Nash Vek, a Kyrgyz CSO promoting sustainable development and development effectiveness through information, education, monitoring and lobbying for the active participation of citizens in development and democratic processes is the CPDE regional representative in Central Asia.

Last December 2021, during the 10 days of action on human rights and civic space, they organized a series of 3 live broadcasts with national CSO representatives in order to enhance the image of CSOs and increase confidence of various stakeholders towards their action in a context of shrinking civic space in the country. 

Three (3) live broadcasts were held throughout the month of December:

• A conversation on “The contribution of CSOs in 2021” between Almaz Tazhybai, Director of the Center for Public Policy, Analysis and Nurgul Nurkiyazovna Dzhanaeva, President of the NGO Forum of Women’s Organizations of the Kyrgyz Republic. They discussed the importance of CSOs and how they fill in the gaps of the State, and their hope for CSO activities to be financially supported.
• A dialogue on the relations between “the State and the CSOs” between Dzhanaeva Olga Nikolaevna, head of “OO Alga“, and Balabasova Zhadyra from the Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Fund. They shared their knowledge and experience in relation to women’s organizations. Through collective action, they manage to solve women’s issues at the local and regional level and seek to achieve gender equality.

• A conversation on “Civic Initiatives” with Daniyar Mukanbetov – Director of the PF “Promotion of Economic Development and Education” and Victoria Biryukova, PR manager of the NGO “Union of people with disabilities “Equality”. The dialogue focused on how to help women with disability, migrants’ rights, and how to guarantee that people’s basic needs and rights are met and respected. They also highlighted the crucial role that civil society played in the pandemic response.

In January 2022, due to the deteriorating pandemic, and the political unrest in neighboring Kazakhstan, they could not pursue their planned live broadcasts, but those conducted in December were received very positively.

In February, they were able to conduct an additional broadcast remotely on the topic: “What is the use of CSOs, and how to support CSOs”. The discussion between  Anna Kirilenko, Executive director of the Biom Ecological Movement, and Nurgul Nurkiyazovna Dzhanaeva, President of the Forum of Women’s NGOs of the Kyrgyz Republic, tackled the situation of environmental CSOs and their contribution to the ecology and human health in Kyrgyzstan.

In April, they are planning to continue to conduct live broadcasts with the invitation of various representatives of Kyrgyz and Central Asian CSOs. They plan to devote a series of live broadcasts to the prevention of political, economic, environmental and social risks and threats, in relation to the on-going war in Ukraine.