7, 2001 a Participatory Community Appraisal (PCA) was held in the condominium “Mechta” (dream) that is located in the area of Kirkomstrom. The purpose of the PCA was to identify problems of the condominium through the participation of tenants. The PCA was held by Counterpart Consortium (CC) and the NGO Arysh. Prior to PCA the facilitators were trained by CC at the training workshop on PCA methods. About 60 tenants participated in the PCA.

From April 18 to 23, 2001 Counterpart Consortium held training on “Strategic Planning Development/Financial Sustainability”. The training was conducted by Dmitriy Grigoryev, an experienced trainer from the Marshak Foundation (Moscow). 28 participants, including representatives from Counterpart Consortium and 10 Civil Society Support Centers from all the regions of Kyrgyzstan, considered the major components of strategic planning and financial sustainability for their organizations in detail. Also they considered the following issues:

  • The necessity of doing strategic planning and financial development
  • Mission of an organization and analysis of current situation
  • Analysis of stakeholders
  • SWOT-analysis
  • Identification of needs in getting additional information, ways of data collection, marketing research, and market research planning
  • Critical moments for the future: internal and external environment
  • Strategic goals – organization’s activities: programs, projects and services
  • Strategies to attain goals, ideas for fundraising projects in accordance with strategic goals and their examination
  • Summary: forms and components of Strategic Planning/Financial Sustainability
  • An action plan in finalizing the Strategic Plan/Financial Sustainability Plan

The training was organized under Counterpart Consortium’s “Program of Civil Society and NGO Development in Central Asia Region,” which is financed by USAID.

On April 13 the Civil Society Support Center, created on the basis of the International Center “Interbilim”, initiated a round table with 7 NGO’s of Bishkek (“Umut” Crisis Center, Children Protection Center, “Pokolenie” Center for Support of Detained Children, “Arysh” constructers’ NGO, Center of Help for Women, ADRA), which operate to assist the vulnerable strata of the population, and second-, third-, and forth-year students who are going to become social workers in the future. The round table was held under USAID program “The Development of Volunteerism” in the Department of “Information Science, Psychology, and Social Work” of Bishkek Humanities University. Representatives of the Center of Volunteer Initiatives and mass media participated in the meeting. The meeting was organized on the threshold of international Youth Service Day, which is celebrated on 15 April annually. The main goal of the dialogue was to introduce students to social and public organizations in order to arouse their interest in volunteering for a non-profit sector. This meeting revealed the interest of students – future social workers in volunteering in certain NGOs, and the readiness of NGOs to cooperate with the students. Thus, the students have an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge and get practical skills in addressing the needs of disadvantaged groups through NGOs. The organizers of the dialogue plan to hold such meetings regularly. For more information, please contact: Elena Voronina, PR Coordinator of “Interbilim.”

On the 19th of April, 2001 the Volunteer Center in Karakol in collaboration with the “Leader” Center for Initiative Support, and the Civil Society Support Center of the Issyk-Kul oblast held the round table on “Development of Volunteer Initiatives in the Issyk-Kul oblast.” The round table was held under the program of Counterpart Consortium funded by USAID. The purpose of the round table was to promote the ideas of volunteerism and volunteer initiatives to solve social and economic problems in Karakol and Issyk-Kul oblast. There were 25 people in the meeting – representatives of local government, mass media, non-profit organizations, regional representatives of UNDP and Soros Foundation, and representatives of condominiums and students of Karasev Kyrgyz-Turk lyceum.
The following issues were discussed at the meeting:

  • Definition of the term “volunteer”
  • “Volunteerism” - whether or not it is a new concept
  • Volunteerism and social development
  • Recruitment of volunteers and their role in solving problems of the city and oblast
  • Familiarization with activities of the Volunteer Center established under “Leader” Center for Initiative Support.

The representatives of non-profit organizations and condominiums of Karakol shared their experience in working with volunteers, especially how to recruit volunteers. Representatives of the Civil Society Support Center informed the participants about services offered for the civil society. As a result of the round table a resolution “Appeal to the Citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic” was signed by all the participants who proposed to inform all groups of the population about volunteerism through mass media in order to solve the most important social problems as soon as possible and start to search for sources of financing and other resources in the country, which support volunteer movements. The development of Volunteer Centers on the national, regional and local levels create possibilities for people to fulfil their needs, be volunteers and be useful for others. The participants also noted that on the threshold of the third millenium Kyrgyzstan will firmly become a part of the world volunteer community.

