KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography
KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography
KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography
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Galina Plakhotnikova,<br />
Aida Kurbanova,<br />
Associati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> Civil Society Support Centers<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>ile <strong>of</strong> an NGO Leader<br />
Currently, Kyrgyzstan has several thousand NGOs: reported<br />
by Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry <strong>of</strong> Justice, as <strong>of</strong> 1 April 2006. More<br />
than 8,000 n<strong>on</strong>-governmental organizati<strong>on</strong>s were registered in<br />
the Republic. Most <strong>of</strong> these organizati<strong>on</strong>s are pers<strong>on</strong>ified – that is, the operati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>of</strong><br />
the NGO are comm<strong>on</strong>ly linked to its leader. During its formati<strong>on</strong> and development,<br />
the country’s NGO sector has g<strong>on</strong>e through several phases, which instituti<strong>on</strong>alized<br />
NGO leadership and c<strong>on</strong>tributed to its gradual transformati<strong>on</strong>. N<strong>on</strong>etheless,<br />
instituti<strong>on</strong>alizati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> leadership and the rotati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> leaders in the NGO sector remain<br />
highly relevant, posing challenges for c<strong>on</strong>tinued development <strong>of</strong> n<strong>on</strong>-governmental<br />
organizati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Key Stages in the Development <strong>of</strong> NGO Leadership<br />
The emergence <strong>of</strong> the first n<strong>on</strong>-governmental organizati<strong>on</strong>s in Kyrgyzstan in the<br />
early 1990s, with support from internati<strong>on</strong>al organizati<strong>on</strong>s, was largely a resp<strong>on</strong>se<br />
to the problems <strong>of</strong> the transiti<strong>on</strong> period. During that time, energetic and charismatic<br />
individuals started to establish NGOs that addressed the socio-ec<strong>on</strong>omic and political<br />
problems faced by newly-independent Kyrgyzstan.<br />
The rise <strong>of</strong> NGOs was aided by technical and financial assistance from internati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
d<strong>on</strong>ors, by a favorable legislative envir<strong>on</strong>ment, and certainly by the proactive attitude <strong>of</strong><br />
NGO leaders. The new nati<strong>on</strong> had another important instituti<strong>on</strong>al prerequisite for civil<br />
society–the very real right <strong>of</strong> its citizens to establish independent n<strong>on</strong>-governmental<br />
organizati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
During this period, n<strong>on</strong>-governmental leadership was mostly sp<strong>on</strong>taneous,<br />
impulsive, and situati<strong>on</strong>al, since during the emergence <strong>of</strong> NGOs, few leaders had any<br />
experience in managing organizati<strong>on</strong>s, planning (including strategic planning), or<br />
raising and managing funds.<br />
The n<strong>on</strong>-governmental organizati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>of</strong> that time were problem-oriented, i.e. they<br />
sought to address specific problems in society, such as envir<strong>on</strong>mental or gender<br />
problems, the problems <strong>of</strong> children or vulnerable groups, etc.<br />
Research [1] shows that the civil society organizati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>of</strong> that period focused<br />
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