In this issue:

UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

• Press Trip to Talas
• SHGAs’ success examples in Jalal-Abad oblast
• Cooperation with ILO in the framework of the project on improving the quality of sexual and reproductive health care
• Cooperation with USAID funded Land Reform project

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

• Course on Human Development

MAJOR POLITICAL EVENTS IN KYRGYZSTAN (RECENT DEVELOPMENTS)

• Course on Human Development

UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

Press trip to Talas province was undertaken on 24-25 May 2002 with the goal of preparing a story on UNDP Poverty Alleviation programme for the Choices global magazine, published by UNDP HQs in New York. The mission, consisted of Leila Saralaeva, the journalist of the independent Delo N weekly, Alexander Fedorov, UN photographer and Olga Grebennikova, UNDP Public Affairs Officer, visited Ak-Jar village in Talas province, where UNDP Poverty Alleviation programme is being implemented since 1996. A set of meetings was organized for the journalist by UNDP/UNV field office in Talas to show her the significant progress in the village achieved during successful implementation of the programme.

First of all the journalist met with the UNDP counterparts – representatives of the Kyrgyz Agriculture Finance Corporation (KAFC) and the Rural Advisory Service in Talas who provided the mission with the general information on its activities in the province and the forms of its cooperation with UNDP. Then the party visited the village where the meeting with the head and members of Ak-Jar Association of Self-Help Groups took place. At the same time the journalist met with Tologon Abraliev, former head of Association who was elected the head of Dolono Ayil Okmotu on the initiative and support of his villagers in the elections of local administrations held in December 2001. At the end of the first day a family was visited, which is actually living in a field after receiving the micro-credit used to buy seeds potato and beans. “Now it is a really hot season in the village, - beneficiaries told, - we have to put seeds in the land in right time to get a good harvest. Only in such a way we could repay borrowed money and feel the results of our work. Hopefully we will get good profit because it is Holy Land here in Talas, which is the motherland of the legendary National Hero Manas. We have land, we have enough water and we have strong desire to overcome poverty. That is why we work hard to achieve it.”

During the second day of the visit the journalist met with three families of the Poverty Alleviation programme’s beneficiaries where the one was involved in the production of the national handicrafts and the other, who in the result of the programme’s activities built a new house The third member of the village’s Self-Help Group got a neglected lake when others got the land. After receiving a micro-credit he bought calves and cows and started cattle breading with a dream to multiply benefit, to reanimate the lake’s shore and afterward to invite his neighbors to spend their free time fishing and swimming in clear water of the lake, nourished from the clearest spring.

The journalist also met with Damira Bogubaeva, Deputy Governor of Talas oblast administration and visited Ak-Jar school, from which the story of the UNDP programme started in 1996. The programme came into the village at the moment when villagers, tired of hopelessness and bad luck, decided to build a sport hall in the village to help youth to play volleyball matches in rayon. The sport hall was built in a short time and almost all villagers participated in the process. People themselves covered 90 percent of its cost and a rich businessman provided 10 percent of the rest. After completion of this bright initiative and consultations with the UN Volunteer Gzhegosh Kuharchik, villagers decided to establish an NGO to get an initial grant and provide people with first micro credits. Now villagers’ Association of Self-Help Groups comprises 139 members, accumulated around 143 thousand soms of savings and utilized more than two million soms of micro-credits. Moreover, the Association has its own Ak-Jar Village Bank, which staff was trained by KAFC and already got and distributed 500 thousand soms of micro-credits to poor people not only in Ak-Jar but in other villages as well.

Contact: Olga Grebennikova, UNDP Public Affairs Officer. Tel.: (996 312) 61 12 13, e-mail:

Good news from the UN Volunteers in Jalal-Abad oblast within the Poverty Alleviation Programme - recently the Governor’s Office received used computers from London that were sold to different organizations in the oblast, and UNVs succeeded to get six computers for their Self Help Groups Associations (SHGAs) for the sum of 6000 soms each (approximately $125). Now six SHGAs start to use computers for running their day-to-day activities. Currently the PIU staff is undertaking trainings on computer literacy for the relevant beneficiaries. Initially it is planned that computers will be used for development of grant projects, as well as for the monitoring and accounting of internal savings and utilization of loans both internal and external.

Also, some of the SHGAs are starting their new activities with a legal status. The number of SHGAs, totaling to seven, are starting to function as NGOs or credit unions.

These facts evidently demonstrate that SHGs begin to realize their capacities and opportunities, thus creating their own institutional identity and sustainability. Linkages between information technologies and poverty are gradually being strengthened. And without any doubt, these steps towards independence have put a start to independence and expansion of prospects.

The meeting with ILO/STEP representative was held recently to discuss cooperation in the framework of the project on improving the quality sexual and reproductive health care. As agreed between the UN agencies that are jointly implementing this project, the UNDP Poverty Alleviation Component is committed to conduct a comprehensive survey, the results of which will be presented at the stakeholders’ meeting in September this year.