Contact: Counterpart Consortium, Lilia Kuchenova, IU/AUK Program Coordinator, Information Coordinator of NGO, 107 Kievskaya str., 5th floor, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Phone: 996(312) 610 135, 610 022, 664 636 Fax: 996(312) 610 021 Email: Internet: http://www.cango.net.kg/

SUPPORT TO SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS

Update of UNDP Support to SME Project. The Project's staff is working out a general strategy of the Small Business Development Center network targeted to satisfy specific needs of Kyrgyzstan as the whole and its regions for the period after 2001, when UNDP resources will be exhausted. On top of this, SME development in Kyrgyzstan constitutes an important component in the recently discussed World Bank's Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF; 2001-2010) and the UNDP's Country Co-ordination Framework (CCF; 2001-2004).

Many International, foreign and local organizations (Peace Corps, Soros Foundation, European Training Foundation, ILO, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Women's Congress of Kyrgyzstan, other UNDP Projects etc.) active in social and economic development of Kyrgyzstan very often invite SME Project experts to be the guest speakers in different training events (Training of Trainers, seminars for volunteers and local authorities etc.). The SME Project is actively co-operating with the PRAGMA Corporation of USAID, where our former CTA Dr. Wojciech Hubner is Country Representative and Director of Business Advisory Center and four former Project's counselors are working as business advisors. The efficiency and effectiveness of the policy consulting component is very hard to quantify, but seems to be considerable, according to government officials related to SME development and representatives of other international organizations.

Continuation of the Project is important and necessary in order to assure the sustainability of the established network. This issue includes both financial sustainability as well as the functional sustainability.

In order to extend the sustainability of the Project beyond the term of UNDP funding, the Project has selected among other possibilities a creation of an NGO, which was registered as an independent juridical entity with the right to charge fees for its services, as envisaged in the amendments to the Project Document suggested at the TPR meetings of April 20, 1998 and of May 4, 2000.

Starting from the very beginning of this year, the Project is conducting intensive negotiations with bilateral and International Organisations (UNDP, USAID, TACIS etc.) on future co-operation issues. It is agreed that the Project (NGO) will continue its activities in co-operation with UNDP Poverty Alleviation and Decentralisation projects on Policy Advocacy issues (Macro level). At the same time the Project (NGO) will continue its work on the Micro level mainly in the regions. So, the SME Project (NGO) will work under the very important strategic programme, targeted to solve related problems ranging from poverty eradication to sustainable human development.

Recent activities of the Project. On 9-14, April business counsellors Z. Sydykova and B. Dyikanov conducted a seminar on human resources development organised by the European Training Foundation and National Observatory and were main guest speakers.

On April 5, Project Manager Z. Sydykova was a one of main speakers at the seminar organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung on "Entrepreneurial initiatives in local self-governing".

On March 7, a meeting of Business Associations Leaders with Dr. Anders Aslund, Advisor to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic was organised at the premises of the SME Project.

On March 5-6, business counsellors F. Davydov and I. Shapovalov conducted a seminar for national minorities on "National system of SME support" organised by Soros Foundation in Kyrgyzstan.

On March 27-30, business counsellor B. Utirov has conducted negotiations with top authorities of the Agency of the Republic Kazakhstan on Regulation of Natural Monopolies, Protection to Competitions and Support of Small Business on co-operation issues. Many materials related to the State Support of Small Business and very useful for Kyrgyzstan were obtained. Mr. Utirov became familiar with the experience and new initiatives of Kazakhstan in Small Business developing.

Series of seminars for entrepreneurs were conducted by SME UNDP Project counselors in Naryn, Osh, Jalal-Abad and Talas oblasts and Bishkek during last weeks.

Contact: Mr. Bolot Utirov, Senior Buseness Counselor, 57 Erkindik Boulevard, Bishkek, 720000 Kyrgyzstan. Tel: 0 996 312 66-22-86. Fax: 996 312 66-23-41. Email:

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