Kyrgyz Youth in Human Rights Education YOUTH HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP he Youth Human Rights Group (YHRG) was established in 1995 with a mission to protect and promote human rights in general and child rights in Tparticular in the Kyrgyz Republic and Central Asia. As a non-profit, non- governmental organization (NGO), YHRG undertakes human rights education and awareness-raising activities, monitoring of the���������������������������������������� ������������������������������������human rights/child rights situation, legal counseling, and lobbying for legislations affecting the youth. Education program three seven-day seminars for young activists from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, The educational activities of YHRG include followed by a ten-day training holding classes on human rights and child rights • Human rights education training for second- in primary and secondary schools, publishing ary school teachers textbooks, making video materials, holding • Development and publication of educational training seminars for teachers, representatives printed and video materials of NGOs, students and volunteers. The aware- • Education on human rights and public inter- ness-raising activities include the publication of est practice for young activists the bulletin on the rights of the child entitled • Internships in YHRG for young activists Chaika, radio programs on human rights, vari- from different regions ������������������(Osh, Djalal-Abad, ous informational leaflets and other materials. Batken, Issyk-Kul, Talas, Naryn, Chui)��� of The program started on����������������� 10 �������������December����� 1996 Kyrgyztan. with������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������pilot������������������������������������� ������������������������������������lessons����������������������������� ����������������������������in schools in Bishkek. Since 1997, the educational program has become part Freedom House organized the 2007 Sum- of regular activities, and continued to develop mer Human Rights School for young activists and expand. from 25 June to 1 July in cooperation with A number of activities are undertaken under YHRG, which provided trainers. The School this program, namely, brought together participants from three • Advanced Training Program for Lawyers on countries (Kyrgyzstan , Kazakhstan , and Uz- International Mechanisms of Human Rights bekistan). The participants from Kyrgyzstan Protection (International Covenant on Civil underwent a multi-stage contest conducted by and Political Rights) YHRG before going to the Summer School. • Training program for young NGO activists During the five-day program, the partici- on human rights and capacity building, pants learned the following: which includes local and regional seminars: • Strategic activity planning HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS • International mechanisms on human rights Meerim: “Before participating in the Summer protection School I did not realize that the situation of hu- • Human rights situation in Central Asian man rights and freedoms in Uzbekistan could countries be so grave.” • Alternative reports applicable to Central Asian countries • United Nations (UN) treaty bodies Lobbying for policy reform • UN Human Rights Council • Human rights monitoring and ways to ob- YHRG works in the area of legislation and tain effective results. its development. It analyzes existing legislations and develops law proposals. The YHRG takes The most valuable experience in the Summer part in round table discussions on reforming School for young activists was the opportunity legislation, and cooperates with international to meet and cooperate with representatives organizations, governmental bodies and parlia- from neighboring countries. The discussions ment for this purpose. were heated and interesting because of the A������������������������������������� ������������������������������������large������������������������������� ������������������������������number������������������������ �����������������������of��������������������� recommendations sug-sug- different human rights situations in Kyrgyzstan, gested���������������������������������� ���������������������������������by������������������������������� ������������������������������YHRG�������������������������� �������������������������were��������������������� ��������������������included������������ in��������� the “New Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. They learned Generation” National Program on the Realiza- problems that were relevant to a particular tion of the Rights of Children in Kyrgyzstan. A country, and common problems faced by all representative of YHRG was a member of Con- three countries. Although they were from stitutional Council on constitutional reform. different countries, each of them realized how It also participates in public discussions about important it was to know human rights and to Kyrgyz Republic Code on Children. improve skills for their protection. The Summer YHRG is a member of a network of NGOs School became the platform that brought working on human rights and child rights. together experts from the three countries and This network was formed in 1999 to gather the young people who were taking the first steps qualitative information and to allow specialized to human rights protection work. monitoring of situations in different areas. The Some of the participants in the 2007 network also facilitates exchange of information Summer School commented: and education for new network member-orga- Ravshan: “… at the end of the first working nizations. day, we organized the Organizations Fair: we YHRG, together with the network of learned about the organizations represented by NGOs, prepared the Alternative Report to the the participants and their functions. This is im- UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in portant for future search of partners and further 2000, with comments on the Initial Report cooperation.” of the government of the Kyrgyz Republic on Eler: “I very much liked the films about human the implementation of the Convention on the rights and about the monitoring activity: how it is Rights of the Child (CRC). The subsequent organized, its strategies and ways of implementa- Committee on the Rights of the Child recom- tion. Thanks to those films, I now have a lot of mendations included those proposed by the new ideas in human rights protection, especially network. after we discussed the presentation.” Since then, YHRG (along with the network) Gulsaadat: “I was very much impressed by the has been preparing Alternative Reports to the trainers. They were real professionals who were UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and really into their cause. All in all, no one fell out other human rights treaty monitoring bodies. of the wardrobe or fell asleep!” It also provides analytical information on the Kyrgyz Youth in Human Rights Education human rights situation in Kyrgyzstan for the that would determine and try to work on UN special procedures and international human youth issues at the local level rights organizations. • Publication of a manual on protecting public interest (five hundred copies in the Russian language and three hundred copies in the Projects Kyrgyz language) and the distribution of copies in the regions of the country YHRG implements several projects, such • Two-month probation period at YHRG as the “����������������������������������Youth's participation in promoting of the three most active students from the democracy and youth's politics in Kyrgyzstan” regions that introduced them to the work aimed of the civil society in protecting public • To strengthen the potential of young people interest. in working on their interests at the local level, and The manual contains • To involve them in developing the concept • Actions in protecting public interest of youth politics, and applying it at local and (information about different actions, and national levels. about strategies to plan the actions) • Success stories of students protecting public The project involved several activities: interest during the course of the project • Creation of information network of youth • Success stories in realizing public interest by organizations that continues to influence the different organizations in Kyrgyzstan the formation, planning and realization of • Comparative analysis of successful and the new youth politics. It focuses on youth unsuccessful actions undertaken during the organizations or organizations that work project, and the practical recommendations with the youth in Kyrgyzstan in different in working on advocacy campaigns spheres (human rights protection, legal • Selected essays of the students about consultations, crisis centers, job employ- problems among the youths in regions of ment, development of business, etc.) for Kyrgyzstan. each region • Holding two-day meetings in four regions Another project is entitled the “�����Youth with one hundred students (twenty-five Initiative to Promote the Interests of Young persons from each region) to discuss the People at the Local Level.���������������������� ”�������������������� The project aims to problems of youth politics. The issues dis- support the activities of youth groups on human cussed covered the new concept of youth rights protection and to build capacities of politics and government, proposed changes young people in promoting their interests in the in the law about youth politics, possibilities different regions of Kyrgyztan. It includes two- of youth participation in