The efficient cooperation with the Land reform project (implemented by the Chemonics International and funded by USAID) resulted in conducting of the second round of trainings. The training was organized for the Poverty Alleviation Component’s beneficiaries in Chon Kemin, aiming at providing information on establishment of Water Users Association and the latest amendments and additions to the Land Code. According to the beneficiaries, the training, backed up with practical course, was very useful. In addition to that, the Land reform project continues the provision of publications for our SHGAs to increase the awareness of our beneficiaries on their rights for land and water.

Contact: Sanjar Tursaliev, Cluster Task Manager, UNDP Social Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 38 85, 66 04 18; e-mail:

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

The Course on Human Development was presented at the Human Development Center in the framework of the Seminar on Human Development organized 21 May. The representatives of UNDP, Soros Foundation, the American University in Kyrgyzstan, other Universities, Association of Towns, Congress of Local Communities, international organizations and other strategic partners participated in the discussions.

The Course on Human Development is meant to teach students to understand the concept of human development, methods of its dimension and its role in shaping the country’s future. The Course will be included in the curriculum of the Slavonic University starting September 2002 and will be offered for students at the International Relations and other faculties.

The Course had been designed based on the experience of the National Human Development Reports preparation, and all techniques and methodologies of such reports’ compilation were used in the formulation of the Course. The list of proposed lectures includes definition and concept of human development, progress monitoring techniques, indices of human development, gender, human security, economic factors influencing human development, and other.

The major components of sustainable human development, such as activities of democratic institutions, social mobilization mechanisms applied in poverty alleviation process, local governance, social partnership schemes, and other issues will be studied during the Course. Also, special attention will be drawn to specific instruments that assist in successful promotion of human development – application of information technologies, communication strategies, advocacy and propaganda techniques.

In the nearest future it is planned to open Internet site, where scripts of all lectures will be placed right after presentation to students; and can be discussed virtually. Such an interactive mode would involve more of interested audiences in discussions of the specific issues of human development.

The Course will be taught by instructors, academicians, and specialists, working in the field of human development. It is also planned to guest policy-makers, NGOs, UNDP and international organizations’ representatives to conduct seminars, thus initiating debates on human development amongst students of the University.

What is also important, this Course is one of the components of the whole human development “campaign” comprising also seminars for trainers and instructors teaching human development; and training sessions in different regions of the country for NGOs representatives, other international missions working in the area of human development and UNVs.

N.B.: The Human Development Center was created with support of UNDP and Kyrgyz-Russian Slavonic University, starting its activities in October 2000. The mission of the Center is the spread and practical embodiment in Kyrgyzstan of the idea of human development. The essence of the idea of human development is to extend possibilities of every human being and the society as a whole.

The Center is aimed to implement some of the social, economic and political programs directed towards the accomplishment of the real changes in the country, closely tied up with the development and realization of the population potential. The priorities of the Center’s activities include monitoring and analysis of the human development processes in the country; working out and introduction of innovative social technologies; organizing social partnerships and effective communication in the society. The Center provides all interested parties with information on human development, works with NGOs, private sector and students organizing and conducting innovative seminars and trainings. In short, the Center introduces new approaches to studying human development in the country.

Contact: Olga Grebennikova, UNDP Public Affairs Officer. Tel.: (996 312) 61 12 13, e-mail:

MAJOR POLITICAL EVENTS IN KYRGYZSTAN (RECENT DEVELOPMENTS)

BISHKEK (TCA). The recent bloodshed in Southern Kyrgyzstan in which several civilian protestors were killed and wounded by the police, has been echoed in a change of the Cabinet of Ministers.

A meeting of Kyrgyzstan’s Security Council has confirmed the resignation of Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiev who gave his resignation several days before the meeting. First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolay Tanaev has been appointed the acting Prime Minister of the country. He headed the commission to investigate the tragic events in the village of Kerben.

During ten years of the country’s independence, its government changed once a year on average. Amanbek Karypkulov, the Chief of the President’s office, has also left his position.

If not yet been discovered who ordered the shooting at protestors on 17 March this year. The heads of the law enforcement agencies in the Jalal-Abad province will face charges of exceeding their authority.

No one event in Kyrgyzstan has ever caused such public response and gathered so many people for spontaneous pickets. The picket in Kerben gathered more than 14,000 people from nearby areas. Several thousand people blocked the main motor road Bishkek-Osh.

Security Council Chairman Misir Ashirkulov thinks that situation in the country should normalize, since the main demands of the people have been met. Such were the results of the Security Council meeting, which listened to the conclusions of the state commission investigating the Aksy tragedy. The commission has recommended holding high-ranking officials of the President’s office to responsibility. Using old methods, they lost the contact with the citizens, failed to predict the development of the political situation, and rejected a dialogue with the people.