Report 2016.Pdf

ББК – 74.00+74.200 (2 тољик) Њ – 71

УДК 371+37.15+379 (575.3)

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BRANCH OFFICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE – ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION IN TAJIKISTAN FOR 2016.

Translator of English: Veronika Grushevskaya.

Editor of English: Darragh Fingleton.

734002, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 37/1 Bokhtar Str., «Vefa» Business Center, 4th floor

tel.: (992 37) 227-55-58 (992 47) 441-07-29 Fax.: (992 47) 441-07-29 CONTENTS

FOREWORD...... 4

STRATEGIC BOARD...... 7

2016 PROGRESS IN FIGURES ...... 8

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS...... 11 Joint projects of Educational Programs...... 12 Education and care in early childhood...... 17 Integrity in Education System...... 26 Scholarship Program ...... 38

ART AND CULTURE...... 43

HUMAN RIGHTS ...... 54

ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES...... 62

SUPPORT TO PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT REFORMS IN TAJIKISTAN...... 73

PUBLIC HEALTH...... 78

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC REINTEGRATION OF THE RETURNED MIGRANTS...... 88

BUSINESS STARTUP ...... 93

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT...... 100

3 FOREWORD

Dear reader,

We are pleased to present the 2016 Annual Report of the Branch Office of the International Organization Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation in Tajikistan. The report covers all programs and projects implemented by the Foundation in 2016.

Since its inception, the core goal of the Foundation has been to promote the values of «open society», where every person has an opportunity to express his independent views and opinions, to access the information he is interested in, to participate in addressing public issues, to receive good quality education and health services and to protect own rights guaranteed to every citizen of the country. At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that the open society values also make an individual more organized and educated, and better able to make decisions that influence his own life as well as the society around him.

The programs and projects of the Foundation are aimed at addressing difficulties in the public and economic spheres in the context of the challenges which we face at the global, regional and local levels.

In 2016, the Foundation supported programs and projects through working with microfinance institutions as well as local public organizations to help returned migrants, ensuring their access to financial resources and information on how to start own businesses.

The Foundation also provided assistance to organizations protecting human rights as defined in the UN Charter, and accepted for obligato- ry implementation by the Republic of Tajikistan as an integral part of its international commitments in the framework of the UN Commission Against Torture and the Universal Periodic Review.

4 One of the important components of the work of the Foundation in 2016 was a support of the active participation of the civil society, media and independent researchers in the process of public finance management. This was achieved, in part, through active cooperation with governmental agencies in improving an access to budget information that contrib- utes to better citizen understanding of and control over public finances.

The education sector is a key driver of the social development. Thus, the Foundation actively led efforts to ensure equal and fair access to higher education and educational services. The main idea of Educational Pro- grams of the Foundation are to promote justice, openness, and transparency of the education system reform processes. The Foundation supported activities of inclusive education and has pursued a number of institutional and practical steps in this direction.

The Public Health Program has similarly implemented a number of projects promoting an inclusive approach and open access to medical services for the most marginalized groups of the population.

The sphere of arts and culture is an important element of the Foundation’s activities. In 2016 the Arts and Culture Program supported a number of new directions, while continuing its work with traditional partner organizations. Of note it has been the development of modern art, the organization of national and international festivals and holding of dedicated exhibitions for Tajik artists.

Public processes do not stand still and world has to address new challenges and cope with new difficulties every day. Increased religious extremism, terrorism, political and populist challenges together with economic in- stability lead to serious deformation and deterioration of societal models creating the environment where the human rights are violated and there is a back-off from democratic values and principles even in those countries, which are known to have an established open society.

Сountries with the so called «transitional period», like Tajikistan, where the democratic processes are at the initial stage of its formation and ex- posed to different systemic risks, are found to be in more difficult situation.

5 Today we see the Foundation as playing a key role in protecting and promoting the open society values, since we believe this is a way for creation a stable country, an educated youth, developed social and economic institutions and critical understanding of the processes occurring in the world around us.

On behalf of the Board of the Branch Office of the International Organization Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation in Tajikistan, I would like to thank sincerely all our partners and staff for their work and professionalism.

Sincerely,

Almaz Saifutdinov Chair of the Board Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation in the Republic of Tajikistan

6 STRATEGIC BOARD

Parviz Mullojanov, Board Chair (to 01.12.2016), Executive Director of NGO “Public Committee on Development Processes in Tajikistan”.

Almaz Saifutdinov, Board Chair (from 01.12.2016), Economic/Commercial Specialist at the United States Embassy in Tajikistan.

Ravshan Sobirzoda, Economist, Board member (to 01.12.2016), The World Bank Country Office.

Malika Makhkambaeva, Board member, Health projects’ specialist/ USAID.

Vafobek Barombekov, Board member, Head of Sociology Department at Tajik National University.

Shakarbek Niyatbekov, Board member, National Program Officer for the Rule of Law Program of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan.

Sarvinoz Barfieva, Board member (from 27.05.2016) Operations Officer, World Bank.

7 2016 PROGRESS IN FIGURES

Overall budget of OSI AFT consisted of USD 3 584 483.15 in 2016.

The total amount of grants awarded - USD 881 907

The total number of grants awarded - 102

The number of grants awarded to organizations - 53

The number of grants awarded to individuals - 49

The majority of the grants were allocated and spent within the framework of the «Аccess to information and services» Program, «Public Health» Program, «Art and Culture» Program, «Human Rights» Program, in the framework of the Educational Programs including financing of UNICEF, «Business Startup» Program and «Social and economic reintegration of the returned migrants» Program.

Diagram 1. Grant Projects (by programs)

8 «Business Startup» Program

24Educational Programs

24«Art and Culture» Program 102 1 Education Program ncluding financing of UNICEF

9 «Public Health» Program

12 «The Human Rights» Program

17 «Аccess to information and services» Program 2 «Support to Public Finance Management Reforms in Tajikistan» Program

8 Diagram 2. Grant budgets by programs (thousands $)

«Business Startup» Program

«Art and Culture» Program

«Human Rights» Program

Support to Public Finance Management Reforms

«Аccess to information and services» Program

«Public Health» Program

Education Program including financing of UNICEF

Educational Programs

0 50 100 150 200 250 Diagram 3. Grant activities by programs and regions Dushanbe Khatlon Sogd GBAO &DRS Social and economic reintegration of the returned migrants

«Business Startup» Program

«Art and Culture» Program

«Human Rights» Program

Support to Public Finance Management Reforms

«Аccess to information and services» Program

«Public Health» Program

Educational Programs

0 5 10 15 20 25

The Budget of the Foundation is split into general administrative, grant and operational components. The last category also covers administrative costs of program staff.

Diagram 4. Foundation budget by categories (%)

29 Operational projects

49 Administration

Grants 22

9 In 2015, Foundation has paid 3 486 205.57 somoni to the State Budget of the Republic of Tajikistan as part of its social and income tax as well as other tax obligations.

Таблица 1. Foundation Program Budget

Program Budget $

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS 647 228

THE HUMAN RIGHTS 212 509

ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES 424 534 ART AND CULTURE 195 308 BUSINESS STARTUP 128 225 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC REINTEGRATION 243 985 OF THE RETURNED MIGRANTS PUBLIC HEALTH 338 121 EDUCATION PROGRAM 11 556 supported by UNICEF SUPPORT TO PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT REFORMS IN TAJIKISTAN 599 337 including financing of UK DFID TOTAL 2 800 803

10 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

DIRECTOR: NAZARKHUDO DASTAMBUEV

EXPERTS:

Latofat Naziri – Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan. Khusrav Shambezoda – Vice-Rector for Science, Doctor of Philology, Professor of the Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) University. Dilbar Bakaeva – Executive Director of the Association for Adult Educa tion. Gulbahor Iskandarova – Chairman of the Tajik Association for Critical Thinking, Senior Lecturer of the Technological University of the Repub- lic of Tajikistan. Manzura Juraeva – Director of the Educational Center «Multikid».

PROGRAM

11 Joint projects of Educational Programs

COORDINATORS: GULCHEHRA KABILOVA, MANUCHEHR KAMOLITDINOV, LOLA BOBOEVA

DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATION CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN

Goal: assist in the development of a legislative document, the «Code of Ed- ucation», that reflects the basic principles of inclusive education at all levels of education.

Partners: Ministry of Education and Science of RT, Parlament of the RT, experts of public organizations.

Implementation period: March – December, 2016.

Participants: specialists in legal issues and legislative policy; representatives of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (of the Majlisi Oli of RT), the Ministry of Education and Science of RT, the Ministry of Justice of RT, and the Tajik National University; experts on social issues; and experts from public organizations.

Outcomes: a draft of the proposed law was prepared and presented for consideration to the Ministry of Education and Science of RT; work was carried out to finalize and amend the laws in the field of education and create a cohesive and coherent system of legal norms of education within the framework of a single, unified document by taking into account the principles and approaches of inclusive education.

12 JOINT PROJECTS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

ANALYSIS OF THE STATUS OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM IN RT

Goals: • to conduct research and analysis of the status of access to primary and secondary vocational education for persons with special educational needs; • determine the preconditions for and potential approaches to the implementation of inclusive education in vocational institutions (lyceums and colleges).

Implementing partners: independent researchers Sultonbek Aksakalov and Amrisho Lashkariev.

Implementation period: June – November, 2016.

Outcomes: an analytical report was prepared which identified problems pertaining to access to training and quality education at primary and secondary vocational education institutions for people with disabilities and national mi- norities (who prefer a different language of instruction); an analysis of the regulatory framework, curricula and textbooks, in terms of inclusive education, was conducted by taking into account the possibility of introducing inclusive education in vocational educational institutions and specialized secondary level vocational education institutions in Dushanbe; recommendations on how to improve the situation, in terms of the introduction and development of inclusive education, were outlined.

RADICALIZATION AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE

Goals: • study the causes of radicalism in Tajikistan; • identify the main characteristics, and the methods and mechanisms used to radicalize young people.

Implementing partners: Head of the working group – Khurshed Ziyoi, Doc- tor of Philosophy, Professor, Head of the Department of Science and Innovation at the Ministry of Education and Science of RT;

13 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Members of the working group: • Abdullo Navjuvonov – Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RT, Major-General of the Militia; • Marambek Marambekov – Scientific Secretary of the Center of Islamic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan; • Firuz Mirov – Lecturer at the Department of Sociology of Tajik National University (TNU), Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Sociology of the Institute of Philosophy, Politics and Law of the Academy of Sciences of RT, Consultant at the Center for Sociological Research «Zerkalo», and a Consultant at «Z-Analytics Group»; • Muzaffar Tavalloev – Lecturer at the Department of Sociology of TNU, Consultant at the Center for Sociological Research «Zerkalo» and at the «Z-Analytics Group»; • Umedakhon Akhmedova – Lecturer at the Department of Sociology of TNU.

Implementation period: November 2016 – January 2017.

Outcomes: the most relevant aspects of the topic were defined based on the results of the research; the main characteristics, and the methods and mechanisms used to radicalize young people in Tajikistan were identified; the role of radicalization was defined and the nature and essence of rad- ical thinking among youth was clarified by generalizing the results of the survey and interviews; the results of the research were presented at a roundtable attended by representatives of state, public, scientific, educational and international organizations; two articles were published on the theme and a TV program was prepared for broadcast on national TV; the research results were presented to state institutions with the purpose of contributing to national youth policy; the research results have been put into use in the education of young people.

14 JOINT PROJECTS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

EDUCATION FORUM

Goals: • hold constructive dialogue on the results of projects, implemented within the framework of educational programs of OSI-AF in Tajikistan; • prepare recommendations on the improvement and sustainability of projects and on the possibilities of inter-sectoral and inter-departmental cooperation.

Partners: Ministry of Education and Science of RT, Parliament of RT, POs.

Implementation period: December 15 – 16, 2016.

Participants: 110 persons including representatives of the Ministry of Ed- ucation and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Academy of Education of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Institutes of Advanced Studies, Provincial Education Administrations, university professors and school teachers, activists of public organizations and representatives of international organizations, alumnae of scholarship programs and participants of the analytical component of the DFID / OSI-AF in Tajikistan project.

Outcomes: constructive recommendations were presented after the presentation of projects; possibilities for further institutionalization of successful practical solutions and ideas regarding inter-sectoral and inter-departmental cooperation were discussed; finally, current issues and problems in education were considered in the following areas: • legislation related to the education sector: «Code of Education of the Republic of Tajikistan»; • preschool education: development of early intervention and early childhood development programs. The establishment of community-based centers and the provision of methodological support to ensure their sustainability. Presentation of the country’s first animated television program to aid the cognitive development of preschool children; • inclusive education: providing access to education of children with special needs from an early age with the active participation of parents and public organizations representing parents; • results of the independent monitoring of the Unified Entrance Exami-

15 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

nation and National Testing System conducted by public organizations: the impact of the new system on the quality and accessibility of higher education for various sectors of society; • results of research on social problems and inclusive education in primary and secondary vocational education. Analytical reports were presented on economic issues and on the interaction between the labor market and educational process at universities as well as about the problems of migration and education, budget policy analysis and estimates of budget expenditure.

16 Education and care in early childhood

COORDINATOR: LOLA BABAEVA

Goal: provide an innovative approach to civil society development by supporting a policy of early childhood development and education.

PRIORITIES:

early childhood development: alternative models of early education - community-based Child Development Centers (CDC). social inclusion – a pre-requisite for quality education from an early age that encompasses social justice for all children and equal access to inclusive and quality education from an early age.

PRIORITY: Early development: alternative models of early education – community-based preschool CDCs.

CREATION OF COMMUNITY-BASED CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS

Goals: • open community-based CDCs in areas with limited access to educational services, for preschool institutions/kindergartens in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan and the support of local authorities; • organize meetings with representatives of local departments of public education to discuss the effectiveness of community-based CDCs in the target regions; • prepare and train pedagogical staff to work at CDCs; • monitor community-based CDCs to identify and address deficiencies and problems in the development and education of children.

