In this issue:

CENTRAL GOVERNANCE

• The Information Center with access to Internet opened in Talas

LOCAL GOVERNANCE

• A monitoring visit to Talas oblast

HEALTH

• WHO and the Ministry of Health conducted a workshop for mass media

HIV/AIDS

• AIDS is not Sleeping Performance by Taberik Children’s Theater
• A web page on HIV/AIDS in Kyrgyzstan is being developed

UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS

• A Visit of Jean Baptiste Avril, Professional Photographer to shoot UNV/UNDP Programmes

MASS MEDIA

• Quiz at Kyrgyz National TV on UNDP activities in Kyrgyzstan

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

• A working visit of the two Vice-Presidents of Counterpart International from Washington
• A training on Strategic Planning held by Counterpart Consortium in Naryn

CENTRAL GOVERNANCE

The Information Center with access to Internet opened in Talas. UNDP Political and Administrative Governance at the Central Level Programme, together with the Presidential Administration, Meerim Foundation and IREX officially opened the Center with access to Internet in Talas on 9 November. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the local administration, Meerim Foundation’s rayon representatives, journalists from Talas and Bishkek and local population including children who study at the Meerim center in Talas. The main purpose of the Center is to provide local population with access to Internet and e-mail services and to train local population on computer usage. Creation of such a Center is a joint initiative of UNDP and IREX and the first similar initiative. UNDP provided computers and technical assistance on installation of the hardware and network connection. The Presidential Administration provided the digital telephone connection between Talas and Bishkek in the framework of the computer network provided by the Government.

Contact: Ms. Dinara Rakhmanova, UNDP “Political and Administrative Governance at the Central Level” Programme Task Manager. Email: Phone: (996 312) 66-21-08. Fax: (996 312) 66-05-73

LOCAL GOVERNANCE

A Monitoring visit to Talas oblast 12-13 November. A team consisting of the CTA, Component Coordinator, UNDP Programme Associate and UNDP Finance Assistant visited pilot Nurjanov, Dolono and Pokrovka Aiyl Okmotus in Talas and Manas rayons of Talas oblast with the objective of reviewing and monitoring MCG projects and small economic projects, implemented by the community based organizations. A review of this component was meant to ensure that projects had been planned and being implemented as per the implementation guidelines. Another objective of the mission was to increase effectiveness of decentralised planning and management system to strengthen local governance at the grass-root level. A Monitoring Team visited 8 villages and met with members of 21 CBOs and 12 Functional Groups. Meetings with Akim of Manas rayon and Heads of Pokrovka, Dolono and Nurjanov AOs was also organized. A team also observed the sites to check the physical progress in all visited villages.

Contact: Mr. Kalyan Pandey, Chief Technical Advisor, UNDP Decentralization Programme. Email: . Phone: (996 312) 66 00 80.

HEALTH

WHO Office in Kyrgyzstan conducted the Advisory workshop “Public health and mass media work together. Efficient supply of information is a prerequisite of successful development of healthcare in Kyrgyzstan” for rural journalists, NGOs and health professionals 5-7 November in the Central Asian Media Resource Centre. The main goal of the workshop was to facilitate the effective exchange of health information and knowledge, enhance access to health care information, strengthen the strategic use of mass media in support of specific public health projects in the country, to improve the quality of producing and delivering health messages to the public in an attractive way. During the workshop the main directions, priorities and activities of the MANAS programme in Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz-Swiss Health Reform Support Project, WHO activity in vaccine preventable diseases control and Mental health policy in the country were discussed by participants. The workshop was held with the participation of Professor Tilek Meimanaliev, Minister of Health, WHO Consultants and many others. The journalists and NGOs’ representatives received a nice opportunity to ask questions to the Ministry of Health representatives directly, “face to face” and got comprehensive answers. The format of the meeting was a combination of plenary sessions and working groups sessions. The three key working groups (TV, radio and print media) were composed of media representatives and designated facilitators. Participants in each of these working groups prepared health information materials (examples of print, audio and or television products), which could be used as case studies and were evaluated by key health and media professionals.

Contact: Ms. Cholpon Asambaeva, WHO National Programme Officer. Email: . Phone: (996 312) 29 87 91, 29 87 98. Fax: (996 312) 68 09 40

HIV/AIDS

5-7 November 2001 Taberik Children’s Theater with support of the UN Resident Coordinator showed a performance “AIDS is not sleeping!” dedicated to the World AIDS Day. 12 performances were shown covering more than 8000 school children from Bishkek. This action was aimed to tell children about HIV/AIDS as well as about sexually transmitted diseases and drug abuse. The performance will be shown again before the World AIDS Day on 1 December for the UN Agencies and other international organizations in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Contact: Ms. Larisa Bashmakova, Coordinator for HIV/AIDS Component, UNDP Social Governance Programme, Tel.: 66 36 91; 66 16 17, e-mail:

A section on HIV/AIDS in the Kyrgyz Republic has been developed by HIV/AIDS Component of UNDP Social Governance Programme and placed on the website (http://www.gid.elcat.kg/1_d_aid.shtml). At present, there are just four web pages developed in the Russian language, entitled as follows: “World AIDS Day”, “Epidemiological situation”, “Jonathan Mann Award”, and “UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in the Kyrgyz Republic”. The Website is also being developed in English, introducing the same subjects. The web page “UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in the Kyrgyz Republic” (http://www.gid.elcat.kg/components_groups_OON.shtml ) contains the Consolidated Plan of Activities by the UN Agencies towards the World AIDS Day. The Plan was developed as a result of the working meeting of the representatives of the UN Agencies that took place on October 26, 2001. The Plan will be updated on a weekly basis.

