2012 Annual Report of the International Public Foundation “The Roza Otunbayeva Initiative”

“The Roza Otunbayeva Initiative” is an International Public Foundation that launched its activities in January 2012 with an overarching aim of initiating and carrying out activities meaningfully contributing to the social, political, economic, and environmental development in the Kyrgyz Republic.

 

The Foundation spearheads initiatives that span four core programmes: 

1) Investing in Future Generations: Education and Health Rights Advocacy and Campaigning for Improved Quality and Access to Services for childhood, parenthood and youth; 

2) Democratic Governance: Improving Democratic Governance through Strengthening of Fair and Democratic Institutions; 

3) Sustainable Social Growth: Supporting Economic Development through Social Innovations and Technology Transfer for Improved Human Development in Kyrgyz Republic, including regional cooperation, human capital development, social innovations and social entrepreneurship; 

4) Diversity and Culture as Access to World Values: Supporting accessibility to arts, music, and literature in Kyrgyzstan to the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of population.

 

Using eight instruments and approaches the Foundation implements its four programs for the key beneficiary and stakeholder groups:

Instruments and Approaches

Beneficiaries and target groups

Stakeholders

1) Communication platforms: Forum “Mekendeshter” (“Diaspora”) Kyrgyzstanis abroad, young professionals, social entrepreneurs, high-flyers, development and prosperity-minded citizens of Kyrgyzstan at home and abroad, diaspora Ministry of Labor, Employment and Youth, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diaspora and labour migrants, Ministry of Economic Development

2) Communication platforms: Discover Asia Youth, entrepreneurs, students, professionals from healthcare, education, business, and public service sectors Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, members of parliament, profile committees of parliament, regional and local administrations, municipal governments

3) Study Tours: South-South Exchange Healthcare practitioners (i.e., doctors, surgeons, nurses, specialists, administrators, etc.); teachers and educators, pedagogues, kindergarten administrators, youth development specialists Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Ministry of Healthcare, Ministry of Education, members of parliament, profile committees of parliament, regional and local administrations, municipal governments

4) Know-how Transfer: Social Innovations Youth, women activists and women entrepreneurs, young professionals, social entrepreneurs, talented students and innovators, socially orientated youth and adults, community activists, civil society activists and multiplicators Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Ministry of Healthcare, Ministry of Education, members of parliament, profile committees of parliament, regional and local administrations, municipal governments, micro-finance organizations, local self-help groups

5) Academy of Education Lectorium: Cycles of Knowledge Young parents, educators, pedagogues, kindergarten caregivers and teachers, trainers and community education multiplicators, NGO and civil society activists Universities, Ministry of Education, expert community

6) Diversity and Culture: cultural, artistic, musical and literary events to promote world values of peace and unity School children, students, youth, disadvantaged and vulnerable children and youth from poor districts, general public, artists, musicians, writers, poets, cultural and literary associations General public, universities and art schools, music conservatory, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture

7) Information and Advocacy Campaigning and Actions General public, decision-makers, NGO, civil society members General public, decision-makers, NGO, civil society members

8) Summits: high profile forums and conferences for Regional cooperation International and regional decision-makers, international and regional expert communities, think tanks, professional associations and unions Profile ministries, regional partners, regional associations and unions

 

Initiatives of the Year 2012

Investing in Future Generations: Through the Support of Women, Youth, and Childhood 

Through its education advocacy and campaigning the Foundation aims to improve the quality of childhood, women’s and youth’s experiences in the Kyrgyz Republic. 

One of the Foundation’s most important initiatives in 2012 has been the support of the educational sector in early childhood education. The unacceptable situation that persists in Kyrgyzstan with pre-school education has to transform. When only 13% of pre-school age children attend kindergartens in towns, and only 5% in rural areas Kyrgyzstan’s young generation is in great risks to fall behind in education, life achievements, and consequently in life quality. 

Alongside measures taken by the Kyrgyz Government, the Foundation has initiated: 

- Advocacy campaigning and presentation of recommendations on obligatory introduction of 1-year pre-school program guaranteed by the State to all children between the ages of 6-7 during the specially convened Parliamentary Hearings at Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic; 

- The adoption of alternative forms and programs of early-childhood education in Kyrgyzstan, such as piloting of preschools, half-day kindergartens, community kindergartens, and short-term kindergartens in the pastures in Chui, Talas, and Naryn oblasts of the Kyrgyz Republic; 

- The dissemination of successful methodologies of UNICEF, Aga Khan Foundation, and Asian Development Bank in solving the problem of a low-level attendance among pre-school age children to early childhood education. In April 2012 more than 40 decision-makers from the Northern Kyrgyzstan visited Osh city and Osh region for a Study Tour, during which experience exchange on methodologies and practice of community kindergartens; 

- The sharing of knowledge and an understanding of the importance of early childhood education, information sharing nationwide, and the monthly training of caregivers, teachers and parents in innovative education methods though the lectures of “The Academy of Education – Lectorium: Cycle of Knowledge”. The first lecture, dedicated to the methods of Waldorf education, was held in September 2012. Lectures dedicated to the Montessori method and to the Suzuki Method of children’s education are being developed for 2013.