17 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Implementer: project.

Implementation period: 2016.

Activities: select pilot educational institutions (via a competition announced in the media) for the creation of CDCs in cooperation with participants of the program, the Expert Committee of the Educational Program as well as representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan. hold a tender process, according to the procedures of OSI-AF in Tajik- istan, to select a supplier to equip CDCs in a manner that takes into account the needs of preschool children. conduct training for project implementers and specialists from the relevant district and provincial departments of education: October 3-5, 2016 (Varzob district, recreational area «Jahongir»), November 1-3, 2016 (Khujand, Guliston, recreational area «Bahoriston», Sughd province).

Participants: 52 persons comprised of employees of pilot educational institutions (primary school teachers, educators working at kindergartens) and representatives of local (district and provincial) departments of education.

Outcomes: ten pilot educational institutions were selected to create a community-based CDC with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan and members of the Expert Committee of the educational program; the necessary environment was created by providing the CDCs with the furniture, educational and visual aids, toys and stationery, literature and encyclopedias typically needed for preschool children; trainings were conducted to build local capacity and to expand access to local services in order to improve the provision of quality educational services for children with the involvement of their families, as well as to support the ongoing initiatives and projects of the program and to facilitate experience exchange in the field of early childhood and preschool education; trainings were conducted by experienced trainers-practitioners for the representatives of pilot educational institutions in each target region;

18 PROGRAM EDUCATION AND CARE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

a tendency was observed that the demand for CDCs is growing among the population (one CDC serves between 50 and 60 children), which is an indicator of a positive societal perceptions of CDCs; the creation of community-based CDCs represents an alternative educational model that can also include children with disabilities and special needs; the CDCs promote both access and the right to education of preschool children through the active participation of their parents who are the best educators and teachers of children.

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY (from birth to age six)

Goals: • assist in educating parents with infants and children up to the age of six; • develop an action plan for the organization of events in the target regions to provide services to parents of young children; • adapt the available module to local conditions.

Implementer: project.

Implementation period: 2014-2016

Activities of the project: training for trainers from April 24 to May 1, 2016.

Participants: Training for 4 local trainers who were selected upon completion of the training conducted between 2014 and 2015 by international consultant Usha Ramikrishan (India), a top-level trainer in education, a member of the Management Board of Bala Mandir Research Foundation Chennai, a member of the Executive Committee of the In- dian Council for Child Welfare Tamil Nadu, and an expert at the Centre «Hinks Dellcrest» (Toronto, Canada) and BMRF.

Outcomes: training for trainers was conducted; monitoring was carried out in the cities of Khujand, Vahdat and Dushan- be with the participation of trainers, including visits to families with young children at home (with the focus on children under the age of three years old);

19 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

analysis and discussion of monitoring materials was carried out; assistance in educating and training parents was provided as part of a new initiative of the projects «Learning through play» and «Development of young children» in Tajikistan; recommendations for teaching and playing with children at each stage of their development were presented in the materials of the module «Learn- ing through play»; the outcomes of the recent scientific research were included.

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM «STEP BY STEP»

Goals: • increase the capacity of program implementers of pilot institutions in the methods and technologies of a person-oriented model of upbringing and education; • improve the quality of education through the use of innovative methods in pilot educational institutions for projects in the target regions; • develop a strategy and plan for joint activities to improve the quality of education provided by educational institutions; • create a team consisting of training participants, representatives of the provincial/district/city departments of Teacher Retraining Institute, departments of education, pilot educational institutions and teachers-practitioners – i.e. implementers of the international program «Step by step», in order to conduct current and future initiatives

Implementer: project.

Implementation period: 2016.

Project activities: facilitate trainings conducted by qualified local trainers: June 1 - 3, 2016 (Khujand, Sughd province), September 21 - 23, 2016 (Kulob, Khatlon province); carry out monitoring.

Participants: 53 persons consisting of representatives of the provincial/city departments of the Teacher Retraining Institute and departments of education as well as teachers-practitioners of the international programs «Step by Step» and «Critical Thinking» of the pilot educational institutions of Sughd and Khatlon provinces.

20 PROGRAM EDUCATION AND CARE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

Outcomes: modern techniques and interactive pedagogy presented at the training were child focused and based on the philosophy of the international programs «Step by step» and «Critical thinking through reading and writing»; trainings built capacity in the target regions related to the how-to of implementing the project. Trainings focused on the capacity for continuing education, and was oriented to the development of the skills and compe- tencies necessary for innovative activities; participants of the training mastered new methods of solving professional problems, such as the organization and planning of activities aimed at improving teaching qualifications and the quality management of the educational process, both of which are especially important in an ever changing environment; the results noted during the period of implementation of the program sug- gest that the trainings were effective both for different levels and for different forms of education in Tajikistan.

TV PROGRAMME AND STRATEGY FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTAL EDUCATION VIA MEDIA «YOUNG CHILDREN LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT WITH TAJIK ANIMATED CHARACTERS»

Goals: • create an animated TV program for preschool children to help them prepare for school and facilitate the greater involvement of parents in the process of raising children; • educate preschool children through TV programs, based on the traditions of local culture, that foster their cognitive development; • assist in local capacity development to create animated TV programs that foster cognitive development of preschool children.

Implementer: project.

Implementation period: 2014 - 2016.

Participants: OSI-AF in Tajikistan and the UNICEF office in Tajikistan in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Public Association «Multimedia» of Kyrgyzstan.

21 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Outcomes: the first animated television program in the native language of preschool children was created; the animated program «Sandukchai Zulbiyo» consists of 25 episodes and is based on the traditions of local culture and designed to foster the cognitive development of children; the project complied with the national strategy of the Republic of Tajik- istan concerning improving access to preschool education through the introduction of alternative teaching methods, which was originally an initiative of OSI-AF in Tajikistan; the animation program «Sandukchai Zulbiyo» reached the target audience (children and their families) and contributed to preparing children for school.

SCHOOL OF FATHERS AS AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF INFORMING PARENTS

Goals: • model and promote practices that encourage fathers to participate in the development and upbringing of children; • attract public attention to the problem of isolation and exclusion of fathers from participation in the upbringing of young children; • promote the position of the father in the upbringing of young children; • support the education of families; • train teachers to disseminate the practices of development and education of children of preschool age.

Implementers: Belarusian League of Parents and Teachers «Krok za kro- kom» (Belarus), and the J. A. Kamensky Child Development Fund (Po- land).

Implementation period: June - December, 2016.

Participants: Educators at kindergartens No.1 and No.50 in Dushanbe.

Place of implementation: Belarus, Minsk, June 13 - 15, 2016.

Outcomes: the model for involving fathers in the development and upbringing of young children was introduced and put into practice;

22 PROGRAM EDUCATION AND CARE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

more active involvement of families/parents in the upbringing of young children was observed; a seminar was held for educators at pilot preschool institutions in Du- shanbe with the aim of spreading practices that involve fathers more in the development and upbringing of preschool children.

PRIORITY: Social inclusion – a pre-requisite for quality education from an early age that encompasses social justice for all children and equal access to inclusive and quality education from an early age.

EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS INCLUSION

Goals: • development and care of young children, including early intervention as a path to inclusive education; a new initiative in Tajikistan; • carry out activities within the framework of the project that help train specialists in assisting families of young children with developmental disabilities or at risk of the occurrence of such disabilities; • improve the skills and knowledge of teachers and parents on early childhood education (inclusive education) in the Mastchoh district of Sughd province of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Implementer: Public Organization Socio-Legal Center «Sarchashma».

Implementation period: October 27, 2015 - November 30, 2016

Participants: Educators of preschool educational institutions, parents, representatives of the Health Center of Mastchoh district.

Outcomes: information on the importance of the early development of children was provided; a resource cabinet for early intervention in Kindergarten No. 6 was created; specialists were trained to provide qualified consultations; a mechanism for identifying, involving and accompanying children with disabilities was developed and put into operation.

23 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Goal: introduce the fundamental principles of early development and inclusive education in Tojikobod district of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Implementer: Public Organization «Durakhshon».

Implementation period: October 27, 2015 – January 31, 2017.

Participants: Primary school teachers of pilot schools and the CDC, kindergarten educators, health workers at the Tojikobod district Health Center.

Outcomes: informational and educational seminars on early intervention and inclusive education were organized for the representatives of two pilot schools, a kindergarten, the CDC and the Health Center with the purpose of organizing the provision of and improving access to quality educational and social services for children; information on the needs for early childhood development programs and the rights of children was prepared; training seminars for parents/families of children with disabilities were conducted to foster their development and education.

DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP IN EARLY INTERVENTION AND INCLUSION ACTIVITIES IN SUGHD PROVINCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN

Goals: • expansion of services to increase the skills and coaching capacity of practicing specialists in the spheres of education, health and social protection with trainings on early intervention projects in the pilot districts of Buston, Kanibodom, Panjakent, and Khujand of Sughd province; • increase social well-being of vulnerable young children through inter-departmental cooperation in the area of early childhood development and inclusive education. Implementer: PO Social and Legal Support Centre «Sarchashma».

Implementation period: December 15, 2016 - December 15, 2017.

Participants: education, health and social protection specialists. (Predicted) Outcomes:

24 PROGRAM EDUCATION AND CARE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

improved cooperation between relevant state structures in the spheres of education, health and social protection and non-governmental organizations working on the protection of the rights of children and / or on early childhood development; development of a mechanism that allows vulnerable families to receive targeted assistance; increased level of knowledge and skills of practicing specialists in education, health and social protection in the sphere of early childhood development and inclusive education, through theoretical and practical training; a team of trained specialists is created in the pilot districts, based on the module «From Early Aid to Inclusion», who are responsible for promoting educational activities and for the training of professionals in the field of early childhood development; improved cooperation with state social services and the Commission on the Rights of Children in order to transfer practical experience in the field of early childhood development and leverage interdisciplinary cooperation in the process of offering assistance to children and their families.

25 PROGRAM Integrity in Education System

COORDINATORS: GULCHEHRA KABILOVA, MANUCHEHR KAMOLITDINOV

Goal: assist in promoting the principles of equal education; Improve the quality and accessibility of education for all children and young people.

PRIORITIES:

assist the National Testing Center (NTC); social inclusion for quality education.

PRIORITY: Assist the National Testing Center.

THE NATIONAL TESTING CENTER (NTC)

Goals: • assist the NTC in ensuring the quality of administrative procedures for the Unified Entrance Examination, and admission to universities; • guaranteeing the quality of subject tests and the introduction of quality indicators in the analytical component of NTC; Support NGOs in developing research capacity for independent monitoring of the centralized testing system.

Partners: international consultants of «Anglia Assessment LTD», George Bethel (UK), Algirdas Zabulionis (Lithuania).

26 PROGRAM INTEGRITY IN EDUCATION SYSTEM

Implementation period: January - December 2016.

Participants: managers and specialists of NTC, representatives of NGOs and Teacher Training and Retraining Institutes.

Outcomes: recommendations on the effective implementation of new activities, based on policy decisions related to NTC and Unified Entrance Exami- nation (UEE) , were provided; consultations and seminars were conducted on quality indicators for senior management staff, test developers and IT specialists with the purpose of improving the analytical component of NTC; technical support in preparation for the 2016 Unified Entrance Examina- tion was provided; the results of the UEE were discussed with a focus on reporting and analysis, in order to ensure the quality of tests and the administration process; two conceptual documents were developed, entitled «Development of Culture of assessment and pedagogical measurements in the field of education in Tajikistan» and «Development of indicators on the quality of education» respectively, by the consultants of «Anglia Assessment LTD» to be used by NTC and a wider range of participants of this process; seminars and consultations were held for subject specialists and a working group focused on the development of a model of Tajik language Writ- ten task (essay) and on the mechanisms for its implementation in the UEE system in 2018; individual consultations and recommendations were provided to NGOs that implement research projects on public monitoring of the new examination system; representatives of NGOs prepared analytical reports of project progress, made conclusions and indicated which components were successful and where changes are needed; an important first step was made in carrying out independent monitoring of the new examinations system; an «awareness-raising» program was initiated in support of the development of culture of assessmentin Tajikistan in partnership with the In-Ser- vice Teacher Training Institutes .

27 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Is the national testing system an opportunity or a barrier to obtaining higher education for people with disabilities?

Goal: determine how the new testing system influences access to the institutions of higher education in RT for people with disabilities.

Implementing partners: NGOs «Imconium», «Association of Parents of Children with Disabilities» (Dushanbe).

Implementation period: October 16, 2015 - April 15, 2016.

Outcomes: a study was conducted in the cities of Dushanbe, Khujand, Khorog and Qurghonteppa; an analytical report was prepared with recommendations for improving the situation and expanding the opportunities for the admission of people with disabilities to institutions of higher education; the analytical report was published and discussed at roundtables and at the Forum on Education.

Monitoring of students preparation for entrance examinations by conducting a survey of students who entered Higher education institutions through the National Testing Center

Goals: • monitor the applicants’ preparation for entrance exams through NTC; • expand the market of tutoring services and analyze the provision of equal opportunities for admission to the institutions of higher education in Tajikistan.

Implementing partner: NGO «Economics and Education».

Implementation period: October 15, 2015 - January 15, 2016.

Outcomes: a sociological survey was carried out among students who were admitted to study in universities in Khatlon and Sughd provinces and Dushanbe in 2014 and 2015; a comparative analysis of how students prepared for entrance examinations before and after the creation of NTC was carried out; a database on tutoring services was prepared;

28 PROGRAM INTEGRITY IN EDUCATION SYSTEM

an analytical report reflecting the dynamics of tutoring services in Tajik- istan was prepared.

Creation of a mechanism for monitoring the involvement of young women in the institutions of higher education in Tajikistan

Goals: • analyze the impact of the new system on access to higher education young women; • develop recommendations for increasing accessibility to higher education young women in Tajikistan.

Implementing partner: NGO «Association of Professional Social Workers of Tajikistan».

