OSCE supports the tenth annual Zhas (Youth) Camp in Kazakhstan
The civic and social activism of youth was the focus of the annual three-day Zhas (Youth) Camp that concluded on 20 October 2019 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Some thirty young people were selected to attend the event following a competition held in four major cities where they successfully pitched their ideas for social initiatives and projects.
They were among this year’s Zhas Camp which attracted some 70 participants including political scientists, journalists, civil society activists, and experts on communication and gender issues. The participants discussed issues related to emerging needs, concerns and self-realization of young people, as well as reducing the risks of their social exclusion. A separate discussion with experts from Armenia, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation was devoted to key trends and challenges of youth participation in political and public life.
The participants had an opportunity to talk with guest speakers about inspirational examples on how to promote and deliver successful social projects and learned about fundraising and public campaign tools.
The camp was co-organized by the NGO Youth Information Service of Kazakhstan and the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan with support from the Soros Foundation-Kazakhstan and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
The event is part of the Programme Office’s efforts to promote youth engagement in resolving issues of security and development.