Contact: Larisa Bashmakova, Coordinator for HIV/AIDS Component, UNDP Social Governance Programme, Tel.: 66 36 91; 66 16 17, e-mail:

UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS

A Visit of Jean Baptiste Avril, Professional Photographer 5-14 November to shoot UNV/UNDP Programmes in the field.

Jean Baptiste Avril, Professional Photographer, contracted by UNV Bonn, came to make pictures of UNV/UNDP work in Kyrgyzstan. The photographer visited Talas, Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts with Idrissa Kargbo, UNV Coordinator, to shoot UNDP Poverty and Decentralization Programmes’ activities and the work of UN Volunteers. Mr. Avril was shown the sites where UN Volunteers work within UNDP Local Governance and Social Governance Programmes. There he met with CBOs, projects where women were engaged into art crafts production, construction sites where rural population was building or reconstructing schools, public baths and other. Then, Jean Baptiste Avril went to Chuy Oblast to see and shoot UNDP activities in the field. In the framework of the Local Governance Programme (Decentralization) he went to four villages outside Bishkek where construction of drinking water system, a road repair and construction of a sport hall in a school projects are being implemented. The second day of the tour in Chuy oblast was devoted to Social Governance Programme, and the construction site of a public bath in a village in Jayil rayon was visited.

Contact: Mr. Idrissa Kargbo, UNV Coordinator. Email: . Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13. Fax: (996 312) 61 12 17; or Ms. Asel Sekimova, UNDP PRIM Assistant. E-mail: . Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13. Fax: (996 312) 61 12 17.

MASS MEDIA

A quiz on UNDP Activities was broadcasted at Kyrgyz National TV 11 November covering some aspects of UNDP work in Kyrgyzstan. The quiz was meant for the general public to promote UNDP presence in the country and included such questions of a general character, as: when UNDP office was opened in Kyrgyzstan, what are the priorities of UNDP work, how people can get assistance from UNDP, and other. The winners of the competion were presented books of a cognitive character.

Contact: Ms. Asel Sekimova, UNDP PRIM Assistant. E-mail: . Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13. Fax: (996 312) 61 12 17.

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

A working visit of the two Vice-Presidents of Counterpart International from Washington Arlene Lear, Lelaulu Lelei and the regional director of Counterpart Consortium in Kazakstan Jay Cooper visited Kyrgyzstan November 7-8, 2001. During the visit the guests met with Mr. John O’Keefe, the US Ambassador, Mr. Tracy Atwood, USAID representative to discuss the programs of Counterpart Consortium implemented in Kyrgyzstan. 7 November the delegation met with CHAP (Counterpart Humanitarian Assistance Program) and Pragma Corporation. At this meeting the participants made presentations of the programs implemented by CC, CHAP and Pragma Corporation, had opportunity to ask questions to Arlene Lear, Lelaulu Lelei and Jay Cooper and exchanged opinions. 8 November Lelaulu Lelei, Jay Cooper and CC representatives visited target community of the inhabited area "Archa-Beshik" to watch the implementation process of two projects within the framework of the program "Community Outreach". One of projects with rehabilitation of the road in the newly inhabited area "Archa-Beshik" and the second project was construction of water supply system in the given area to provide residents with clean drinking water. The same day the delegation met various NGOs leaders in the office of Counterpart Consortium. 20 NGO representatives of Chuy and Issyk-Kul oblasts participated in that meeting. The participants shared information about their organizations, successes and challenges, changes in their activity and development of their NGOs. Lelaulu Lelei, Arlene Lear and Jay Cooper planned to pay long-term visit to Kyrgyzstan in April next year.

Contact: Counterpart Consortium, Lilia Kuchenova, IU/AUK Program Coordinator, NGO Information Coordinator, 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

A training on Strategic Planning held by Counterpart Consortium in Naryn 7-8 November. A trainer Adyl Kasymov and trainers-contractors of the Civil Society Support Center in Naryn oblast conducted a training on Strategic Planning in Naryn 7-8 November. The leaders and representatives of seventeen NGOs and two Community-Based Organizations (CBO), mass media and Family Practitioner Group representatives participated in the training. The main goal of the seminar was to improve skills of the participants - representatives of various NGOs and CBOs to plan their activities taking into account constantly changing external factors. The participants will be able to plan strategically their work in order to be developed and to adapt to the changing conditions. Specific attention was given to the analysis of the external environment of NGOs and strategic planning of their goals and objectives in compliance with their own values and mission. The participants of the training concentrated on the following issues: a meaning and goals of strategic planning, a definition of "strategy", "goal" and "meaning"; favorable environment for NGOs and SWOT analysis; formulating strategic goals of an NGO and grounds for its achievement. What concerns the practical side of the training, the designing of strategic plans of their own NGOs was done by participants. The training was conducted within the framework of Counterpart Consortium «Program of Civil Society and NGO Development in the Central Asia Region», funded by USAID, UNCHR and EU.

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