Implementation period: September, 2016 - February, 2017.

Expected outcomes: a study was conducted in Dushanbe and in the districts of Hisor and Tojikobod; an analytical report and its recommendations were published on the website of the association and elsewhere online; the methods and mechanisms of informing the population on CEE were studied, and the views and attitudes of various social groups (parents, teachers, representatives of the Departments on Education, etc.), regarding the impact of the new system on young women’s access to higher education, were analyzed.

PRIORITY: Social Inclusion for Quality Education.

Suicide among young people (the example of cities and districts of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO).

Goal: study suicide as a growing phenomenon among young people in GBAO by taking into account geographical, linguistic, ethno-cultural and moral-religious factors.

29 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Implementing partner: Khorog State University.

Implementation period: December, 2015 - September, 2016

Outcomes: conducted an anonymous survey with 200 respondents in each of the 7 districts of GBAO and in the city of Khorog. The answers of 1600 respondents were analyzed by gender, age, place of residence, nationality, professional qualification and level of education; interviews were conducted with representatives of relevant social organizations and state institutions; the study revealed that suicide, and the attempt to commit it, are condi- tioned by the mental health of a person (and society as a whole) and by the level of social and economic well-being. The age where the rates of suicide are highest in GBAO coincide with becoming an adult and making many key life decisions, i.e. from the age of 18 to 45. The majority of those who commit suicide are between the ages of 23 and 35 (40). The age group with the second highest suicide rate is 15 (16) to 23. The low- est rate of suicide was among those aged between 35 (40) to 60; on the basis of the study’s findings, recommendations were developed on strategies to prevent suicide by taking into account issues affecting different age groups; the results of the study were presented to the relevant state and educational organizations.

Development of early intervention and inclusive education programs in Panjakent

Goal: promote the early intervention program in Panjakent through cooperation with the institutions working in the spheres of public health and education.

Implementing partners: PO «Committee of Parents of Children with Disa- bilities» (Panjakent) and specialists of PO «IRODA».

Implementation period: October 16, 2015 - June 16, 2016.

Outcomes: the first project on early intervention and inclusion was implemented in Panjakent; seminars were conducted for parents, nurses, educators and primary

30 PROGRAM INTEGRITY IN EDUCATION SYSTEM

school teachers on the principles of early identification and early intervention, including the discussion of the life of children in a family, timely evaluation and early assistance; the awareness of medical workers, PMPC specialists and teachers of Panjakent were raised on theoretical and practical issues concerning the introducing of early intervention and inclusion programs.

Raising awareness of parents of children with disabilities in Kanibodom

Goals: • increase the capacity of parents of children with special educational needs and their awareness of their rights; • provide skills training to parents on early childhood development techniques.

Implementing partner: PO of Women with Disabilities «Safoi Kanibodom», in Sughd province.

Implementation period: October 16, 2015 - April 18, 2016.

Outcomes: the knowledge and skills of the PO team were improved, based on an analysis of the project results; 36 parents were educated on legal issues through seminars; parents became familiar with relevant articles of the legislation of RT that protect the rights of children with disabilities and their families; the skills and knowledge of parents on early intervention were improved through the provision of valuable recommendations for teaching children to better take care of themselves; cooperation on education was strengthened with local authorities, the City Board of Education, with principals and teachers of local schools in order to promote the teaching of selected schoolchildren in Kanibodom (98 students) about people with disabilities, existing problems related to disabilities, and fostering an inclusive environment for people with disabilities and a tolerant attitude to such people, their rights and the principles of inclusive education.

31 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Developing a sustainable partnership on the way to inclusion in Vanj district of GBAO

Goal: develop a partnership in order to strengthen early childhood intervention programs and inclusive education for children at risk and with disabilities at early, pre-school, and school age in Vanj district of GBAO of RT.

Implementing partner: PO «Machrukhon» (Khorog, GBAO).

Implementation period: October 23, 2015 - April 23, 2016.

Outcomes: a room for early intervention at the Vanj District Hospital was established; 18 children were identified and registered and received professional assistance; 37 parents applied for consultation; a Coordination Council was created for the protection of the rights and interests of children with special developmental needs under the huku- mat of Vanj; awareness of the rights of children with disabilities was increased among representatives of state structures, district authorities on education, health and social protection, and among social workers specializing on the provision of assistance at homes in Vanj district.

Linking the efforts of parent organizations to promote inclusive education in Qurghonteppa

Goal: promote inclusive education in the schools of Qurghonteppa through cooperation with state educational institutions.

Implementing partners: PO «Association of Parents of Children with Dis- abilities» (Dushanbe).

Implementation period: July 2015 - May 2016.

Outcomes: 9 children with special educational needs were supported in their integration into the general educational process; the knowledge of teachers on methods of inclusive education and the development of individual development plans was increased;

32 PROGRAM INTEGRITY IN EDUCATION SYSTEM

individual classes were carried out at the resource center under the guidance of a specialist or tutor; the inclusive approach was introduced in all-school sport and recreation activities.

Effective partnership on the way to inclusion

Goal: develop sustainable cooperation between partner public organizations and state institutions in order to provide improved services (education, health and social services) at the community level for children with special needs in Tajikistan.

Implementing partner: PO of Parents of Children with Disabilities «IRO- DA».

Implementation period: October, 2014 – May, 2016

Outcomes: 4 early intervention rooms were established and operational at 4 City Health Centers in Dushanbe; an early intervention program was developed at 4 pre-school educational institutions in Dushanbe; a training module «From Early Aid to Inclusion» was developed for two universities in Dushanbe and the Institute for Training and Retraining of Teachers, and for the departments, providing social assistance at home; an Individual Development Plan was created for children in preschool educational institutions and national schools in Dushanbe; multidisciplinary resource teams were created to supervise early intervention rooms, preschool educational institutions, and schools practicing inclusive education in Dushanbe; a Forum was held for parent organizations, specialists, educators and representatives of ministries to exchange best practices in the field of partnership between public organizations and government agencies working together in the field of early intervention and inclusive education in Tajikistan;

33 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Sustainable partnership on the path to inclusion

Goal: promote integration and introduce the module «From Early Aid to In- clusion» in the educational institutions of Dushanbe, and increase the potential of regional partners, public and state educational institutions.

Implementing partners: PO «IRODA».

Implementation period: September 15, 2016 - March 17, 2017.

Outcomes: a four-day training was held for teachers of the pilot educational institutions - the Tajik National University, Tajik State Pedagogical University, Medical College and Institute for Training and Retraining of Teachers in Dushanbe, in order to familiarize participants with the module «From early care to inclusion»; working groups of teachers/professors were created to integrate the module into the existing curriculum of educational institutions; close professional ties were established between regional POs and experts of partner organizations in Dushanbe to share information and make consultative and expert resources in Dushanbe available to regional POs (Panjakent, Vanj, Kulob, Bokhtar, Tajikabad); representatives of regional institutions, competent in matters of early intervention and inclusion, worked in a team with multidisciplinary specialists in their region.

Support resource classes through cooperation with parent organizations to promote inclusive education in Bokhtar district of Khatlon province and in the cities of Qurghonteppa and Dushanbe.

Goals: continue the promotion of inclusive education in Bokhtar district of Khatlon province through cooperation between parent organizations and state educational institutions; Offer additional technical assistance to existing resource classes in Dushanbe and Qurghonteppa.

Implementing partners: PO «SiDa» - a support center for parents of children with disabilities.

Implementation period: July 2016 - March 2017.

34 PROGRAM INTEGRITY IN EDUCATION SYSTEM

Outcomes: partnerships with the administration and teachers of school No. 20 of Bokhtar district were established; the awareness of teachers and parents was raised; administration and teachers of the school better understood the necessity of partnering with parent organizations to develop inclusive education in schools in the city of Dushanbe and Khatlon province, and expressed the desire to do so children with various forms of disability took lessons at the resource classes of national schools; assistance was offered to help children adapt to the school environment, and there was improved interaction between children with disabilities and other schoolchildren, with the latter demonstrating better understanding of their peers with disabilities.

TO HEAR THE DEAF

Goal: assist in the development of sign language in Tajikistan.

Implementing partner: PO «Deaf Children of Tajikistan».

Implementation period: December, 2016 - January, 2017.

Outcomes: a National Conference was held with the direct participation of representatives of state organizations, educational institutions, international and public organizations to share attendees’ related experience in the field; discussions of shortcomings in the legislation of the Republic of Tajik- istan, regarding the category of people with hearing impairments, were held; the Ministry of Education and Science of RT, Ministry of Health of RT and Committee on Language cooperated to provide opportunities to discuss the issues concerning deaf people in state institutions; the general public was involved in dealing with the problems of people with hearing impairments, thus creating conditions for their full and active participation in community life; the conference was a platform for discussing the issues of training specialists in sign language and how to better involve the media.

35 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

BRINGING THE EFFORTS OF DISABLED PEOPLE TOGETHER TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN LAKHSH (JIRGATOL) DISTRICT

Goal: promote inclusive education in Lakhsh district through cooperation with state educational institutions.

Implementing partner: PO «Society of Disabled People of Lakhsh District of the Republic of Tajikistan».

Implementation period: December 2016 - June 2017.

Expected outcomes: a resource class for children with disabilities in a school in Lakhsh was created; the resource class began to serve as a link between parents, jamoats and school teachers, specialists and children with special needs in the learning environments of the community; the project became known to the public through the involvement of the media, the public, and a wide range of professionals who are involved in developing and promoting inclusive education; teachers of 10 jamoats of Lakhsh district were trained (within the framework of the project) to work with children with disabilities.

To participate in the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

Goal: explore new opportunities available in the Paralympic movement and gain a new vision for its further development and popularization in Ta- jikistan.

Participation in the games: September 7 - 18, 2016.

Participant: Chairman of PO «National Association of Disabled People of Tajikistan».

Outcomes: participation in the Paralympic Games of a representative of the paralympic movement of Tajikistan and the development of this sport will enable children and adults with special needs to engage more in sporting activi-

36 PROGRAM INTEGRITY IN EDUCATION SYSTEM

ties and to live a fulfilled life not only through sport, rehabilitation, but also possibly through the creation of employment opportunities; engagement with sports and striving to achieve good results is an incen- tive for people with special needs to become more involved in society and have the right and opportunity to find professional employment.

37 Scholarship Program / Educational Advising Center of OSI-AF in Tajikistan

COORDINATOR: GULNORA SHUKURBEKOVA

Goal: provision of opportunities for students, teachers, scholars and grad- uates to deepen their knowledge and experience in their respective fields, harness the acquired knowledge and skills for the benefit of Ta- jikistan, and increase free access to information and resource center of Educational Advising Center of the OSI-AF.

PRIORITIES:

continue fruitful cooperation with universities in the country and actively promote the scholarship program in Tajikistan; mobilize alumni of the program to participate actively in the work of the program, namely implementation of program alumni grants, fundraising from other organizations to perform program activities with alumni in Ta- jikistan; coordination of the work of Educational Advising Center of the OSI-AF in Tajikistan.

38 PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

PRIORITY: Continue fruitful cooperation with universities in the country and actively promote the scholarship program in Tajikistan.

CIVIL SOCIETY SCHOLARS AWARD, OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, USA

Description: Civil Society Scholarship Program supports international academic mobility and provide opportunities to postgraduate students and teachers of universities to get access to the resources important for their professional development as scholars, teachers and public intellectuals. Scholarships support innovative projects, which contribute to research skills, facilitate the exchange of ideas and international net- working.

Goal: provision of assistance to young teachers, professors, and scholars in conducting research and exchange experiences at universities out- side of their home country as well as support applicants in their scientific work (publishing their research results in leading international journals, etc.).

Implementation period: during 2016.

Participants: 26 applicants from around Tajikistan.

Outcomes: 2 finalists have been selected.

CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY (CEU), HUNGARY

Goal: provide one or two year scholarships in the humanities and social sciences in any of 16 departments at CEU.

Implementation period: during 2016.

Participants: applicants from Dushanbe, Khorog, Khujand, Kulob and Qurghonteppa.

39 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Outcomes: 32 applications were submitted online; required tests, such as TOEFL, LSAT and TWA were organized and conducted for participants who passed the first stage of the competition; 3 finalists were selected.

MEETINGS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF TAJIKISTAN

Description: a number of meetings with representatives from the administrations and teaching staff of higher educational institutions of RT were conducted jointly with the «Integrity in Education System» program to raise the awareness of students, academics and professors of Tajik universities about the Scholarship Program. Relevant events were organized at universities to distribute program leaflets and disseminate program information.

Goal: strengthen cooperation with universities of Tajikistan and inform their teaching staff about program activities; increase the number of regional universities involved in the program.

Implementation period: February - July, and October - December, 2016.

Participants: administrations, representatives and professors of higher educational institutions in Tajikistan.

Outcomes: cooperation with higher educational institutions was increased; program information materials were received by the teaching staff of the targeted higher educational institutions in a timely manner.

THEME RELATED ROUNDTABLES: «ON THE PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE LABOR MARKET AND UNIVERSITIES IN TAJIKISTAN»

Goal: defining relevant problems concerning the employment of young specialists and their adaptation to the labor market; examining prospective areas of collaboration between executive government bodies, local em-

40 PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

ployment authorities, employers and educational institutions on the employment problems of young people after completion of their studies.

Implementation period: November 15, 2016 at the Kulob State University (KSU) after A Rudaki, November 19, 2016 at the Khujand State University (KhSU) after B. Gafurov.

Participants: fellows of the program, teaching staff and students of universities of Tajikistan (KSU); Kulob Branch of the Technological University of Tajikistan (TUT); KhSU; Tajik State University of Law, Business and Politics (TSU LBP) in Khujand; Khujand Branch of the Tajik Technical University (TTU); Institute of Economics and Trade (IET) in Khujand; and the Mining and Smelting Institute of Tajikistan (MSIT) in Buston (Chkalovsk).

Outcomes: recommendations were developed and included into 2017 working plan of the scholarship program.

