KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography

Unfortunately, alongside the emergence of formally-registered organizations
(associations and network organizations), Kyrgyzstan has not yet developed a culture
of non-formal movements or clubs, another important segment of civil society. One
example of informal associations is the Liberal Youth Alliance, which started two
major electronic mailing lists used as a source of information exchange and debate
for multiple stakeholders. Another example of informal groups are self-help groups:
informal networks of individuals working together to address infrastructural and
other important issues of local significance. However, international organizations
demonstrate a markedly lower interest in the activities of these groups compared
to NGOs. International organizations’ mandates often compel them to work with
registered legal entities, explaining why they focus on supporting NGOs and why
these types of associations became so popular.
Another often-overlooked area is trade unions, which are important advocates for
the labor rights of various professional groups. This situation is all the more striking if
we consider that the situation among the employees of state-financed organizations,
such as medical workers and teachers, remains deplorable.
This is not to suggest that Kyrgyzstan must incorporate the specific types of civil
society institutions listed above. However, an overall balance between informal and
formal processes is essential for the successful development of civil society. Informal
processes based on collective beliefs in particular political and social ideas tend to
spur powerful social movements. In Kyrgyzstan, civil society emerged through the
establishment of formal organizations that promoted values, which were not a product
of local civic mobilization. So far, informal processes have not been given appropriate
emphasis with the exclusion of public protests, which became popular during the coup
of 2005 and for some time thereafter, but then lost their popularity since they were not
particularly effective.
Civil Society: Who and What For?
New conditions encouraged civic activists to think about the future of their work in
the country. It is becoming increasingly obvious that a professional focus on promoting
democracy through specialized approaches is not sufficient. Work undertaken in this
area must be reviewed and supplemented by other approaches. A greater diversity of
public associations is also necessary, since professional, registered organizations are
unable to perform all possible functions, or to replace informal associations based on
the mobilization of small groups that want to address specific objectives for a specific
target group.
This diversity informs the need for reflexivity among members of civil society
sector (activists, NGO staff, and experts), and this, among other things, will enable them
to find new work approaches that meet the challenges of the current situation. NGO
forums held in 2005 and 2007 have demonstrated some attempts at self-examination by
non-governmental organizations. However, this kind of reflexivity must focus on the
state of the social system as a whole, not merely on what the future holds for specific
types of civil society organizations. This should be a priority both for civic activists in
a broader sense and for political parties and government institutions. Does Kyrgyzstan
need a civil society? What kind of a civil society should it be, and who needs it? These
are key questions.
Another question altogether is how institutions that promote diverse ideas and
values can coexist within the same social context. A pluralism of ideas is possible only
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