KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography

What needs to be studied is whether a local concept of civil society has been formed
relating to the history, social traditions and experience of state building in the country.
Thus, the aim of this policy brief is to reflect on the “translation” of universally recognized
democratic concepts into the local context of Kyrgyzstan through highlighting
the main characteristics and functions of NGOs as institutions of civil society established
to promote these concepts. Analysis of problematic areas is followed by recommendations
that address civic activists and propose ways to change the situation. The constructive
criticism offered here is especially important at this point in time when the country faces
a new phase of widespread disillusion with democratic values.
Local context
In Kyrgyzstan, the commonest civil society institution is a non-profit, non-governmental
organization (NGO). NGOs as a form of social organization have been adopted
in the region with the technical and financial support of American and Western European
public and non-profit institutions. In the local perspective, the word “NGO” is often
used synonymously with civil society, with both definitions being interchangeable.
Indeed, the concept of civil society is not limited to NGOs and embraces other types
of social organization, such as community-based organizations, political parties, free
media, political groupings, private sector and active citizens. However, in this policy brief,
the focus is on NGOs, as international donors have mainly concentrated on developing
this specific type of social organization while promoting their democratization policies
in the country. Thus, NGOs in Kyrgyzstan are regarded as institutions of democracy
that remain the most active and visible actors in promoting democratic values.
The majority of the early NGOs that appeared in the country did not have clearly
defined goals that addressed specific social problems, because the objective of the donors’
institutionalization policy was to set up local NGOs. Support and resource centres
for NGOs also appeared that provided them with the necessary organizational tools.
When the phase of institutionalization was completed by 1999 2 , the organizations had
to choose their own sphere of activities and adhere to one of the following fields under
the general framework of democratic initiatives and human rights: rule of law, gender,
rights and needs of vulnerable groups (children, the elderly or people with disabilities),
anti-corruption activities and environmental issues.
The types of activities and services provided by NGOs to the local population
included free legal advice, monitoring and evaluation, awareness raising (civic
education) and specialized training to international standards in the related fields.
Indeed, international donors and NGOs made great efforts and spent a lot of funding on
educational and training programmes for local NGOs to provide them with knowledge
about international standards and working tools that they had to use in their work at
the local level.
It should be noted that many representatives of the local intellectual community
have joined the NGO sector in Kyrgyzstan, including scholars, academic workers,
teachers, lawyers, medical staff, etc. The NGO sector has been seen as a new driving
force for introducing new social principles based on self-initiative, participation and
openness.
During the political changes in March 2005, many local experts remarked that this
2
Review of the History of Establishing and Developing the NGO Sector in the Kyrgyz Republic, pp.59-
61, Association of Civil Society Support Centres, Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, 2006
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