PRIORITY: Mobilize alumni of the program to participate actively in the work of the program, namely implementation of program alumni grants, fundraising from other organizations to perform program activities with alumni in Tajikistan.

MEETINGS WITH THE ALUMNI OF THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ACROSS TAJIKISTAN

Description: these meetings discussed the active participation of alumni in the work of the program, terms for extension of the project grants to be implemented, and provided information about youth programs and grant components extended under the framework of the program, as well as new rules of managing all the alumni grants by Educational Ad- vising Center of OSI AF Tajikistan.

Goal: strengthen the program alumni network so that it might contribute to the successful implementation of projects.

41 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Implementation period: May, June, October and December of 2016.

Participants: program alumni.

Outcomes: program alumni expressed their willingness to take part in the work of the program in order to support and facilitate the implementation of projects.

PRIORITY: Coordination of the work of Educational Advising Center of the OSI-AF in Tajikistan.

COORDINATE THE WORK OF THE EDUCATION CENTER OF OSI-AF IN TAJIKISTAN

Goal: provide access to information and quality consultations on the scholarship programs of the Open Society Foundation and other opportunities for studies at foreign educational institutions for citizens of Tajik- istan.

Implementation period: January - December, 2016.

Participants: students, academics and the teaching staff of universities.

Outcomes: 4,200 individual and group consultations, in person or by telephone and email were conducted.

42 PROGRAM ART AND CULTURE

DIRECTOR: NAZARKHUDO DASTAMBUEV. COORDINATOR: LOLISANAM ULUGOVA.

Goal: To create a space for the development of modern art and to discuss important social issues by holding public presentations of theo- ries and schools of modern art as well as organizing performances and film screenings specifically designed for socially excluded communities, young intellectuals, and artist-activists in the field of contemporary art.

EXPERTS:

Gulandom Nabiyeva – Specialist in Culture and the Arts. Larisa Dodkhudoeva – Fine Art Expert, Doctor of History. Mahmoud Naimov – Assistant to the Cultural Attaché, US Embassy. Akmal Khasanov – Producer, Specialist in the field of Cinematography. Rajamad Amirov – Pro-rector of the Mirzo Tursunzoda Institute of Culture and Art.

PRIORITIES:

projects for social development; capacity building and institutionalization; support to personal exhibitions in Tajikistan.

43 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

PRIORITY: Projects for social development.

THE 7TH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL «DIDOR»

Goal: to create a space for the development of advanced, secular, art- house and innovative cinema from the countries of Central Asia and the post-Soviet space in order to establish dialogue between East and West.

Implementing partner: PO «Didor».

Implementation period: April 1 - December 31, 2016.

Outcomes: the latest and best Tajik and Central Asian films as well as films in Farsi and Dari were presented at the International Film Festival «Didor», which takes place every 2 years; the Festival created a platform for intercultural dialogue between the countries of the post-Soviet space and helped to shape the aesthetic taste of the younger generations in Tajikistan; the 7th edition of the Festival was held on October 16 - 20, 2016 and was dedicated to the memory of acclaimed Tajik film director Bakhtiyor Khudonazarov; 80 movies made by filmmakers from Central Asia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia, Russia, India and Germany were shown. The films were presented within the framework of various programs of the festival over the course of five days. Five film-sessions were held each day in three cinemas, at the House of Cinema of the Union of Cinematographers of Tajikistan which was attended by an international jury; press conferences with the filmmakers and discussions of the films were attended by either journalists and public.

YOUTH THEATRE FESTIVAL «NIGOHI NAV»

Goals: • support alternative youth theatre; • promote the development of critical thinking among young people.

Implementing partner: PO «Nigohi Nav».

44 PROGRAM ART AND CULTURE

Implementation period: May 12 - June 30, 2016.

Outcomes: 50 participants from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan took part in the 5th Festival and Competition «Nigohi Nav» which was held on May 16 - 20, 2016; participants performed theatre pieces envisaged by young directors.

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF PUPPET THEATRES «CHODARI KHAYOL»

Goal: promote the development of puppet theatre in Tajikistan.

Implementing partner: the State Puppet Theatre.

Implementation period: March 16 - June 30, 2016.

Outcomes: the International Puppet Theatre Festival «Chodari Khayol» was held in Dushanbe in order to strengthen cooperation in the field of theatre and puppet art, to revive the traditional Tajik puppet theatre, to expand the worldview of the younger generation; puppet theatres from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ar- menia, Belarus, Iran and Turkmenistan took part in the festival; events dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the State Puppet Theatre and the 70th anniversary of its founder, honoured cultural activist of the Republic of Tajikistan Z. R. Javadov, were organized.

Publication of the book Tarihi Humayun by Muhammad Siddiq Gulshani

Goal: to preserve the cultural heritage of Tajikistan by publishing «Tarihi Humayun» («Happy Date»), a historical and geographical monograph (and an early statistical study), written by Muhammad Siddiq Gulshani and translated into Russian by Tajik historian A. Alimardonov.

Implementation period: December 15, 2015 - November 30, 2016.

Implementing partner: Lola Dodkhudoeva.

45 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Outcomes: the first statistical study of the Emirate of Bukhara covering the economic and geographical data of the territory and the size of its regions with a map in the Tajik language, was published.

PRIORITY: Capacity building and institutionalization.

Participation of young art-managers in the Youth Cinema Forum «Umut», which was held on October 27 - 31, 2016 in Bishkek

Goal: to acquaint Tajik participants with the experience of Kyrgyz colleagues on management of festivals and to establish creative contacts for implementing successful projects in the field of art and culture.

Implementing partners: Shokhjamshed Razokzoda and Mukhibnazar Kholnazarov Implementation period: October 22 - November 7, 2016.

Outcomes: participants got acquainted with the experience and practices of their Kyrgyz peers in terms of both art management and the organization of activities in the field of art and culture; contacts were established with young professionals from Central Asia, Russia and other countries of the post-Soviet space.

SUMMER SCHOOL ON ART-MANAGEMENT

Goal: to improve the teaching skills of trainers and practicing art professionals by introducing a summer Master’s program in art-management.

Implementation period: June 16 - September 30, 2016.

Outcomes: the Summer school on art-management took place on August 22 - 28, 2016 in Varzob with the involvement of 20 participants; the participants obtained practical knowledge in the field of strategic

46 PROGRAM ART AND CULTURE

management and social entrepreneurship to help them implement and develop projects on art and culture; the number of people interested in the scientific and theoretical study of art and culture and practically involved in art-management increased.

Drama Courses

Goal: to strengthen the theoretical and practical knowledge of scriptwriting among young professionals under the guidance of the well-known Tajik playwright Abdurafi Rabiev.

Implementing partner: PO «Istedod».

Implementation period: May 2 - November 30, 2016.

Outcomes: drama courses, taught in Tajikistan since 2014, have opened up possibilities for professionals and the public to acquire knowledge and education in the field of drama, which is otherwise hard to access within existing educational institutions in Tajikistan; a group of young screen-writers (30 people) were trained. a first collection of scripts was prepared by the participants of the course and published.

Participation of the Republic of Tajikistan in the Project Itinerant, Zurich

Goal: to contribute to the development of contemporary art in the Republic of Tajikistan.

Implementing partner: Alla Rumyantseva.

Implementation period: May 2 - November 30, 2016.

Outcomes: Alla Rumyantseva, an artist in the field of the contemporary art, took part in the Project Itinerant on November 17 - 20, 2016 in Zurich under the guidance of Swiss artist Olga Stefan who is well-known courtesy of her video-artworks on gender issues and other issues affecting the lives of women in rural areas.

47 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Participation in the international scientific conference in Ashgabat

Goal: to assist in preserving and popularizing Gurugli, a traditional form of singing.

Implementing partner: Hakim Hotami.

Implementation period: 2 - 4 November, 2016.

Outcomes: a well-known practitioner of the traditional musical Gurugli style, Hakim Hotami, took part in an international conference in Ashgabat. performances in the traditional musical genre Gurugli were presented at the international conference and were much appreciated by the public.

Participation in the Shanghai Theater Festival

Goal: to contribute to the development of the art of theatre.

Implementing partner: a group of artists under the guidance of Gairat Ko- dirov.

Implementation period: September 6 - October 31, 2016.

Outcomes: the T. Fazilova Music and Drama Theatre of the City of Kani- bodom was invited to the Shanghai Theatrical Academy to take part in an international theatre festival on September 11 - 17, 2016 in Shang- hai, China, where they performed the play «Court of Fools», which was staged by Auliyakuli Khodzhakuliev.

Participation in an international conference on Eastern numismatics

Goal: to present the results of scientific and practical activities in the field of archaeological excavations.

Implementing partner: Dr. Davlatkhodzha Dovutov.

Implementation period: September 6 - October 30, 2016.

48 PROGRAM ART AND CULTURE

Outcomes: the participation of Dr. D. Dovutov in an international conference on Eastern numismatics in St. Petersburg on September 26 - 30, 2016 was welcomed by those in attendance and evoked academic interest in the scientific circles of Russia and Tajikistan.

Participation in the competition of young intellectuals, Znatoikada «Caspian Cap»

Goal: to support the young intellectuals of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Implementing partners: a group of young intellectuals under the leader- ship of Manucher Salohuddinov.

Implementation period: May 10 - June 30, 2016.

Outcomes: a group of six young activists took part in the intellectual competition Zna- toikada «Caspian Cup» on May 27 - 30, 2016 in Baku, Azerbaijan; the participants learnt a lot through their participation in the competition while their performance in the game «What? Where? When?» was much enjoyed by the viewing public.

Participation of the Tajik film-maker Iskandar Usmanov in the International Film Festival in Odessa

Goal: to develop Tajik cinematography through participation in international film festivals.

Implementing partner: Iskandar Usmanov.

Implementation period: July 14 - August 31, 2016.

Outcomes: traditions of the Tajik people were shown in the film of I. Usmanov «Halo- la»; participation in the International Film Festival in Odessa on July 15 - 23, 2016 demonstrated the good quality of Tajik cinematography and the need to find support to continue the production of films in the country.

49 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

PRIORITY: Support to personal exhibitions in Tajikistan.

Personal exhibition of artist Aida Ghazaryan «In the rhythm of colours»

Goal: to present the achievements in the field of decorative painting made in the Zhostovo style.

Implementing partner: Aida Ghazaryan – the only specialist in the Repub- lic of Tajikistan who owns the technique of Zhostovo style.

Implementation period: April 28 - October 31, 2016.

Outcomes: art works made in the style of Zhostovo painting were demonstrated to students of art schools, art professionals and art lovers; children were taught the basics of painting.

Personal exhibition of artist Nosirbek Narzibekov «Vitrage» Goal: to present stained glass technique as a form of monumental art.

Implementing partner: Nosirbek Narzibekov.

Implementation period: April 27 - June 30, 2016.

Outcomes: the exhibition introduced the works of well-known Tajik artist, who uses stained glass technique on posters and promoted the dissemination of information about the beauty and meaning of stained glass art.

Personal exhibition of photographer Akmal Usmanov «Small tribes of Tajikistan»

Goal: show the way of life, traditions and customs of the Central Asian gypsies living on the territory of Tajikistan.

Implementation period: April 27 - August 15, 2016.

50 PROGRAM ART AND CULTURE

Implementing partner: Akmal Usmanov.

Outcomes: presentation of photos reflecting the way of life, traditions and customs of Central Asian gypsies living in Tajikistan. The exhibition was well received by the public.

Personal exhibition of photographer Alovaddin Kalonov «Unexplored sides of life in Tajikistan»

Goal: display photos made during an expedition to remote regions of Ta- jikistan.

Implementing partner: Alovaddin Kalonov.

Implementation period: April 27 - November 30, 2016.

Outcomes: in his photos, the artist reflected on the unexplored sides of live in rural areas of some of the more remote regions of Tajikistan. The photographs are expressive and psychologically subtle, and carry a mysterious atmosphere full of love for the country.

Personal exhibition of photographer Mahmadrasul Shoev «Mysterious world of puppets»

Goal: present an exhibition devoted to the 30th anniversary of the Puppet Theater of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Implementing partner: Mahmadrasul Shoev.

Implementation period: April 27 - 30 June 30, 2016.

Outcomes: the photo exhibition was devoted to the history of the Puppet Theater of the Republic of Tajikistan since 1986. The photos, presented at the exhibition, were of historical and artistic value, showing the history of the theater, its puppets and artists.

51 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Personal exhibition of artist Nargis Khamidova «Eastern Motives»

Goal: present creative works of the artist created over the last 20 years.

Implementing partner: Nargis Khamidova.

Implementation period: April 27 - December 20, 2016.

Outcomes: the exhibition was devoted to the image of a modern wom- an. The artist Khamidova reflected on the changes that have affected women in Tajikistan in recent times and showed, in a realistic manner, the importance of women in society and how the period of independ- ence affected both their appearance and their inner world.

Personal exhibition of artist Chamangul Zevarshoeva «Images of the beauty of the motherland»

Goal: reflect the natural beauty of the country and its people.

Implementing partner: Chamangul Zevarshoeva.

Implementation period: April 28 - June 30, 2016.

Outcomes: a mobile exhibition was held in schools in several districts of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. It was widely accessible and warmly welcomed and appreciated by the participating public.

Personal exhibition of artist Daler Mikhtojev «Flower Garden of Khayyam»

Goal: reflect on the works of Omar Khayyam through paintings.

Implementing partner: Daler Mikhtojev.

Implementation period: May 4 - December 15, 2016.

Outcomes: an exhibition was held by a group of artists inspired by the work of the great poet Omar Khayyam. It was well received by the general public and widely documented in local media.

52 PROGRAM ART AND CULTURE

Personal exhibition of artist Zieratsho Dovutov «The Origins of Enlightenment»

Goal: present new graphic works of the artist.

Implementing partner: Zieratsho Dovutov.

Implementation period: April 28 - October 31, 2016.

