Part 1 on Democratization in Kyrgyzstan: Perspectives on Democracy
What is democratization? How does it come about? How does Central Asia Solidarity Groups view democratization in general and in Kyrgyzstan in particular? All over the globe, people tend to have a love-hate relationship to the word “democracy”. It might be the most frequently used word in political speech. It might also be the most unclear word in political speech. The sibling of the word, “democratization”, which tries to capture the process with which any given entity is said to be moving towards what is called democracy, is arguably even more difficult to grasp. Since I like drama,...
Women, Peace and Security in Southern Kyrgyzstan – About Novi Ritm’s Project 1325
Kyrgyzstan is considered the most progressive and democratic out of the five post-Soviet Central Asian republics. However, in regards to the realization of women’s rights and human security, the Kyrgyz republic struggles. Since independence three violent conflicts have occurred, the latest in the Osh region of Southern Kyrgyzstan in 2010. These outbreaks of violence have given strength to two trends of nationalism and retraditionalization, which continues to severely limit women’s freedom and control over their own lives. For example, according to the latest National Review of the Kyrgyz Republic in the framework of the Beijing Declaration and Platform...
CAG exhibition Activism, Civil Society and Rights Based Work in Kyrgyzstan now touring Sweden!
It’s been quite a journey. After receiving funding from Forum Syd in the beginning of the year, meeting with various civil society actors in Kyrgyzstan and developing a visual concept during the summer, CAG’s exhibition Activism, Civil Society and Rights Based Work in Kyrgyzstan is finally touring Sweden! The tour started out successfully in October at Gothenburg’s Frilagret, a vibrant center for youth located on the city’s central Järntorget. Since then we’ve moved to Malmö where the exhibit is currently being shown in the main city library’s beautiful new wing, the Calendar of Light. Later this month it will...
Introduction of the Intern Isabelle and Women’s Roles in the Construction of Identity in Kyrgyzstan
Hi everyone, My name is Isabelle Persson, and I am currently working in Southern Kyrgyzstan with Centralasiengrupperna’s main local partner Novi Ritm in Osh. At 25 years, I have managed to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at Malmö University, where I previously studied pedagogics and drama. I also studied abroad one semester in Melbourne, Australia, where I had the pleasure of not only enjoying the amazing culture of the First Peoples but also get out of my comfort zone and study Macroeconomics and International Business. My civil society engagement has largely been party political...
Introduction of the intern Josefin and the mini series of blogposts on democratization in Kyrgyzstan
My name is Josefin and I am one of two interns from Sweden sent by Centralasiengrupperna to Osh, Kyrgyzstan to work with their main partner – the youth organization Novi Ritm. Novi Ritm is run by seven young Kyrgyz persons together with a group of young volunteers and aims at encouraging active civic participation of youth in southern Kyrgyzstan....
New job, New country: Introduction of CAG’s new international coordinatior on gender and women’s rights
At the time of writing, it’s Tuesday night and I’m sitting on the patio outside Novi Ritm’s house in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. Even though the clock is almost ten, it’s more than enough with just t-shirt and shorts....
How to make concrete work out of a UN resolution – introduction to CAG’s and Novi Ritm’s UNSCR 1325-project
It’s been 15 years since that day when history was made in the UN High Quarters in New York. For almost a century women rights organizations had claimed the fact that the Security Council now recognized: If peace ever going to be possible, women needs to be included in the decision-making....
Vernacular design in Central Asia – A showcase of handmade objects from Kyrgyzstan
A man tends to his shop of babies’ cradles at Osh Bazaar, Kyrgyzstan Note to readers: this post was originally published on the author’s Medium account. Check this link to read it from the original source. Central Asia is regarded as a region of excellence when it comes to the production of artifacts such as carpets, textiles and felt. This traditions have been deeply explored and rightfully celebrated, however very little can be found on the design of everyday things in the region. The Southern part of Kyrgyzstan, a rather small country of 5 million, is especially interesting because...
(English) Non-violence training in Osh
In June Centralasiengrupperna visited Novi Ritm in Osh for a week and hosted a training in non-violence intervention with Per Herngren, non violent trainer and active within the plowshares movement, at the Novi Ritm house. The lectures focused mainly on tools to improve the democracy within meetings, how to approach problematic situations and how to intervene when a conflict arises. During the trainings the participants got a chanse to try out different non-violent methods by reenacting possible situations. For example how to repond to sexist comments or other discriminating acts. The participants from Novi ritm discussed how they could...
How is Novi Ritm working with a Rights-Based Approach?
By Johan Blomqvist, Centralasiengrupperna / Novi Ritm Osh, Kyrgyzstan Introduction On the 17th – 18th of April, 2015, Centralasiengrupperna’s partner organization ‘Novi Ritm’ in Osh, Southern Kyrgyzstan, held a two-day event informing about human rights. At the event, speakers from different organizations, such as OSCE, UNHCR and OCHCR, told about their work with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as their main tool. Since then there have been thoughts and discussions within Novi Ritm about what and how we could (and should) work with human rights. A springboard for the discussion has been the concept of a Rights-Based Approach...