KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography

in a politically-advanced society whose members are capable of making choices along
contrasting ideological lines while being able to negotiate and to form a shared, valuebased
framework that can guide the development of the country and its society. This
model of social organization requires far-reaching reforms that must be implemented
by both civic activists and by the government. Unfortunately, in the absence of a shared
framework, it is highly likely that all attempts to address social development and civic
involvement would be negated by the lack of common reference points, and would not
result in the desired social change.
In view of the task’s complexity and magnitude, the following sets of recommendations
are offered for consideration by institutions of civil society and government. These
recommendations can be used as potential guidelines or as aspects of a situational
analysis.
For NGOs:
− View the NGO sector as a group of entities that may have different positions
and goals, and diverse ways of cooperating with government bodies. Experience
shows that forms of cooperation depend on the goals set by an organization,
while approaches do not necessarily have to be the same.
− Systematically review how the selected work methods correspond to social norms,
and how they help promote these norms among the public. More specifically,
these reviews can help identify what prevents the NGO from disseminating
democratic values and making them part of social norms.
− Contribute to the advancement of civic education (namely, civic and political
culture) in order to build awareness of individuals’ relationship to the state, and
the possibilities inherent in this relationship.
For Civic Activists:
− Examine what determines individuals’ interest in creating associations, and
why there has been no development of voluntary associations based on local
incentives and needs.
− Based on the results of this examination, try to identify civil society institutions
that can be maintained or developed with the purpose of ensuring good
communication within and between different groups, etc.
− Determine whether dealing with issues such as democratic governance,
fundamental human rights, lobbying and advocacy is always necessary for those
who want to encourage proactive attitudes among individuals, their commitment
to certain ideas, and the ability to form interest-based associations.
− Identify possible incentives for forming and consolidating civic culture among
young people, who are growing up in the context of a systemic, country-wide
crisis and an overall collapse of shared values and norms.
For the Government and Political Parties:
– Identify social ideas that can be used as a basis for nation-building and social
development in Kyrgyzstan.
– Produce a social policy that would address problems faced by common citizens
and provide social guarantees. Without equitable social policies, no attempts to
mobilize people around particular social ideas will bear fruit.
– Identify the best model of society for Kyrgyzstan, and to determine the place
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