Outcomes: young artists, students and art lovers became aquatinted with the works of well-known artist Z. Dovutov; new graphic works of the artist were presented to the public and warmly received.

53 PROGRAM

HUMAN RIGHTS

DIRECTOR: DILOVAR MUNAVVAROV COORDINATOR: JOVID IBODOV

Goal: assist in the eradication of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and punishment.

EXPERTS:

Zulfikor Zamonov – Legal Advisor at UNDP in the framework of the project «Rule of Law and Access to Justice». Gulshan Ashurbekova – Freelancer. Parviz Sattorov – Senior Associate of the American Association of Jurists (ABA ROLI). Umed Kalandarov –- Director of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL). Munira Akhmedova – Executive Director of the Tajik Center for Social and Legal Support of Women and Adolescents «Femida».

PRIORITIES:

combating torture and impunity in the Republic of Tajikistan; international obligations of the Republic of Tajikistan in the field of human rights protection.

54 PROGRAM HUMAN RIGHTS

PRIORITY: Combating torture and impunity in the Republic of Tajikistan

TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES OF THE PUBLIC PROSECUTION OFFICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STANDARDS OF THE ISTANBUL PROTOCOL.

Goal: familiarize participants with the issues surrounding the investigation of cases of torture, international standards for the investigation of alleged victims of torture, and the documentation of the facts of torture.

Implementing partners: PO «Center on Human Rights».

Implementation period: January 25 - 26, 2016.

Participants: employees of the Public Prosecution Office of RT.

Outcomes: employees of the Public Prosecution Office of RT learned methods to in- vestigate the recording of bodily injuries, the use of medical form-sheets, and to assess the physical and psychological consequences of torture and mistreatment in accordance with the principles of the Istanbul Pro- tocol; the trainings were held in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and other countries where the standards of the Istanbul Protocol have been successfully implemented in legislation and applied in practice.

International conference on the topic: «Mental health, assessment of psychological consequences of torture, and the rehabilitation of victims of torture in accordance with the standards of the Istanbul Protocol».

Goal: discuss the problem of implementing the standards of the Istanbul Protocol and ways to use them.

Implementing partners: International Association of Psychiatrists of Geor- gia (Tbilisi).

Implementation period: April 27 - 30, 2016.

55 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Participant: Parvina Navruzova, PO «Center on Human Rights», Coordina- tor of the implementation of the standards of the Istanbul Protocol in RT.

Outcomes: the participant’s knowledge of new methods of conducting forensic medical and psychological examinations was increased; a discussion was held on how to coordinate the cooperation of experts/ doctors and lawyers and how to develop a strategy for the protection of alleged victims of torture; the establishment of an institution for non-state forensic expertise was considered as part of the implementation strategy of the standards of the Istanbul Protocol in RT.

International Conference «Implementation of the Istanbul Protocol: Transformation of regional experience into international norms for the effective investigation and documentation of torture».

Goal: exchange regional and international experience and learn from best practices to promote the full implementation of the Istanbul Protocol.

Organizers: the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, OSI-AF in Kyrgyzstan.

Implementation period: September 21 - 22, 2016.

Participants: members of NGO Coalition Against Torture in the Republic of Tajikistan.

Outcomes: a draft resolution of the Action Plan for the implementation of the standards of the Istanbul Protocol was adopted based on the results of the conference. This provided a unique opportunity for the team from Tajikistan to be actively involved in the process of implementing the standards of the Istanbul Protocol not only in RT, but also at the regional level.

56 PROGRAM HUMAN RIGHTS

STRENGTHENING COOPERATION BETWEEN THE MILITARY PROSECUTION OFFICE OF RT, THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN COMBATING TORTURE, CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT IN THE ARMED FORCES OF RT.

Goal: assist in the effective investigation of cases of torture in the Army and illegal recruitment.

Implementing partner: PO «Office of Civil Freedoms».

Implementation period: July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017.

Outcomes: lines of cooperation were established between the Office of the Ombudsman on Human Rights, the Military Prosecution Office (including military prosecutors from three regions of RT) and representatives of civil society (lawyers, journalists and human rights defenders) on issues related to combating cruel and inhuman treatment in the Armed Forces of RT and the violation of the right to personal inviolability.

INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF THE VICTIMS OF TORTURE

Goal: highlight the struggle against torture and impunity in RT.

Implementation period: June 26, 2016.

Partners: NGO Coalition Against Torture.

Outcomes: actions and events were organized by human rights and international organizations in connection with the annual Anti-Torture Day on June 26. The actions and events were dedicated to the victims of torture and to the preparation of applications to the governments of countries in which torture is practiced; a photo exhibition was held entitled «Say ‘No’ to torture» (also on June 26, 2016) devoted to the courage and perseverance of relatives who lost their loved ones as a result of cruelty and torture, and who continue to believe in justice and seek legal retribution of the perpetrators, despite the obstacles and long wait;

57 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

the stands of the photo exhibition presented photos of victims of torture and their relatives, and showed the life of these people before and after the tragedy; journalists, in an informal atmosphere (as a part of the event), conducted interviews with relatives of the victims and with human rights defenders and discussed issues related to the right to freedom from torture.

TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF RT.

Goal: conduct training for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RT on the Order of the Law of RT «On Prevention of Domestic Violence», which was approved on April 20, 2016.

Partners: PO «Center of Human Rights» in Khujand.

Implementing partners: representatives of PO «Center of Human Rights» in Khujand, employees of the Prosecution Office and representatives of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Sughd province.

Implementation period: July 11 - 20, 2016.

Participants: Police officers from Sughd province.

Outcomes: the training of police officers contributed to the reduction of domestic violence, especially because, previously, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs had not been trained on the new law «On the Prevention of Domestic Violence»; the training in Sughd province became a «starting point» for training police officers. Additions and changes to the existing training program (module) will be made, and it is planned to expand to the trainings to cover all law enforcement officers in the country.

58 PROGRAM HUMAN RIGHTS

PRIORITY: International obligations of the Republic of Tajikistan in the field of human rights protection.

Participation of civil society representatives at a pre- session with members of the UN Human Rights Council and at briefings with diplomatic missions on promoting the recommendations of the Alternative report of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) (Geneva, Switzerland).

Goals: • highlight human rights issues; • promote recommendations on human rights.

Implementation period: March 29 - April 1, 2016.

Participants: Takhmina Zhuraeva, Coordinator of the Coalition of the Re- public of Tajikistan in Preparation for the Second Cycle of UPR, and Dilbar Turahanova, Consultant on human rights.

Outcomes: recommendations presented by representatives of the Coalition to members of the UN Human Rights Council and diplomatic missions were included in the final report of the UPR working group and presented to au- thoritative bodies in RT.

A LIVE BROADCAST OF THE REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN TO THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE SECOND CYCLE OF THE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW (UPR)

Goals: • avail of the UPR opportunity provided by the wide coverage given by all interested parties in the UPR process; • improve the knowledge of UPR procedures and mechanisms designed to protect human rights at the international level.

Implementation period: May 6, 2016.

59 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Partners: NGO Coalition of the Republic of Tajikistan in Preparation for the Second Cycle of UPR. Outcomes: a live broadcast of the report of the Government of the Republic of Ta- jikistan to the UN Human Rights Council was organized: all interested parties (civil society, representatives of state bodies, international organizations and the media) had a chance to watch the broadcast, which included translation; improved knowledge of UPR procedures and mechanisms for protecting human rights at the international level; a positive response about the Republic of Tajikistan was observable from a number of international organizations and diplomatic missions, as part of reporting on the second cycle of UPR.

PREPARATION OF THE NATIONAL PLAN FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS UNDER THE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW (UPR)

Goals: ensure that civil society assists the Government of RT in the preparation of a National Plan for the implementation of recommendations under the UPR; Raise awareness of all international human rights obligations in the field of human rights protection within the framework of the UPR procedure.

Implementation period: December 2016 - December 2017.

Partners: PO «Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law».

Expected outcomes: the National Plan for the implementation of UPR recommendations is prepared as an important platform for representatives of civil society; human rights are protected and promoted in cooperation with representatives of state structures.

60 PROGRAM HUMAN RIGHTS

The International Summer School on Laws and Policies for People with Disabilities (Galway, Ireland).

Goal: increase knowledge on human rights protection by participating in the International Summer School on Laws and Policies for People with Disabilities.

Implementation period: June 20 - 24, 2016.

Participant: Lola Nasriddinova, Executive director of PO «IRODA».

Outcomes: awareness of the strength of laws and obligations in legal and democratic states and the importance of POs in the struggle for freedom and rights, and their impact on changing the system and political will, was increased; the legal capacity of organizations of people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities in RT was strengthened through interaction with POs to protect human rights, expand the Coalition for the Ratifica- tion of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and strengthened competences on legal issues facing young people with disabilities and their parents.

61 PROGRAM

ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES

DIRECTOR: DILOVAR MUNAVVAROV COORDINATORS: JOVID IBODOV, IZZATMAND SALOMOV, MAVZUNA ABDURAHMANOVA AND NASIMA NAZRIEVA (UNTIL JULY 31, 2016)

Goal: promote responsible governance, transparency and capacity f public organizations in Tajikistan to ensure the social accountability of state and private sector.

EXPERTS:

Saidjon Nurulloev – Founder of LLC Asia Telecom, specialist in telecom- munication services. Manuchehr Negmatov – Technical Director of LLC «Innovative Technolo- gies of Tajikistan», specialist in navigation services. Khurshed Andamov – Head of the Tajik representation of Radio «Ozodi» (Radio «Liberty»), expert on print and electronic media. Abdurazok Alimardonov – National coordinator of the project «Support of Judicial and Legal Reforms in the Countries of Central Asia» of the Ger- man Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). Petr Bubentsov – Head of the data–center of LLC «Takom» (Beeline), expert in network management and data bases. Uktam Jumaev – PhD in Economics, Dean of the Department on State and Local Governance at the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Services of the Republic of Tajikistan, specialist on budget transparency. Yusuf Kurbankhojaev – Coordinator on social policy issues at UNICEF, specialist in state and local government reforms. Nabisher Juraev – Consultant on public sector reform and extractive industries transparency at the World Bank.

62 PROGRAM ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES

Farida Muminova – Deputy Director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, expert on research in the field of budget transparency and openness. Timurali Afgonov – Expert in the field of EITI and public finance management.

PRIORITIES:

support for initiatives on harmonizing the legislation of the Republic of Tajikistan to improve access to information and services; promotion of the concept of open data in partnership with the public sector and civil society; support for initiatives aimed at open access to educational resources; Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (EITI); Open Budget Initiatives (OBI); Electricity Governance Initiatives (EGI); Anti-Corruption Initiative.

63 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

PRIORITY: Support for initiatives on harmonizing the legislation of the Republic of Tajikistan to improve access to information and services.

INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE LAW ON PERSONAL DATA AND STATE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Goal: increase the importance of open data for citizens, society and state through the harmonization of the legal framework on personal data and strengthening the institutional capacity of educational institutions in the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in public administration.

Implementing partner: Public Fund (PF) «Civil Internet Policy Initiative».

Implementation period: June, 2016 - January, 2017.

Outcomes: a working group (as a part of the project) was formed with the participation of specialists from the Executive Office of the President of RT, the National Center of Legislation, the Ministry of Justice of RT and other experts with the purpose of drafting a law on the protection of personal data; an initial draft law was prepared and passed on to local and international experts; working group of PF «Civil Initiative Internet Policy» analyzed advantages and existing barriers for the Republic of Tajikistan in joining the international initiative for Open Government Partnership; the results of the analysis were presented to key ministries and departments of RT, civil society and international organizations. a training module was developed entitled «ICT in the state and municipal management» for trainings of representatives of higher education institutions and government employees; 60 people participated in the training to acquire public information management skills.

64 PROGRAM ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES

The Central Asian Forum on Internet Governance, Kyrgyzstan Goal: organize an open platform to discuss the issues of state policy on internet governance in the countries of Central Asia.

Organizers: PF «Civil Initiative of Internet Policy» and Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Partners: SecDev Foundation, ICANN, Internet Society.

Implementation period: June 21 - 22, 2016.

Participants: Muhammadi Ibodulloev, Director of the PF «Civil Internet Pol- icy Initiative», Rustam Kosimov, Director of the Public Fund «Internet», Talat Numonov, Director of PO «Centre ICT».

PRIORITY: Promotion of the concept of open data in partnership with public sector and civil society.

OPEN ACCESS TO THE LEGISLATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN

Goal: promote open and non-discriminatory access of citizens to the legislation of the RT.

Implementing partner: PF «Internet» with the support of the National Center of Legislation under the President of RT.

Implementation period: December 2016 - March 2017.

Expected outcomes: an information management system of legislative acts created on the basis of available data on the website of the National Center of Legislation of the RT; existing information on the legislative acts of the Republic of Tajikistan will be placed on the website «mmk.tj» in the open data format with a us- er-friendly interface and expanded search system; instructions developed for the administrator and moderators of the information system and corresponding trainings conducted for the staff of the National Center of Legislation.

65 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Seminar «Digital Development in Central Asia and South Asia», Kazakhstan

Goals: • help state leaders, experts and specialists-practitioners of Central/ South Asia reach a common position on the issues of digital transformation and develop a strategic vision for digital transformation; • establish cooperation within the Digital CASA project.

Organizer: The World Bank.

Implementation period: February 17 - 19, 2016.

Participants: Rustam Kosimov, Director of the PF «Internet», and Asomid- din Atoev, Expert-consultant at the PF «Civil Internet Policy Initiative».

PRIORITY: Support for initiatives aimed at open access to educational resources.

DEVELOPMENT OF OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND DISTANCE LEARNING SYSTEMS.

Goal: improve the quality of higher education through the use of information technologies for the development of open educational resources (OER) and conduct trainings for teachers at higher education institutions of RT.

Implementing partner: PO «Centre for Information and Communication Technologies» with the support of the Ministry of Education and Sci- ence of RT.

