Osh, May 27, 2022 - The Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, with the support of the joint UN project “Inclusive Governance and Common Civic Identity for Sustainable Peace and Development”, funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund and implemented by UNDP, UNICEF and OHCHR, held the fifth coordination meeting.

At a meeting with representatives of the media (regional media centers, TV and radio companies, print media and NGOs), social teachers of schools in Osh, employees of municipal departments, they discussed key issues of the Concept for the Development of Civil Identity of Kyrgyz Zharany in the Kyrgyz Republic and current topics related to journalistic activities and coverage .

In 2020, by decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Concept for the Development of Civil Identity of the Kyrgyz Jarany in the Kyrgyz Republic for the period 2021-2026 was approved. The main goal of the Concept is to develop a favorable environment for the development and promotion of the shared civic identity - Kyrgyz Jarany, which unites all ethnic communities while preserving/maintaining their ethno-cultural identity.

Priority directions of the Concept:

1. Formation of a conscious understanding of the civic identity of the Kyrgyz Jarany.

2. Strengthening the unity of the people of Kyrgyzstan, increasing tolerance and maintaining respect for the values ​​of diversity.

3. Development and promotion of the state language, preservation and development of multilingualism.

4. Creation of equal conditions in access to management and decision-making processes.

5. Increasing confidence in political institutions and public authorities.

In pursuance of the Action Plan for the implementation of this Concept, the Ministry of Culture, with the support of UNDP in Kyrgyzstan, developed a Communication Strategy and Media Plan for the second half of this year in order to ensure that citizens understand and form the concept of Kyrgyz Jarany civic identity.

In this regard, representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic presented the key points of the Concept for the Development of Civil Identity of the Kyrgyz Jarany - "The Concept of the Kyrgyz Jarany"; “Civil Identity” and “The Role of Local Media in the Implementation of the Kyrgyz Jarany Concept”, aimed at supporting civil initiatives of the population to promote civic identity and civic awareness.

“I believe that the Concept of Kyrgyz Jarany is a very important, relevant and timely document. It is necessary to provide for all the possibilities of introducing the concept into the school curriculum. We will get good results by instilling love for the Motherland, citizenship from the school bench, cultivating tolerance in schoolchildren. Also, this concept should be widely disseminated to the universities of our country, because young people are our present and future,” said Shakirova Sohiba, editor-in-chief of the Ush Sadosi newspaper.

Trainings to build understanding and commitment among journalists of the city of Bishkek in the implementation of the Kyrgyz Jarany Concept will be held on May 30–31. Journalists wishing to participate can contact Salkyn Sarnogoeva, Director of the Department of Information and Mass Communications under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, tel: +996 312 66 26 65, +996 550 05 99 32.