CAG and Novi Ritm, our partner organization based in Southern Kyrgyzstan, have been working together for several years to empower the local youth, particularly girls and women, by increasing their awareness of their rights and promoting their participation in decision-making processes at the national and community level. You can read more about our current format and objectives of cooperation with Novi Ritm via this link.
In this blog post, we would like to highlight some recent activities undertaken by Novi Ritm within the framework of our partnership. These include activities promoting ideas of intersectional feminism, human rights, media literacy, and social justice among the local youth. They represent important steps in achieving our long-term goal of fostering meaningful and lasting societal transformations.
To further strengthen the capacity of Novi Ritm as an intersectional feminist youth NGO, Novi Ritm developed a Guide on Intersectionality, which serves as a resource designed to promote the concept of intersectionality in organization’s activities. Intersectionality acknowledges that people have multiple identities and experiences that intersect and shape their unique perspectives and privileges, considering factors like race, gender, class, disability, and more. The guide serves as a tool to provide Novi Ritm’s members and staff with information, resources, practical advice, and guidance on how to incorporate intersectional perspective into their work, activism, and other contexts.
Additionally, Novi Ritm conducted a two-day workshop to develop a gender equality training methodology consistent with Novi Ritm’s perspective. This included an examination of the core principles, experiences and understanding of gender issues by Novi Ritm. The workshop aimed to bolster the knowledge and awareness of the organization’s staff, members, and mentors regarding feminist research and the fundamental principles of intersectional feminism, which advocates for a more inclusive approach capable of addressing various forms of oppression, discrimination, and inequality.
An important objective was to illustrate how intersectional feminism can be effectively applied in Novi Ritm’s activities. Special emphasis was placed on utilizing the intersectional approach in the workplace and during project implementation. In particular, the critical importance of acknowledging the diversity and specific needs of Novi Ritm’s target audience was discussed, with the goal of developing strategies for fostering a more inclusive environment.
Following the training, a working group was created to continue developing the methodology that is in line with Novi Ritm’s perspective and intersectional feminism principles.
During a two-day workshop to develop a gender equality training methodology
As part of its Human Rights Volunteer Program, Novi Ritm held a number of educational meetings with volunteers on topics such as civic participation, gender-based violence prevention, toxic masculinity, and environmental issues.
Novi Ritm organized a meeting for the volunteers with representatives of the Ombudsman of the Kyrgyz Republic in the city of Osh. The purpose of the meeting was to familiarize the volunteers with the structure and responsibilities of the Ombudsman’s work, particularly in addressing gender-related issues and implementing gender laws at the local level in Osh.
Novi Ritm’s volunteers during a meeting with representatives of the Ombudsman of the Kyrgyz Republic in the city of Osh
Additionally, an educational meeting was held at the office of the Public Union Ferghana Valley Lawyers Without Borders, where the volunteers delved into the topic of democracy and its principles, including basic concepts and values such as the rights and freedoms of citizens, equality, the rule of law and citizen participation. During the meeting, the volunteers got acquainted with the activities of the organization and with its director Azizbek Ashurov. Azizbek Ashurov is a human rights activist, lawyer, and laureate of the Nansen Award, which is a prize issued annually by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in recognition of outstanding service to the cause of refugees, displaced, or stateless people. Azizbek Ashurov is the first person to receive the award for work on statelessness. Through his organization, Fergana Valley Lawyers Without Borders, he has helped more than 10,000 people experiencing statelessness since the collapse of the Soviet Union to obtain citizenship of Kyrgyzstan.
Novi Ritm’s volunteers in the office of Ferghana Valley Lawyers Without Borders
Another activity organized for the volunteers was a meeting with the representatives from a media outlet, T-MEDIA Group, to develop their fact-checking skills and enhance critical thinking and information analysis skills. The meeting enabled the volunteers to strengthen their ability to assess the credibility and reliability of information sources, recognize manipulative techniques and fake news.
Novi Ritm’s volunteers during a meeting with T-MEDIA
We invite you to follow the pages below for more project updates:
- Novi Ritm’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/noviritm/
- CAG’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/centralasiengrupperna/
- CAG’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Centralasiengrupperna
Learn more about how you can support our work in Central Asia here.