Implementation period: July, 2016 - February, 2017.

Outcomes: cooperation (as a part of the project) was established with 8 educational institutions located in the cities of Dushanbe, Kulob, Khorog and Khujand by holding a seminar with representatives of these institutions on the issues of the creation of OER and educational multimedia materials and copyright protection on the Internet;

66 PROGRAM ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES

project participants learnt practical skills to work with the «Moodle platform» for managing education-related contents; a portal (http://oer.cict.tj) was created where Open Education Resources (OER) can be uploaded free of charge and hosted permanently; a competition was held for the best OER (created by project participants), based on which three mobile applications developed; trainings were conducted for more than 24 representatives of teaching staff of educational institutions and about 200 students to create OER that are needed in their study programs.

ACCESS TO TEXTBOOKS FOR QUALITY EDUCATION

Goal: improve the educational environment of education institutions by increasing access to materials, by making them available in electronic format, so as to ensure the implementation of the requirements of the state educational standard and contribute to the quality of educational resources.

Implementing partner: PO «Equality» with the support of the ICT Center of the Department of Education, Dushanbe Municipality.

Implementation period: December, 2016 - March, 2017.

Outcomes: an online resource (www.kitobhona.tj) created to access electronic ver- sions of educational materials for schools of general education; 20 books and more than 100 educational materials placed in open text format on the website «kitobhona.tj»; a mechanism was established for the collection and processing of teaching aids at the ICT Center of the Department of Education through an online resource that will be updated and supplemented with new material.

SUPPORTING THE MEDIA: A CONFERENCE DEDICATED TO WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

Goals: support of the independent media in Tajikistan; Analyze and discuss actual problems and difficulties in the work of the media in Tajikistan.

Implementing partners: the Media Council, OSCE and other media organizations.

67 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Implementation periods: May 3, 2016 (Dushanbe); May 5, 2016 (Khujand).

Participants: 11 persons: Sharifozoda Qironsho, M. Murodi, Dilbar Sama- dova, Khurshed Niyozov, Mahmudjon Dadaboev, Nuriddin Qarshiboev, Mirzo Rajabi, Nabi Yusupov, Shahlo Akobirova, Kayum Atokulov, Ilhom Jamoliyon.

CO-FINANCING OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE «MEDIA IN A DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES»

Goal: create a platform for discussing and studying contemporary trends and new formats in media, methods of survival for media during crisis, the transition to digital broadcasting, and issues of information security and the incitement of hatred in the era of information wars. Partners: USAID, IWPR, OSCE, the Soros Foundation in Kazakhstan and other organizations.

Implementing partners: Internews Network.

Implementation period: September 22 - 23, 2016.

Participants: more than 80 executives and top managers of news agencies in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and other countries, as well as representatives of government agencies, international organizations and experts in the field of media and digital technologies.

PRIORITY: Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (EITI).

EITI: STRENGTHEN PUBLIC DIALOGUE THROUGH PUBLIC AND PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS.

Goal: intensify public dialogue with the legislature to achieve a high level of transparency and access to information on natural resources and their use in the Republic of Tajikistan.

68 PROGRAM ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES

Implementing partner: PO «Jahon».

Implementation period: June 2016 - February 2017.

Outcomes: 75 people (representatives of POs, media organizations and activists of the jamoats in Sughd and Khatlon provinces) improved their knowledge in terms of both the methods and organization of conducting public hearings as well as on issues related to transparency concerning the use of natural resources and EITI; deputies of the People’s Congresses of Sughd and Khatlon provinces, Deputies of the Ministry of Education and Science of RT and representatives of extractive industry companies took part in public hearings on EITI; EITI issues were discussed in the geographical areas where mining companies are concentrated; recommendations were submitted to the Ministry of Education and Science of RT for consideration at parliamentary hearings; EITI issues (including legislation in the field of subsoil use) were considered at the parliamentary hearings and decisions were made by taking into account the recommendations of participants of public hearings; the general public was informed about the EITI process with information about project activities being published in the media (at least 3 publica- tions), and on the websites of the Coalition and Secretariat of EITI. Infor- mation on the National EITI Report, and its visualized version, were also disseminated.

THE PRELIMINARY VALIDATION STUDY, PREPARATION OF TAJIKISTAN FOR THE EITI VALIDATION PROCESS AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OF THE COALITION OF PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS «TRANSPARENCY FOR DEVELOPMENT» (www.tfd.tj)

Goals: • prepare Tajikistan for the EITI validation process and develop the capacity of the Coalition of Public Organizations «Transparency for Devel- opment» (www.tfd.tj); • conduct analysis of the new draft law of RT «On Subsoil» and prepare recommendations for making appropriate changes and amendments to provide a legal basis for EITI implementation.

69 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Implementing partner: coalition of POs «Transparency for Development».

Implementation period: April - November, 2016.

Outcomes: an analysis of existing reports, documentation and information on EITI was conducted; a ‘self-validation’ was carried out in order to do the following; identify and analyze potential gaps affecting the future validation process in Tajikistan; identify and agree on steps to address the deficiencies related to missing data in the National EITI Report before the validation; identify evidence and collect documents to be used by the validator for objective assessment; define and agree on a schedule and responsibilities of the parties to solve the identified problems; prepare an analytical report, including practical recommendations aimed at minimizing the risks for Tajikistan to fail to pass the EITI validation process; coalition members represent the interests of civil society in the sessions of the inter-departmental working group on drafting the law of RT «On Subsoil and Subsoil Use»; coalition proposals are included in the final version of the draft law to be submitted to the Government of RT for further analysis.

PRIORITY: Sustainable Energy Initiatives (SEI).

PROMOTION OF GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE ELECTRIC POWER SECTOR OF TAJIKISTAN

Goal: strengthen citizens’ participation in the decision-making process in the electric power sector through the development and implementation of innovative mechanisms for monitoring the quality of power supply services and the establishment of the National Consumer Council.

Implementing partner: PO «Consumers Union of Tajikistan».

Implementation period: July 2016 - July 2017.

70 PROGRAM ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES

Background: the project continues the activities first began under the international initiative for good governance in the electric power sector (Electricity Governance Initiative [EGI]). It is based on the methodical foundations developed by the World Resources Institute (Washington, USA) and the Pryjas Energy Group (India, Pune) to provide methodological guidance and coordinate efforts aimed at promoting the principle of good governance, transparency, accountability and citizens’ participation in decision-making in the electric power sector.

Expected Outcomes: continuous monitoring of the quality of electricity supply services is made possible; alternative and verified information on power outages and voltage in the network is made available; a platform for citizens’ participation in decision making at the national level in the National Council of Consumers is created and developed; relationships between suppliers and consumers is improved at all levels, increasing mutual understanding and trust; citizen awareness about the situation in the electricity sector is increased; the rule of law in the sphere of electricity supply is promoted; accountability of suppliers is increased; financial discipline of consumers is improved.

IMPROVING ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION IN TARGET COMMUNITIES THROUGH ASSISTANCE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TARIFF POLICY, USING SMALL HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATIONS AS A PILOT, AND RAISING CONSUMER AWARENESS.

Goals: • raise the energy efficiency awareness of producers and consumers; • improve access to electricity consumption in target communities by providing intermediary support to both service providers and consumers in order to achieve efficient, transparent and accountable implementation of a balanced approach to calculating the tariff for generated electricity.

Implementation period: April 22, 2016 - February 21, 2017.

Implementing partner: Association of Power Engineers of Tajikistan.

71 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Outcomes: households and institutions in the social sector (schools, medical facili- ties, service centers, etc.) were provided with uninterrupted power supply due to the stable operation of the Small Hydro Power Plant (SHPP), which is paid for by justified and approved tariffs; the development of small businesses in the community was facilitated, contributing to improving living standards for the population; assistance was provided via the following means: Training of SHPP staff, consumers and interested parties on the calculation of the tariff for electricity generated from SHPP; Provision of technical requirement to con- nect the SHPP to existing electrical networks; Preparation of a sale-and- purchase contract for the sale of electricity generated by the SHPP; stakeholders were involved in the process of discussing the issues of tariffs on electricity (how to make the tariff reasonable), which contributed to solving the problem of payment for generated electricity and assuring successful operation of the SHPP due to the return on investment in the generation of electricity.

72 PROGRAM SUPPORT TO PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT REFORMS IN TAJIKISTAN

DIRECTORS: ILKHOM ABDULLOEV (JANUARY 1, 2016 - MAY 1, 2016), DILOVAR MUNAVVAROV, NAZARHUDDO DASTAMBUYEV (FROM AUGUST 1, 2016) COORDINATORS: XENIYA MIRONOVA, MAVZUNA ABDURAHMANOVA, UMEDJON MAJIDI Goal: create a transparent and accountable public financial management (PFM) process by improving public services provided by the RT government, increasing civic participation and accountability, and enhancing the analytical skills of young scholars and researchers.

PRIORITIES:

assessment of needs, interests, and concerns related to public finance management and budget processes in Tajikistan; Open Local Budget Survey; enhance media understanding and coverage of PFM/ budget issues and public services; increase the analytical skills of young scholars and researchers in Tajik- istan.

73 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

PRIORITY: Assessment of needs, interests, and concerns related to public finance management and budget processes in Tajikistan.

Goal: assess the needs, interests, and concerns related to public finance management and budget processes in Tajikistan.

Implementing partner: NGO “New Panorama”.

Implementation period: June – October 2016.

Participants: sample of adult population aged 18+, representatives of civil society organizations, mahalla committees, representatives of relevant state institutions.

Methodology: 1. Analysis of legislative and regulatory frameworks with regard to the possibilities for the public and civil society to obtain information on state budget and public finance management; 2. Inter- view of households based on a standardized questionnaire (1,200 respondents); 3. Focus Group Discussions with adults, representatives of POs and mahalla committees (10 discussions); 4. Semi-structured interviews with representatives of ministries and departments, deputies at different governmental levels, and local hukumats (20 interviews).

Study Outcomes: the legislation of the RT, which is based on the principles of transparency and accountability, does not restrict access of the population to information. However, in order to remove possible barriers to public access to information and involvement in budget processes, it is necessary to introduce a number of changes and amendments. the general public has limited access to information on the state budget and other financial issues, and there is a lack of transparency and accountability at state structures; the general public has a low level of knowledge and awareness about their rights in the field of PFM. There is a need for more information pertinent to the livelihoods of households, where the main sources of information are currently the national media, social networks, the Ministry of Finance and local hukumats; both the form and content of disseminated information is important; civil society is practically not involved in budgetary processes.

74 PROGRAM SUPPORT TO PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT REFORMS

PRIORITY: Open Local Budget Survey.

Goal: assess the degree of openness of local budgets and public access to budget information.

Implementing partner: PO “Center for Social and Economic Education and Development” (Dushanbe).

Implementation period: July 2016 - March 2017.

Methodology: The Budgets Openness Index Methodology, developed by the International Budget Partnership, was utilized.

Expected Outcomes: assessment of the degree of openness of local budgets and public access to budget information will be conducted in 20 districts of RT; the research results will be published in Russian, Tajik and English and distributed among interested parties.

PRIORITY: Enhance media understanding and coverage of PFM/ budget issues and public services.

Goal: enhance the capacity of media organizations and civil society activists in public finance management and public services.

Implementing partner: PO “Khoma”.

Implementation period: December 1, 2015 - December 31, 2016.

Outcomes: an educational program was conducted out on the use of multimedia and the instruments of data-journalism in public finance and services, which included 7 trainings for 40 representatives of media, government agencies and civil society; a training was conducted by local and international trainers for 15 media-managers on how to present financial and economic issues in the media; 2 media-conferences were held with the participation of representatives of media organizations and experts on economic development and financial management;

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more than 30 articles were published through different media outlets on the issue of the management of public finances and services through the use of multi-media tools and info-graphics.

PRIORITY: Increase analytical skills of young scholars and researchers in Tajikistan.

Goals: Increase the capacity and skills of independent and young analysts in the field of public financial management; popularize and discuss the issues of managing state finances by holding open lectures and public presentations by experts, young professionals and public figures.

Outcomes: trainings for independent and young analysts were conducted using the following modules: • Methods of conducting analytical research; • State and municipal finance; • Basic principle of formation and regulation of budget process; • Analysis of statistical data (using the STATA program). analytical articles on various topics of PFM and fiscal policy were written by trainings participants; open lectures were held on economics, public administration and public finances with the purpose of popularizing these issues among graduate students, young researchers as well as specialists from state institutions, NGOs, and financial bodies and independent experts. The topics of the open lectures were as follows: • The impact of budget expenditures on human development and economic growth; • Transparency as the primary basis for successful and stable economic development; • External and internal audits: Similarities and differences; • Financial management: Dividend policy as an instrument to maximize the market value of a corporation; • Features of demographic processes in Tajikistan: Retrospective and perspective; • Analysis of the sustainability of local budgets through the example of the budgets of pilot cities and districts in Tajikistan; • Mechanisms for improving the management of public finances in the Republic of Tajikistan;

76 PROGRAM SUPPORT TO PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT REFORMS

• Methods of scientific research: Case study of Canada; • Study of budget openness: Case study of the Republic of Tajikistan; • Budgetary policy and citizen participation; • Implementation of the Medium-term Public Expenditure Program (MTEP) in Tajikistan; • The impact of migrant remittances and official assistance on economic development: Empirical analysis based on the example of Tajikistan; • The private sector as a factor in the development of the state; • How the state budget outlay on education impacts on the long-term sustainable economic growth of the Republic of Tajikistan: Forecasts and prospects; • Education development program in Panjakent, 2016 - 2020; • State debt of the Republic of Tajikistan: Retrospective, current status and trends.

77 PROGRAM PUBLIC HEALTH

DIRECTOR: NIGORA ABIDJANOVA COORDINATOR: ZARINA KURBANBEKOVA ASSISTANT: ZUMRAT MAKSUDOVA

Goal: inclusive and equitable access to basic, but high quality health services, especially for the most vulnerable members of society.

