What makes democracy work? The amount of literature written in an attempt to answer this question is vast. Many conclude that there is no way of finding a single answer, but the common perception is that civil society is an integral part of a functional democracy. Thus, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the international community encouraged countries in Central Asia to develop strong, representative, and inclusive civil society to smooth the transition from totalitarian to democratic regimes. However, three decades later, civil society in Central Asia did not form itself as expected. Every country in...
Role Play Game: LGBTQ, climate and mental health in Central Asia
Central Asia Solidarity Groups have launched a new digital role-play game on human rights issues in Central Asia. The plot of this interactive game is built around storylines and different case studies which present players with background information about the topic. There are four storylines representing particular groups and their struggles: LGBTQ+ person from rural area Female eco-activists Non-binary persons Persons with mental illnesses Through the game the participants put themselves in the shoes of an assigned character and make decisions based on the given options and context, once they reach the final destination they will be provided with...
Central Asia and Migration: a Look into the Largest Migration Flow in Eurasia [explainer clip]
In today’s world, human migration is a global concern. Migration can be defined as a process of moving from one location to another for economic, socio-demographic, cultural and historical, infrastructural and geographic and political factors. In other words, migration is one of the strategies people use in response to various societal turn of events. In this globalized world, the US, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and countries of European Union attract people from all over the world who are in search of better life opportunities and/or who are in need of a safe refuge outside of their places of...
Maria joins Central Asia Solidarity Groups!
Hey, my name is Maria and I’m a journalist from Russia. It is a great challenge and honour for me to become a part of the Central Asia Solidarity Groups. I have been writing a lot about human rights, migration and covered activities of NGOs, and now I will be a part of an NGO myself, what a change! I believe that working with information-raising efforts and education itself can lead to a lot of positive changes if you properly make use of them. That is why I became a journalist and communication specialist. I use the media to...
Gyunay joins Central Asia Solidarity Groups!
I’m very happy and excited to join the Central Asia Solidarity Groups! My journey started in November 2019 when I decided to apply for my first European Solidarity Corps placement. After several months I was lucky to receive a positive response, but unfortunately COVID-19 brought its own changes in our future plans. I’m originally from Georgia, but have grown up in the Republic of Karelia, region in northwest Russia, bordering Finland. I’ve always been living in multicultural environments and would like to continue doing so. I love meeting new people, learn about their lives and backgrounds. I’ve traveled a lot...
Women’s Rights in Central Asia
107. What does this number stand for? As the Global Gender Gap Report for 2020 admits, this number represents the number of years needed for Central Asia and Eastern Europe to achieve gender equality. In this report, we can find the global gender equality rankings of three Central Asian countries: out of 153 countries, Kazakhstan placed at 72nd place, Kyrgyzstan at #93 and Tajikistan at #137. This begs the question: why have these countries scored so poorly in terms of gender equality? What is the general state of women’s rights in the region? This video will discuss the...
Strategic Resource Fund
Strategic Resource Fund Central Asia Solidarity Groups have launched the Strategic Resource Fund to support civil society actors in Central Asia. It aims to provide resources for civil society actors in Central Asia for strategic interventions in their respective contexts. The fund primarily focuses on financial resources, but can also provide various forms of capacity building, international networks, and partnerships, long-term funding schemes etc. An applicant has to meet the following criteria have to be fulfilled for applicants and ideas to be eligible: 1. Level of strategic relevance. As the name of the fund makes clear, the strategic component is...
Maria joins Central Asia Solidarity Groups!
It is such an honour and great joy to have become a part of the Central Asian Solidarity Groups (CAG). I first came across CAG last summer, after reading some very interesting blog posts on their website. In an attempt to learn more, I contacted the office to meet up with the EVS volunteers. Unfortunately, my summer schedule changed in a different direction and I was not able to travel to Malmo at that point. However, I did keep a close eye on the website to see if any future opportunities would arise for me to learn more about...
Central Asia on the Global Map
You might have heard about Central Asia: that it is locked between Russia, China, and Iran; that these five “-stans” are home to around 74 million people of various ethnic backgrounds, maybe you’ve heard of its magnificent natural beauty too. The question is, then, what is it about Central Asia that makes it of such great geopolitical interest to powers like Russia, the United States and China? There is actually a lot. For Russia, Central Asia sits in its main sphere of influence. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, four Central Asian states have retained political, economic, and...
After #MeToo: A methodology to engage men in conversations that you probably are not familiar with yet
After the #MeToo campaign bursted in the spotlight, many men wanted to get involved in this work. However, many did not know where to start. One way was to post stories of men from all over the world about their own experiences of violence using various hashtags. This shows that men, as a group, began to wonder: “how could I personally contribute to the existence of such violations that the #MeToo campaign seeks to reveal and address?” MÄN, a Swedish organization, in collaboration with other similar minded organizations and institutions, along with CAG, endeavored in tackling this challenge by...