Democratic Governance: Improving Democratic Governance through

 

Strengthening of Fair and Democratic Institutions

Public Observatory Councils (POCs) on the Accountability of Government Ministries and Agencies of the Kyrgyz Republic

 

In October 2012 Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva was elected the Honorary Chairwoman of the Coordinating Council of the Network of Public Observatory Councils on the Accountability of Government Ministries and Agencies of the Kyrgyz Republic. In this capacity, she extends the support of the Foundation to the work of the citizens’ and NGO activists’ on monitoring the work of the ministries and agencies.

Institute of the Ex-President in a Parliamentary Republic in Central Asia

 

International and regional series of lectures on sharing accumulated experience in democratic governance in a Central Asian country by a woman leader with international recognition of her contribution to peace and cooperation in the region.

 

- Lecture on pluralism at the Global Centre on Pluarlism, Ottava, Canada, May 2012;

 

- Public speech at the Global Women’s Summit, Athens, Greece, June 2012;

 

- Key note speaker at the Conference on The Women’s Entrepreneurship in Central Asia, October 2012;

 

- Public speech at the International Humanitarian Forum, Baku, Azerbaijan, October 2012;

 

- Key note speaker at the Women of Central Asia, International Scientific Conference at the University of Graz, Graz, Austria in November 2012;

 

- Key note speaker at the “Supporting Women Candidates to Local Councils of the Kyrgyz Republic” conference of the Women’s Support Centre and the women’s leadership network of the Kyrgyz Republic, November 2012.

Sustainable Social Growth: Through Social Innovations and Technology Transfer for Improved Human Development in Kyrgyz Republic

Communication Platforms: The Forum Mekendeshter (Diaspora)

 

The second initiative, The Forum “Mekendeshter”, is aimed at addressing the overarching problems of nation building and the management of human capital in the Kyrgyz Republic. The initiative is aimed at dealing with wide-ranging topics concerning the people of Kyrgyzstan in the time of globalization, i.e., the Kyrgyz Diaspora and its role in solving the issues facing the citizens of Kyrgyzstan at home and abroad, how they can stay in meaningful connection with their homeland, and take part in the nation’s development, growth, and prosperity.

 

The forum itself is designed as a biannual conference. The first conference of the Forum Mekendeshter was held in Bishkek on 2-3 August 2012 in conjunction with the Kyrgyzstani Government and was attended by the Kyrgyzstanis from over 20 countries. Themes of presentations and discussions were divided into several sections and included: economics and business, transportation, communications, health, education, culture, tourism, and government policy in relation to Kyrgyzstani nationals living abroad.

Communication Platforms: Discover Asia and Study Tours (South-South)

 

One of the initiatives spearheaded by the Foundation is the creation of communicative spaces for discussions, opinion formation and consolidation of conducive forces for development processes in Kyrgyzstan. “Discover Asia” is one such initiative designed to raise the awareness of business opportunities, culture, and traditions as well as the economic successes of Asian countries through gatherings and events organized for target audiences in Kyrgyzstan. These regular (montly and bi-montly events) are organized alongside the foreign embassies, business people, experts, and policy makers of the countries under the focus of “Discover Asia”.

 

Throughout 2012 “Discover Asia” initiative organized six high profile events:

 

- Presentation on the development of the microfinance sector in Bangladesh;

 

- Presentation on economic exhibitions in China;

 

- Presentation on educational innovations in India;

 

- Presentation on factors of Japan’s economic growth and success;

 

- Presentation “Globalization: The Way Forward”, by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahatir bin Muhamad;

 

- Presentation on the adoption of green growth principles in economic development of South Korea.

Study Tours (South-South)

 

There have been seven study tours organized for the professional and expert communities of the Kyrgyz Republic to countries such as China and India on the following themes:

 

- Healthcare practitioners and administrators, professionalizing nursing;

 

- Journalism;

 

- Trade;

 

- Management of wholesale markets;

 

- Refining industries.

Diversity and Culture as Access to World Values

 

The cultural, art, and literary events that the Foundation aims to provide to wide publics in Bishkek and throughout Kyrgyzstan are aimed at promoting peace and unity in the country, as well as appreciation of creative and artistic expression.

Classical music for all

 

This initiative was launched in conjunction with the Kyrgyz National Conservatory, focuses on introducing classical music to children and promoting the culture of classical music amongst the population. Monthly classical music concerts for children from 10 low-income schools of Bishkek were organized with the help of the Bishkek Municipal Government. A series of classical music concerts for diverse audiences, master classes for young musicians, special concerts for children combined with lectures on the work of the orchestra, composers, and the art of playing an instrument were held to great acclaim by various publics and audiences.

Literature for all

 

Literary evening and reading clubs dedicated to famous poets and writers aim at bringing reading back to people, making reading and literature valuable and valued among new generations of Kyrgyzstan. An evening of poetry reading and music dedicated to the 870th anniversary of one of the biggest names in the world poetry Nizami Gandjevi the Azerbaijani poet and philosopher was organized in November 2012. An exhibition of books by Nizami an about the poet was presented at the National Library of the Kyrgyz Republic.

 

Many more events dedicated to arts, music, and literature are planned for the year ahead.