EXPERTS:

Rayhon Muminova – Advisor for Supporting People with Disabilities, UNDP Support to Tajikistan Mine Action Program. Nigina Davlatova – Coordinator of the Project «Community-based Rehabilita- tion» funded by the EU, BMZ and Caritas Germany. Peruza Dzhonbekova – Obstetrician-gynecologist of Maternity Hospital № 3, Dushanbe. Nigina Khodzhayeva – Professor of the Department of Children Infectious Diseases at the Ibn Sino Tajik State Medical University. Mokhiolam Navruzova – Otolaryngologist of the Central Military Expert Com- mittee at the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Internal Affairs of RT. Khursheda Rakhmatova – Director of the USAID Project «Flagman» in RT. Tolib Bahromi – Consultant of EPOS Project.

PRIORITIES:

improve access to education and health services for people with special mental health and disabilities; improve access of vulnerable social groups to public health services; improve understanding of the human rights concept in the sphere of health.

78 PROGRAM PUBLIC HEALTH

PRIORITY: Improve access to education and health services for people with special mental health and disabilities.

ORGANIZATION OF SPORTS GAMES IN TABLE TENNIS AND FOOTBALL FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES FROM BOARDING SCHOOL NO. 2 IN DUSHANBE AND A KULOB BOARDING SCHOOL

Goal: social integration and restoration of the health of children with mental health issues through physical exercise and sports.

Implementing partner: PO «Special Olympics of Tajikistan».

Partners: «Association of Parents of Children with Disabilities» (Dushan- be, Kulob).

Implementation period: July 5 - 8, 2016 (Boarding School No. 2 in Du- shanbe and Kulob boarding school).

Participants: 110 children with disabilities from the two boarding schools and their parents.

Outcomes: sports games were organized in boarding schools in Dushanbe and Ku- lob; sports equipment was purchased and ownership transferred to the boarding schools for further use.

PARTICIPATION IN TRAINING ON TEACHING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS AND THEIR INTEGRATION IN SOCIETY (Israel)

Goal: increase the capacity of local specialists on early childhood intervention and inclusion in Tajikistan.

Implementing partner: project.

Implementation period: December 2016 - June 2017.

79 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2016

Participants: psychologist Nasiba Tadjibaeva.

Outcomes: training increased the level of knowledge of local specialists on early childhood intervention and inclusive education by taking into account the methods and technologies for the rehabilitation of children with special developmental needs; training helped local specialists to use their knowledge and skills in their professional activities.

DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF MEDICAL CARE FOR CHILDREN AT THE PRIMARY CARE LEVEL: A BASIC MODULE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD SCREENING AND INTERVENTION.

Goal: create a unified model of guidance on early childhood development, screening and intervention, aimed at ensuring a high level of starting opportunities for successful socialization and holistic development of each child in Tajikistan.

Implementing partner: PO «Association of Pediatricians of Tajikistan».

Implementation period: July 1 - December 30, 2016.

Outcomes: experts of the Association of Pediatricians of Tajikistan reviewed and analyzed the documents of international programs as well as statistical data of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of RT, and analytical reports, as well as legal and normative-regulatory documents; meetings and discussions of managers and coordinators of the program were organized with the involvement of international partners; guidelines on early screening and intervention for specialists working at the primary care level were developed and approved by an order of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of RT; visual materials for parents on early childhood intervention rooms / health care rooms were prepared and distributed; recommendations on the inclusion of issues related to the development of programs on early screening and intervention were included in the relevant regulatory and legal documents.

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COMBINING THE EFFORTS OF PO OF PARENTS AND STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN RT

Goal: assist in the promotion of inclusive education and provide alternative methods of institutionalization for children with disabilities by creating resource centers at Special Boarding School No. 3 in Dushanbe and a boarding school in Hisor district of RT.

Implementing partner: PO of parents of disabled children «Rushdi Inclu- sion» in partnership with POs «IRODA» and «CiDa».

Implementation period: August 22, 2016 - June 22, 2017.

Outcomes: a summer school was organized by the implementing partners. Commu- nication and cooperation of PO of parents with state educational institutions and boarding schools in Dushanbe and Hisor was established; resource centers were created to operate at two special boarding schools for disabled children (Boarding School No. 3 in Dushanbe and a special boarding school for children with physical disabilities in Hisor). The resource centers are used by boarding school teachers, parents of disabled children and specialists; meetings with representatives of state education institutions, boarding schools and school administrations in Dushanbe and Hisor district were held; the importance of joint efforts in promoting inclusive education was emphasized; 400 booklets containing information on existing resource centers, and their goals and objectives were published. The booklets were widely distributed to media organizations, the Ministry of Education and Science of RT, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of RT, Departments of Education, and parents of children with and without disabilities in Dushanbe and Hisor district; a team was created to work at the two resource centers to promote the development of the inclusive approach to the education of children with various disabilities and develop individual methods of teaching children, based on a family-centered approach; the educational guideline entitled «Guidance on the implementation of inclusive education at three community levels for teaching children with special needs in a regular classroom» was adopted, translated into Rus- sian and Tajik and published;

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the level of professionalism of teachers working in schools and special institutions increased (by 30%); valuable experiences were gained and applied to working with disabled children in schools and special institutions, which led to positive changes in the attitude of communities to children with disabilities; knowledge was acquired by (at least 35% of) parents on alternative ways of approaching the education of disabled children to help reduce the number of disabled children being sent to special boarding schools.

EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION AS THE WAY TO AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

Goal: assist in improving the quality of services on early screening, intervention and inclusion of children at risk and children with disabilities by combining the efforts of POs in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) and Khatlon province, and by advocating the program at the state level.

Implementing partner: PO «Ranginkamon» in partnership with the POs of parents with disabled children in Khujand, Isfara, Khorog and Kulob.

Implementation period: December 20, 2016 - September 20, 2017.

Expected Outcomes: communities assisting in spreading information and the implementation of the early childhood intervention program (no less than 4,560 community members by the project’s conclusion); 20 rooms of early childhood intervention centers will operate in 6 districts of GBAO, in Isfara and Khujand in Sughd province, and in Kulob as well as in 4 selected jamoats of Khatlon province; 1,100 children with special developmental needs were identified: 4 children will receive services provided by the early childhood intervention program; 500 children with special developmental needs will improve their ability to move, talk and be more independent; and at least 30 children will be transferred to inclusive education groups of kindergartens; support for the early intervention and inclusive education program is provided by community members: 100 nurses acquired knowledge on early identification and were trained to use a screening tool and provide primary services for early childhood intervention; 200 parents of children with disabilities will learn skills to help their children;

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a unified system for assessing the development of young children in Ta- jikistan will be adopted; modern methods providing early intervention services for children with special developmental needs will be adopted; a coordinated system of provision of medical and psychological-pedagogical services for children with special developmental needs from birth to the age of 6 was created; normative legal acts on the accreditation of the early childhood intervention and inclusive education program were adopted; the early childhood intervention and inclusive education program will be presented to media and promoted on local TV in GBAO, and Sughd and Khatlon provinces.

FROM FINANCIAL ISOLATION TO SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP (13th School of Psychoanalysis), Almaty, Kazakhstan

Goal: assist in the capacity building of local specialists on the introduction of approaches to the rehabilitation of people with disabilities.

Implementation period: March 23 - 31, 2016.

Participant: Nurullo Sharipov, Psychiatrist of PO «Aurora».

Outcomes: specialists from the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the Czech Republic took part in the School of Psychoanalysis; theoretical and methodological approaches in the organization and management of a social enterprise were considered; modern approaches to the rehabilitation of people with disabilities were considered.

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PRIORITY: Improve access of vulnerable social groups to public health services.

IX CONGRESS OF ONCOLOGISTS AND RADIOLOGISTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS) (June 14 - 18, 2016, in Minsk, the Republic of Belarus)

Goals: • improve knowledge on methods and approaches of treating oncological patients; • exchange experience in the implementation of the palliative care (PC) program in GBAO with specialists from other countries.

Implementing partner: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus.

Implementation period: June 15 - 17, 2016 (Minsk, Republic of Belarus).

Participants: two specialists of the Regional Oncological Center, GBAO.

Outcomes: participants exchanged experience in the implementation of the PC program for oncological patients; the level of knowledge and professional skills of participants in the use of new approaches to the treatment and care of oncological patients was increased.

PALLIATIVE CARE FOR EVERY PATIENT IN NEED!

Goals: • assist in improving access to PC for patients in need by strengthening and improving the model of all-round home-based services in Dushan- be and GBAO; • assist the Psychology Department of the Tajik National University in teaching Master students on the provision of all-round PC to needy patients and members of their families; • assist in the capacity building of health professionals and employees of law enforcement agencies by raising the awareness of PC issues among the population, creating resource centers and developing methodical materials for professionals, as well as through the provision of training on the issues of accessibility of opioids for needy patients in

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order to implement good quality, integrated, patient-centered and family-friendly PC in Tajikistan.

Implementation period: June 30, 2016 - February 28, 2018.

Implementing partner: Association of Nurses and Midwives of the Repub- lic of Tajikistan.

Expected Outcomes: a mobile team shared their experiences of care for patients at home with local specialists, who put it into use successfully in their respective regions; awareness of effective communication in the field of PC was increased; knowledge acquired is applied in professional activities; capacity of PC specialists in resource centers in medical colleges in Khorog and Hisor was increased; a resource center established under the auspices of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RT began to operate. In this center, about 400 students of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (including specialists from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Agency for Drug Con- trol, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry for Emergency Situations, the Anti-Corruption Agency and the Department of Correctional Affairs) are being trained in the basics of the PC program and availability of opioids, and use the acquired knowledge and skills in their professional activities; the PC program is adopted for psychologists and Masters level students of the Tajik National University; access of needy patients to anesthetic narcotic drugs is facilitated through the improvement of the system of document preparation and the increased availability of the necessary licenses, and by issuing special one-off prescriptions in Khatlon province and the Districts of republican subordination (DRS); the level of knowledge of participants in the training (275 people) was increased. The knowledge gained is to be applied to the management of patient access to painkilling procedures as well as the prescription, buying, storing and selling of narcotic pain medication for PC patients in Khatlon and the DRS; the number of one-off prescriptions handed out by medical workers in health centers and hospitals for needy patients increased; inventory at pharmacies are maintained in accordance with the need of patients in 30% more of cases; the control, storage and sale of drugs is carried out on the basis of established legal provisions in cooperation with specialists from the relevant law enforcement agencies;

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the availability of one-off prescriptions will improve needy patients’ access to narcotic painkillers in medical institutions and in private pharmacies at or near their place of residence; pharmacies at medical institutions and health centers purchase drugs in accordance with the needs of patients; the number of pharmacies (including private ones) licensed to purchase, store and sell painkillers will increased by 20% in Khatlon province and the DRS; the number of patients seeking prescriptions for necessary medications in health centers will increased (by not less than 30%) in Khatlon province and DRS; educational and training materials on the techniques of effective PC communication (for medical workers, family members, etc. with patients in need of PC) are prepared. These materials are used in the training of nurses for the professional development of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of RT.

ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PALLIATIVE CARE SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE REPUBLICAN ONCOLOGICAL CENTER IN DUSHANBE

Goal: to create the conditions for providing all-round PC to children with oncological diseases in hospitals through capacity building for medical specialists, developing clinical protocols and improving access to opi- oid analgesics for neutralizing chronic pain.

Implementing partner: the Republican Oncological Scientific Center under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of RT.

Implementation period: August 22, 2016 - March 22, 2017.

Outcomes: the implementation of this project will create conditions for the import and registration of oramorph (a brand of morphine) in Tajikistan; anesthetics are used in the form of drops and syrups for children suffer- ing from advanced stages of oncological diseases; patients of the Children’s Department of the Oncological Center receive all-round PC; parents receive specific knowledge and skills on caring for their sick children at home.

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PRIORITY: Improve the understanding of the human rights concept in the sphere of health protection.

MONITORING OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SPHERE OF HEALTH CARE

Goal: improve compliance with human rights in the health care and social protection systems through monitoring and evaluation.

Implementing partner: PO «League of Women Lawyers».

Implementation period: December 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017.

Expected Outcomes: representatives of state institutions and public organizations are involved in the study and analysis of human right situation in the sphere of health care; a mechanism for evaluating the human rights situation in the sphere of health care is developed and put into use; the results of the evaluation are published and a plan of action to improve the human rights situation is defined; recommendations are developed based on the results of monitoring in order to implement, and improve, existing legislation on the issues of compliance with human rights in the sphere of health care; the results of the analysis are presented to key institutions that are ca- pable of influencing respect for and adherence to human rights in the sphere of health care.

87 PROGRAM SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC REINTEGRATION OF THE RETURNED MIGRANTS

DIRECTOR: NIGORA ABIDJANOVA ASSISTANT: RUKHSHONA MIRZOARTIKOVA Goals: create a cost effective, comprehensive pilot program in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and international donors for the provision of services for returned labor migrants in order to do the following: а) increase economic opportunities for returned migrants; b) reduce the burden on social services accruing as a result of returned migrants; adopt, adjust and scale-up the program across Tajikistan should further donor financing be made available.

EXPERTS:

Moyonsho Makhmadbekov – Head of the Migration Department of the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of the Republic of Tajik- istan. Mavjuda Azizova – Lawyer / Consultant. Zaytuna Naimova – Country Manager, UN Women. Jamshed Kuddusov – Director, «SOCSERVICE» NGO. Zarina Iskhakova – Country Coordinator, «Project: rights of migrants in actions» Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan (RCST).

PRIORITIES:

projects in support of returned labor migrants; small grants for social and economic reintegration of the returned migrants.

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PRIORITY: Projects in support of returned labor migrants.

IMPROVED MEDIA COVERAGE OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC REINTEGRATION PROBLEMS OF RETURNED MIGRANTS (training)

Goal: facilitate the creation of periodicals in mass media in Tajikistan that deal with the issues facing returned labor migrants by building skills and knowledge within the journalistic community, deepening the understanding of the ethical dimension of journalism, and expanding the use of multimedia materials.

