OSCE-supported Annual Youth Conference concluded in Bishkek
BISHKEK, 28 November 2015 - The OSCE Centre in Bishkek, in co-operation with Public Associations “IRET” and “Alga” concluded today a two-day Annual Youth Conference in Bishkek.
The event brought together some 50 young activists from across Kyrgyzstan, representatives of Mayor’s offices of Osh and Tokmok cities and media representatives. The uniqueness of this conference is that the concept, format, and program of the event was developed by the young leaders of Osh and Tokmok cities.
Maciej Dachowski, the Head of the politico-military dimension of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek noted that the joint co-operation brought positive results. “Local youth councils in Osh have become part of the Osh mayor's office. With our support, and the support of municipal administrations in the last five years, local youth successfully completed more than 40 joint projects that aimed at promoting the ideas of inter-ethnic co-operation, tolerance, peace-building and conflict prevention. Youth from Osh, Chuy, Batken, and Jalal-Abad oblasts were actively involved in project activities.”
Participants discussed and shared experience on all the components of the programme, as well as identified ways to promote the interests of youth when it comes to relations and co-operation with local authorities, as well as ways to improve co-operation and communication between the youth in the country.
In October and November 2015 the OSCE Centre in Bishkek broadcasted on nation-wide TV channels a seven minutes movie produced in 2014 describing the activities of the Territorial Youth Councils in Osh and Youth Coordination Council in Tokmok city as a public awareness initiative. The Youth Conference is part of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek project on “Strengthening Capacity and Facilitating Co-operation between Youth in Kyrgyzstan”.