Implementation period: September 26 - 30, 2016, November 29 - December 2, 2016 (follow-up training).

Participants: journalists and representatives of civil society in Dushanbe, Khatlon and Sughd provinces, Districts of Republican Subordinations and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

Outcomes: labor migration related issues were discussed during the training facilitated by a leading expert from Russia, Sergey Brestovitsky, who works as labor migration expert / consultant in Kazakhstan, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; the economic and social aspects of migration, local labor market opportunities for migrants as well as the advantages and disadvantages of labor migration were all discussed at the event; the team of experts, drawn from among competent civil society and mass media representatives, comprehensively reviewed the issue of migration and committed to create new content that would avail of the tools of independent journalism and professionally cover the problem of returned migrants in mass media; the audience was offered theoretical material detailing the concept of spatial mobility, mechanisms for the protection of migrants’ rights at the national and international level, and the peculiarities of the reintegration process for returned migrants; as part of the training program, the most active journalists who were ready to work on the issue of migration in general, and on reintegration in particular, were selected by trainers for in-kind grant support.

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PRIORITY: Small grants for the social and economic reintegration of returned migrants.

CREATION OF INTERACTIVE PORTAL

Goal: create, pilot and maintain an interactive data portal of labor migrant services in order to 1) provide information and other in demand services for labor migrants and 2) host a jobs page allowing returned migrants to search for vacancies.

Implementation period: September 2016 - March, 2017.

Implementing agency: CIPI (Civil Initiative for Internet Policy).

Outcomes: the consolidation of the following three web-sites: (1) On line services that give returned labor migrants access to skills training and the opportunity to have existing skills certified; (2) On line jobs platform for returned labor migrants and (3) A system to check labor migrants re-entry status in the Russian Federation; a team of qualified operators was created to support the data portal; labor migrants participated in the work of updating the portal’s content and promoting it among their fellow migrants.

SURVEY OF THE HOUSEHOLDS OF RETURNED MIGRANTS IN SUGHD PROVINCE

Goal: presentation of baseline social and economic information about the households of returned migrants in Sughd province, and further monitoring of this data.

Implementation period: October 2015 - March 2016.

Implementing agency: PO «Innovative Development Center».

Outcomes: 900 households of returned migrants in the cities of Khujand and Isfara, and Bobojon Ghafurov district were interviewed with the support of the Migration Services Department of Sughd;

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the abovementioned target areas for the survey and the interview participants were selected with support of the Migration Services Department; the outcomes of the survey were presented at an event that brought together more than 30 local organizations.

SURVEY OF THE HOUSEHOLDS OF RETURNED MIGRANTS IN THE CITY OF DUSHANBE, DISTRICS OF REPUBLIC SUBORDINATION (DRS) AND KHATLON PROVINCE

Goal: presentation of baseline social and economic information about the households of returned migrants in Dushanbe, DRS and Khatlon province, and further monitoring of this data.

Implementation period: June, 2016 - January, 2017.

Implementing agency: PO «Innovative Development Center».

Outcomes: respondents were interviewed in Dushanbe, DRS and Khatlon; an independent picture of the situation of the households of returned migrants was developed; an electronic and print version of the report on the outcomes of the survey was prepared.

REDUCING THE SOCIAL, MEDICAL AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF LABOR MIGRATION FOR RETURNED FEMALE LABOR MIGRANTS

Goal: reducing the social, medical, legal and economic consequences for female labor migrants who voluntary return or have been deported from Russia.

Implementation term: November 2016 - October 2017.

Implementation agency: PO «AIDS Foundation East-West».

Outcomes: the awareness of vulnerable groups of women about the importance of sexual and reproductive health, and family planning was raised; the importance of both medical diagnostics for women and the necessity

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of sticking to prescribed treatments was highlighted; the awareness and use of services that provide legal and social support, financial education and professional reorientation was increased; positive changes were observed in terms of the health status and quality of life of vulnerable, returned female migrants; there was collaboration between governmental and public institutions in implementing programs that aimed to improve the quality of life of vulnerable women.

CREATING OF A MULTI-SECTORAL, INTEGRATED TEAM TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF FEMALE-MIGRANTS

Goal: social reintegration of 300 returned, female labor migrants from the cities of Qurghonteppa and Sarband through the provision of services by a newly created Multi-Sectoral Integrated Team (MSIT) over the course of six months.

Implementation period: November 2016 - May 2017.

Implementing agency: PO «Tomiris».

Participants: 1500 people including 300 returned female labor migrants (between the ages of 20 and 60) and 1,200 additional beneficiaries drawn from members of the households of returned, female labor migrants (children, husbands, parents of all ages) living in Qurghonteppa and Sarband and nearby villages.

Outcomes: the preparation and training of a MSIT of five people (a lawyer, an infectious diseases specialist, a psychologist, a gynecologist, and a social worker) to provide a package of social and counseling services at the PO «Tomiris» Cultural and Educational Center; provision of support by MSIT to 300 returned, females labor migrants in Qurghonteppa and Sarband and their environs; organization of the regional conference entitled: «Social reintegration of returned labor migrants» in the format of world café with the involvement of interested government institutions and public organizations as well as mass media representatives of Khatlon province.

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BUSINESS STARTUP

DIRECTOR: NIGORA ABIDJANOVA COORDINATOR: NILUFAR KARIMOVA

Goal: assistance in the development of small and medium-sized businesses, an important element of civil society, by facilitating business start-up and access to preferential credits.

EXPERTS:

Akmal Rahmatov – Manager of the Sector for Attracting Deposits, CJSC MDO «HUMO». Alijon Ekubov – Head, Credit Department, JSC Eskhata Bank’s branch in Kanibodom. Anvarjon Murodov – Manager-Analyst, LLC «TAJ ART». Bahriddin Isamutdinov – Director, NGO Tourism Development Centre. Bakhtiyor Abduvokhidov – Director, LLC Kharif, Khujand. Davron Kurbonaliev – Tax Consultant, LLC Asian Business Group - Legal Adviser. Naimjon Asrorov – Entrepreneur, Consultant for the Development of Ag- ribusiness. Nozim Tursunov – Head of Investment Service Department of the Direc- torate for External Relations and Investments of OJSC «Tojik Sodirot Bank». Samijan Nasirjanov – Chief Accountant, Representation of the JSC Olain- farm in the Republic of Tajikistan. Saidhuja Sangakov – Judge of the Economic Court of Khatlon province. Rahmonali Tursunaliev – Head of the main branch of the OJSC Agroin- vestbank in Qurghonteppa. Faridoon Salohov – Specialist, Directorate for the Collection and Analysis of the Agroinvestbank. Farrukh Sultonov – Independent Consultant. Shukur Masharipov – Regional manager, T-Cell Company in Khatlon province.

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PRIORITIES:

production – activities aimed at creating finished, marketable products; production services – services related to maintaining production and bringing finished products to consumers, namely processing, transpor- tation, and the preparation and storage of products; material services – services intended to allow for the consumption and use of goods, as requested or ordered by citizens, or the transport of goods and people, as well as trade and banking services.

PARTNERS (in the framework of the microfinance component):

• MFO Chiluchor Chashma – in N. Khusrav, Qabodiyon, and Shahrituz districts; • MFO Sarvati Vakhsh – in Sarband town and in the districts of Bokhtar, Vakhsh, Dusti (formerly Jilikul), Qabodiyon, Panj, Qumsangir, N. Khus- rav, and Shahrituz; • MFO Madina – in Khorog, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast; • MFO Baror – Khujand, Sughd province.

The network of facilitators consists of 29 qualified specialists who work throughout the country and have strong skills in drawing up business plans, identifying new innovative ideas, promoting the project, attracting women to entrepreneurship, and increasing the number of quality business plans.

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ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION TO CONSIDER THE CREATION, OPERATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF GUARANTEE FUNDS IN TAJIKISTAN

Goal: analysis of the legislation of the Republic of Tajikistan with a view to considering the issue pertinent to the creation, operation, and management of guarantee funds in Tajikistan.

Implementation period: November 2015 - December 2016.

Participants: analytical group to analyse the legislative and banking systems, and then to consider the challenges concerning guarantee funds in Tajikistan.

Outcomes: an analysis of the existing legislation was made with a number of legislative acts (1394 pages in total) investigated. Emphasis was lain on the issues pertaining to the operation and supervision of guarantee funds in Tajikistan; the working group prepared an analysis (42 pages) of the existing legislation under which one would currently establish a guarantee fund in Tajikistan.

PROJECT: 2-DAY TRAINING FOR NEW FACILITATORS

Goal: determine the level of knowledge and experience of facilitators in writing business plans and to familiarize the facilitators with the program while establishing concrete contacts with them.

Implementation period: April 26 - 27, 2016.

Participants: 13 new facilitators from all regions of the country.

Outcome: the level of knowledge and skills of the facilitators was deter- mined; upon the recommendation of an external expert, the program continued cooperation with the new facilitators in the framework of business facilitation component of the program «Start-up Entrepreneur- ship».

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PARTICIPATION IN THE WOMEN’S BUSINESS FORUM AND AT THE EXHIBITION OF PRODUCTS PRODUCED BY FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS IN TAJIKISTAN

Goal: an exchange of experience of successful women entrepreneurs from Central Asia and Tajikistan; exhibition and sale of artisanal products.

Implementation period: April 23 – 24, 2016.

Participants: 150 women, including 4 participants financed by the program «Start-up Entrepreneurship»: Shomansurova Aziza, program facilitator (Shahrituz); Hasanova Gulchehra, program facilitator (Aini); Akilova Munira, entrepreneur / artisan (Khujand); and Aliyeva Lutfiya, entrepreneur / artisan (Shahrituz).

Four two-day trainings for returning migrant workers about the basic principles of entrepreneurship, income-generating activities and writing business plans with the purpose of improving the standard of living of returning migrants and their families

Goal: improvement of the socio-economic conditions of returning migrant workers in the city of Panjakent, in Sughd province of the Republic of Tajikistan, through their involvement in entrepreneurial activities and training on the issues of small and medium-sized businesses and income-generating activities.

Implementation period: November 2016 - January 2017.

Implementer: PO «Zanoni Shark».

Outcomes: four 2-day trainings were conducted for 102 participants, including 42 returning migrants.

Trainings for migrants

Goal: training and education for returning migrants and their family members on the issues of starting new businesses and engaging in entrepreneurial activities.

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Implementation period: November 2016 - January 2017.

Implementer: PO «Kuhsor».

Outcomes: participants of trainings became more aware of the activities of the program; the level of their knowledge about writing business plans increased; 158 people, including 63 migrants, were trained.

Assisting returning migrants in the development of startup businesses, in the districts of Isfara, Bobojon Ghafurov, Jabbor Rasulov, Asht and Devashtich in Sughd province, by raising the level of participants’ knowledge and skills concerning business planning and entrepreneurship

Goal: to raise the level of knowledge of migrants from 5 districts of Sughd region by conducting trainings on business planning and drawing up business plans.

Implementation period: November 2016 - January 2017.

Implementer: PO «Zan va Jomea».

Outcomes: 5 two-day trainings were held with the involvements of returning labour migrants; an information database on the trained migrants was created; 152 people, including 17 returning migrants and 27 members of their families, took part in the trainings.

Development of entrepreneurship activities among returning migrants of Qabodiyon district

Goal: development of entrepreneurship and creation of new jobs among returning migrants living in agrarian areas of Qabodiyon district.

Implementation period: November 2016 - January 2017.

Implementator: PO «Alternativa».

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Outcomes: trainings were conducted with the involvement of returning labour migrants on the development of entrepreneurial skills, marketing and taxation; 156 people, including 74 migrants, took part in the trainings.

Trainings for labour migrants

Goal: train returning migrants of the Dar-Dar jamoat to write business plans and open new businesses.

Implementation period: December 2016 - February 2017.

Implementer: PO «Dar-Dar» Jamoat Support Center.

Outcomes: returning migrants learned about writing business plans and how to present business plans in order to obtain preferential credit within the framework of the «Start-up Entrepreneurship» program; awareness among the public about the activities of the program was raised; 137 people, including 110 migrants, took part in the trainings.

Developing entrepreneurship among returning labour migrants.

Goal: developing the business and entrepreneurial skills of returning labour migrants in Dusti district of Khatlon province of the Republic of Tajik- istan through trainings, meetings and the exchange of experience.

Implementation period: December 2016 - February 2017.

Implementer: PO «Shifo».

Outcomes: business trainings on start-up entrepreneurship were conducted; the returning migrants who participated in the trainings learnt about the basics of entrepreneurship, marketing, taxation and business plan development; 108 people, including 58 migrants, took part in the business trainings.

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Goal: assistance in the creation of a management system for start-up entrepreneurs from among the members of families of labour migrants with the purpose of improving the quality of life in the Rasht region of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Implementation period: December 2016 - March 2017.

Implementer: Association for Social Protection of the Population «Surk- hob».

Outcomes: seminars on the theme «Forming business ideas and developing business plans» were held in Rasht region; mobile consultations were held helping returning labour migrants to learn more about the current labour market, labour resources, forms of organization of the private sector and how to develop business plans; 159 people took part in the seminars, including 76 migrants.

DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION AND THE GENERATING INTEREST AMONG RETURNING MIGRANTS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE «START-UP ENTREPRENEURSHIP» PROGRAM OF OSI-AF IN TAJIKISTAN

Goal: dissemination of information about the «Start-up Entrepreneurship» program of OSI-AF in Tajikistan and attracting new potential clients in GBAO.

Implementation period: December 19, 2016 - June 20, 2017.

Implementer: PO «Lochvar».

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INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

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106 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

107 Signed in the press on 12.06.2017. The print format is 84 x 60 1/16. Offset paper. Edition 50 copies. Printed in the printing house of "Contrast".

ISBN 978-99975-93-41-2